Comprehensive Korean Grammar - Intermediate 3 (중급 3)
All 47 Intermediate 3 Korean grammar structures across 15 lessons from the Comprehensive Korean textbook: state changes, conjectures, indirect speech, informal speech (반말), -(으)ㅁ nominalization, and intermediate connectives.
Lesson 1: 대학생활 – University Life3 grammar points
Limiting particle 밖에 (-(으)ㄹ 수밖에 없다), state change -게 되다, and future plans -(으)ㄹ 생각/계획/예정이다.
- N + 밖에N + bakke#01N + 밖에 – Nothing/Nobody but N (Only N)Only; nothing but; no choice other than
- V + -게 되다V + -ge doeda#02V + -게 되다 – Come to do / Turn out to beCome to do; end up doing; be decided that
- V + -(으)ㄹ 생각/계획/예정이다V + -(eu)l saenggak/gyehoek/yejeongida#03V + -(으)ㄹ 생각/계획/예정이다 – Plan / Intend / Be Scheduled to doThink of doing; plan to; be scheduled to
Lesson 2: 성격 – Personality3 grammar points
On the way -는 길이다/길에, thanks to -(으)ㄴ/는 덕분에, and soft polite questions -나요? / -(으)ㄴ가요?.
- V + -는 길이다 / -는 길에V + -neun girida / -neun gire#04V + -는 길이다 / -는 길에 – Be on One's Way to / On the Way toBe on the way to...; on one's way to...
- N / V + -(으)ㄴ/는 덕분에N / V + -(eu)n/neun deokbune#05N / V + -(으)ㄴ/는 덕분에 – Thanks to (Positive Result)Thanks to; owing to
- V + -나요? / A + -(으)ㄴ가요?V + -nayo? / A + -(eu)ngayo?#06V + -나요? / A + -(으)ㄴ가요? – Soft & Polite Question EndingDo you...? / Is it...? (Soft polite question)
Lesson 3: 복장과 외모 – Clothing and Appearance3 grammar points
Advice -는 게 좋다, visual impression -아/어 보이다, and conjecture -(으)ㄴ/는/(으)ㄹ 것 같다.
- V + -는 게 좋다V + -neun ge jota#07V + -는 게 좋다 – It Is Better to / Should (Advice)Should; had better; it is good to
- A + -아/어 보이다A + -a/eo boida#08A + -아/어 보이다 – Look / Seem / Appear (Visual Impression)Look; seem; appear to be
- V/A + -(으)ㄴ/는/(으)ㄹ 것 같다V/A + -(eu)n/neun/(eu)l geot gatda#09V/A + -(으)ㄴ/는/(으)ㄹ 것 같다 – It Seems / I Think That (Conjecture)It seems that; I think that; it looks like
Lesson 4: 요리 – Cooking3 grammar points
Substitution 대신에 (-는 대신에), alternative choice N 말고, and concessive acknowledgment -기는 하다.
- N + 대신에 / V + -는 대신에N + daesine / V + -neun daesine#10N + 대신에 / V + -는 대신에 – Instead of / In Compensation forInstead of; in place of; in return for
- N + 말고 / V + -지 말고N + malgo / V + -ji malgo#11N + 말고 / V + -지 말고 – Not N, but... / Instead of Doing V1Not X (but Y); rather than X; do not do X, instead...
- V/A + -기는 하다V/A + -gineun hada#12V/A + -기는 하다 (-긴 하다) – Indeed / Admit That... But...Do/Is indeed..., but...; admit that..., however...
Lesson 5: 쇼핑 – Shopping4 grammar points
Sequential completion -고 나서, selection/change particle (으)로, interrupted/shifted action -다가, and adverbializer -게.
- V + -고 나서V + -go naseo#13V + -고 나서 – After Finishing Doing...After completely finishing...; once having done...
- N + (으)로 (하다/바꾸다)N + (eu)ro (hada/bakkuda)#14N + (으)로 (하다/바꾸다) – Choose N / Change or Exchange into NDecide on N; change/transfer/exchange into N
- V + -다가 (-았/었다가)V + -daga (-at/eotdaga)#15V + -다가 (-았/었다가) – While Doing... (Interrupted) / After Doing, Then...While doing... (another action interrupts); did... and then reversed/changed
- A + -게A + -ge#16A + -게 – -ly / In a ... Manner (Adverbializer)-ly; in a ... way; so that
Lesson 6: 부탁 – Making Requests3 grammar points
Ease/difficulty -기(가) 쉽다/어렵다, duration -는 동안, and intention conditional -(으)려면.
