Lesson 68 (Intermediate 1A Lesson 6): I tried to write this earlier, but I was busy during the last 3 weeks

Due to some life events and work, I'm writing this after Lesson 70, so my memory is a bit hazy.

Grammar

1. V-아/어 보다

This is used to express that the subject has tried or experienced something.

Recall V-아/어 보세요, which was used to suggest or recommend that someone try a certain action.

This is basically the "generic version", the basic form of that.

보다 can be conjugated with any sentence ending that we have learnt. such as 볼 거예요, 보고 싶어요, etc.

For the conjugation of the actual verb (the action you tried or experienced), V-아/어, is the same as the present tense form.

Examples

1. 스카이 다이빙을 해 봤어요. (I've tried skydiving before.)
2. 프랑스 음식 먹어 봤어요? 안 먹어 본 것 같아요. (Have you tried French cuisine? I think I've not tried it.)
3. 번지 점프를 못 해 봤어요. (I've not tried bungee jumping before [but would like to].)

V-는 것 같아요

것 같아요 (from the second sentence) is covered in the next chapter. My friend was unsure about whether he'd eaten French cuisine, which was when the teacher introduced this expression to us. But since I'm writing this after Lesson 70, I've already learnt it.

What caught my attention is that it uses the past tense 본. When it was introduced, it was introduced as V-는 것 같아요, and all the examples were in the present tense.

Using the past tense noun modifier here makes sense, but I don't know if it would have crossed my mind otherwise.

안 vs 못

What's the difference between these two sentences?

• 번지 점프를 안 해 봤어요.
• 번지 점프를 못 해 봤어요.

안 is neutral. 못 implies that it's something the speaker wanted to try, but never had the chance to.

2. N 동안

This is used to indicate a duration (period) of time.

It's another thing I had seen in Duolingo and am glad to cover this in class.

In English, this can be translated as for (as in for a month) or during (as in during winter).

Nothing too difficult with the conjugation of this one.

In terms of pronunciation, when used in a sentence, it usually sounds more like [똥안].

The tricky part is remembering when to use native Korean or Sino-Korean numbers.

You use native Korean numbers for:

• 시간 (hour)
• 달 (month)

You use Sino-Korean numbers for:

• 분 (minute)
• 일 (day)
• 주일/주 (week)
• 개월 (month)
• 년 (year)

Between 달 and 개월, usually Koreans have no preference for a number from 1 to 4. However, from 5 onwards, they prefer 개월. This is 개월 (个月) and not simply 월. Recall that 일월 means January. 일개월 means one month.

For 1 day and 2 days, 하루 and 이틀 are more common than 일일 and 이일 because these two sound alike.

There is no difference between 주일 and 주.

Examples

1. 곰은 겨울 동안 겨울잠을 자요. (Bears hibernate during winter.)
2. 얼마 동안 한국어를 공부했어요? (For how long have you studied Korean?)
3. 여름 방학 동안 집에서 쉬면서 책을 많이 읽었어요. (While resting at home during the summer vacation, I read a lot of books.)

3. A-(으)ㄴ데, V-는데, N인데

This is used to provide background information in the first clause that is relevant to the second clause. It functions as a lead-in to the next clause.

Unfortunately, there isn't an English translation for this one

In the first clause you would add 은데, 는데, 인데, and in the second clause you could have an additional explanation, asking a question, giving a suggestion, or even requesting.

This is one where examples probably help.

Examples:

1. 요즘 태권도를 배우는데 아주 재미있어요. (Recently I've been learning Taekwondo and it's very interesting.)
2. 배가 아픈데 약 있어요? (My stomach hurts, do you have medicine?)
3. 이것은 송평인데 추석에 먹어요. (This is Songpyeon [rice cake], and it is eaten during Chuseok [mid-autumn festival].)
4. 많이 쌌는데 이제 갈까요? (You've bought a lot, shall we go?)

Past Tense

For the past tense form, you add -았/었 followed by 는데. This applies for both verbs and adjectives.

This should not be confused with the past tense noun modifier!

1. 가다:
   • 간데 (X)
   • 갔는데 (O)
2. 먹다:
   • 먹은데 (X)
   • 먹었는데 (O)
3. 작다:
   • 작았는데 (O)
4. 크다:
   • 킀는데 (O)

데 is a sentence ending. It isn't a noun.

Now: 이제 and 지금

In the last example sentence, it makes use of 이제, which also means "now":

• 많이 쌌는데 이제 갈까요?

What's the difference between 이제 and 지금 when both can be translated "now"?

이제 implies an action starting from now. 지금 implies (right) now.

Let's say you are being nagged by your mother to do your homework. If you say 지금 해요, it implies that you were already doing the homework when she nagged at you.

On the other hand, 이제 해요 means that you will start to do your homework from now, after she has nagged at you. You weren't doing it before.

Vocabulary

Stats

• Students: 5 (1 absent due to work - the lady who is older than me)
• Breakout room activities: Chapter 3 handout p. 6, Textbook Speaking 1