- V + -기(가) 쉽다/어렵다V + -gi(ga) swipda/eoryeopda#17V + -기(가) 쉽다/어렵다 – Easy / Difficult to DoEasy / Difficult to do; likely to
- N + 동안 / V + -는 동안N + dongan / V + -neun dongan#18N + 동안 / V + -는 동안 – During / For / WhileFor / During (N); while doing (V)
- V + -(으)려면V + -(eu)ryeomyeon#19V + -(으)려면 – If One Wants/Intends to Do...If you want to...; in order to...
Lesson 7: 성공과 실패 – Success and Failure3 grammar points
Exclamatory ending -(는)군요 / -구나, similarity particle 처럼/같이, and tendency -(으)ㄴ/는 편이다.
- V + -는군요 / A + -군요V + -neungunyo / A + -gunyo#20V + -는군요 / A + -군요 (-구나) – I See That...! / How...! (Exclamation)I see that...!; Oh, so...!; How...!
- N + 처럼 / 같이N + cheoreom / gachi#21N + 처럼 / 같이 – Like / As N (Similarity)Like; as; in the same way as
- V/A + -(으)ㄴ/는 편이다V/A + -(eu)n/neun pyeonida#22V/A + -(으)ㄴ/는 편이다 – Tend to / Be on the ... SideTend to; be on the ... side; relatively
Lesson 8: 실수와 사과 – Mistakes and Apologies4 grammar points
Unexpected cause -는 바람에, action in progress -는 중이다, directive/purpose -도록 하다, and prior assumption -(으)ㄴ/는 줄 알았다/몰랐다.
- V + -는 바람에V + -neun barame#23V + -는 바람에 – Because of / As a Result of (Unexpected Negative Cause)Because; due to (an unexpected event causing a negative outcome)
- N + 중 / V + -는 중이다N + jung / V + -neun jungida#24N + 중 / V + -는 중이다 – Be in the Middle of DoingBe in the middle of; be currently doing
- V + -도록 하다 / -게(끔)V + -dorok hada / -ge(kkeum)#25V + -도록 하다 / -게(끔) – Make Sure to Do / So ThatMake sure to; see to it that; so that
- V/A + -(으)ㄴ/는/(으)ㄹ 줄 알았다/몰랐다V/A + -(eu)n/neun/(eu)l jul aratda/mollatda#26V/A + -(으)ㄴ/는/(으)ㄹ 줄 알았다/몰랐다 – Thought That... / Didn't Know That...Thought that (mistakenly)...; had no idea that...
Lesson 9: 일과 직업 – Work and Occupations4 grammar points
Know-how -(으)ㄹ 줄 알다/모르다, comparison 에 비해서, wish -기를 바라다, and indefinite expressions 아무+(이)나/도.
- V + -(으)ㄹ 줄 알다/모르다V + -(eu)l jul alda/moreuda#27V + -(으)ㄹ 줄 알다/모르다 – Know How to / Do Not Know How toKnow how to do; do not know how to do
- N + 에 비해서 (에 비하면)N + e bihaeseo (e bihamyeon)#28N + 에 비해서 (에 비하면) – Compared to / Relative to NCompared to; in comparison with; relative to
- V + -기를 바라다 (-기 바랍니다)V + -gireul barada (-gi baramnida)#29V + -기를 바라다 (-기 바랍니다) – Hope / Wish / Request ThatHope that; wish you; please (in announcements)
- 아무 + (이)나 / 아무 + 도amu + (i)na / amu + do#30아무 + (이)나 / 아무 + 도 – Any... at All / No... at AllAnyone/anything/anywhere/anytime; no one/nothing at all
Lesson 10: 소식 – News and Updates3 grammar points
Indirect declarative -다고 하다, indirect interrogative -(으)냐고 하다, and tentative intention -(으)ㄹ까 하다.
- V + -ㄴ/는다고 하다, A + -다고 하다, N + (이)라고 하다V + -n/neundago hada, A + -dago hada#31V + -ㄴ/는다고 하다 / A + -다고 하다 – Indirect Quotation (Statements)Say that; tell that; I heard that
- V/A + -(으)냐고 하다 / -냐고 묻다V/A + -(eu)nyago hada / -nyago mutda#32V/A + -(으)냐고 하다 (-냐고 묻다) – Indirect Quotation (Questions)Ask whether/if; ask what/where/when...
- V + -(으)ㄹ까 하다V + -(eu)lkka hada#33V + -(으)ㄹ까 하다 – Be Thinking of Doing (Tentative Intention)Be thinking of doing; considering doing
Lesson 11: 컴퓨터와 인터넷 – Computers and the Internet3 grammar points
Indirect propositive -자고 하다 & imperative -(으)라고 하다, informal speech 반말, and cumulative condition -다(가) 보면.
- V + -자고 하다 / -(으)라고 하다V + -jago hada / -(eu)rago hada#34V + -자고 하다 / -(으)라고 하다 – Indirect Quotation (Propositive & Imperative)Suggest doing together (-자고 하다); tell/order someone to do (-(으)라고 하다)
- 반말 (-아/어, -니/-냐?, -자, -(으)렴)Banmal (-a/eo, -ni/-nya?, -ja)#35반말 (-아/어, -니/-냐?, -자) – Intimate / Informal Speech Style (Banmal)Intimate/casual speech used with close friends or younger people
- V + -다(가) 보면V + -da(ga) bomyeon#36V + -다(가) 보면 – If You Keep Doing... (Eventual Result)If you keep doing..., eventually...; as you continue to...
Lesson 12: 건강 – Health3 grammar points
Nominalizer -(으)ㅁ, ongoing progression -아/어 가다, and past-to-present continuation -아/어 오다.
- V/A + -(으)ㅁV/A + -(eu)m#37V/A + -(으)ㅁ – Nominalization & Derived Nouns (-(으)ㅁ)Act of doing; state of being (Nominalizer & concise written ending)
- V + -아/어 가다V + -a/eo gada#38V + -아/어 가다 – Keep Going On / Be Almost DoneContinue to progress toward completion; be almost finished
- V + -아/어 오다V + -a/eo oda#39V + -아/어 오다 – Have Been Doing (From Past to Present)Have been doing continuously from the past until now
Lesson 13: 도시와 시골 – City and Countryside2 grammar points
Personal resolution -아/어야겠다 and counterfactual/optative wish -았/었으면 좋겠다.
Lesson 14: 여행 – Travel3 grammar points
Emphatic concession 아무리 -아/어도, background reason -거든(요), and retrospective observation -던데요.
- 아무리 V/A + -아/어도amuri V/A + -a/eodo#42아무리 V/A + -아/어도 – No Matter How Much / Even If...No matter how...; even if / even though...
- V/A + -거든(요)V/A + -geodeun(yo)#43V/A + -거든(요) – Because / You See... (Conversational Reason)Because, you see (sentence-final); if (mid-sentence conditional)
- V/A + -던데요 (-던데)V/A + -deondeyo (-deonde)#44V/A + -던데요 (-던데) – I Noticed That... (Retrospective Observation)I noticed/saw that...; when I saw it, it was...
Lesson 15: 문화와 생활 – Culture and Lifestyle3 grammar points
In accordance with -는/(으)ㄴ 대로 (N대로), double-negative obligation -지 않으면 안 되다, and immediate intention -(으)려던 참이다.
- N + 대로 / V + -는/(으)ㄴ 대로N + daero / V + -neun/(eu)n daero#45N + 대로 / V + -는/(으)ㄴ 대로 – In Accordance with / As Soon AsJust as; in accordance with; as soon as
- V/A + -지 않으면 안 되다V/A + -ji aneumyeon an doeda#46V/A + -지 않으면 안 되다 – Must / Have No Choice But to (Double Negative)Cannot not do; must; have to
- V + -(으)려던 참이다V + -(eu)ryeodeon chamida#47V + -(으)려던 참이다 – Be Just About to DoBe just about to do; was on the point of doing
Key Grammar & TOPIK Exam Focus – Intermediate 3
1. Indirect Speech (-다고 하다, -냐고 하다, -자고 하다, -(으)라고 하다)
★★★★★Structures: V-ㄴ/는다고 | A-다고 | N-(이)라고 | -(으)냐고 | -자고 | -(으)라고
Key tip: Distinguish verb declarative (-ㄴ/는다고 하다) from adjective declarative (-다고 하다) and negative imperative (-지 말라고 하다).
2. Appearance, Conjecture & Realization (-아/어 보이다, -(으)ㄴ/는 것 같다, -(으)ㄴ/는 줄 알았다)
★★★★★Structures: A-아/어 보이다 | V/A-(으)ㄴ/는/(으)ㄹ 것 같다 | V/A-(으)ㄴ/는 줄 알았다/몰랐다
Key tip: -아/어 보이다 expresses visual impression; -(으)ㄴ/는 줄 알았다 expresses a prior assumption that turned out different from reality.
3. Time, Interruption & Causal Connectives (-고 나서, -다가, -는 길에, -는 바람에)
★★★★★Structures: V-고 나서 | V-다가 | V-는 길에 | V-는 바람에
Key tip: -는 바람에 attaches to verbs and leads to an unexpected/negative past result; never use imperative or propositive endings in the main clause.
4. State Change & Progression (-게 되다, -아/어 가다, -아/어 오다, -다(가) 보면)
★★★★☆Structures: V-게 되다 | V-아/어 가다 | V-아/어 오다 | V-다(가) 보면
Key tip: -아/어 오다 indicates an action continuing from the past to the present; -아/어 가다 indicates an action progressing toward completion.