[Korean grammar] -기 나름이다 Expressing Conditions and Decisions

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가: 어제 ‘우리 부부가 달라졌어요’라는 TV 프로그램을 봤는데 아내가 끊임없이 애정 표현을 하고 칭찬을 하니까 신기하게도 무뚝뚝했던 남편이 변하더라고요.
Yesterday, I saw the TV program Changing Married Couples, and after the wife constantly expressed her affection for and praised her husband, her usually blunt, gruff husband magically changed.
나: 그래서 남자는 여자가 하기 나름이라는 유명한 광고문구도 있었잖아요.
Isn’t that why there’s that famous advertising line saying that the actions of men depend on women?
가: 아, 그리고 그 프로그램 안에 ‘아내를 변신시켜라’라는 코너가 있었는데 전문가들이 나서서 아내를 꾸며 주니까 정말 몰라보게 예쁘고 세련되게 변하더라고요.
Oh, and the program included a segment called Make Your Wife Change, in which professionals gave the wife makeovers. She was really unrecognizable after the makeovers. She was so pretty and refined.
나: 호호호. 여자는 꾸미기 나름이에요. 머리 모양이나 옷차림만 바꿔도 완전히 다른 사람처럼 보이 니까요.
Heh-heh. As for women, it all depends on how they dress and make themselves up. I mean, even with just a different hairstyle or clothes, you can look like a completely different person.

This expression is used to indicate that the result of some thing or situation can end up differently depending on how some situation unfolds or how some behavior is performed.


가: 친구랑 새벽에 운동하기로 약속은 했는데 내가 일어날 수 있을지 모르겠어.
I made a promise with a friend to exercise early in the morning, but I don’t know if I can wake up in time.
나: 일찍 일어나는 것도 습관을 들이기 나름이야. 일찍 잠을 자도록 해 봐.
Waking up early depends on whether you’ve developed a habit for it. Try to go to bed early.

가: 요즘 인성 교육을 제대로 못 받은 아이들이 많아서 큰일이에요.
Recently, it has become problematic that a lot of children haven’t received any character-building education.
나: 아이가 올바른 인성을 갖느냐 못 갖느냐는 부모가 가르치기 나름인데 요즘 모든 교육이 입시 위주로 흘러가다 보니 인성 교육에 중점을 두기가 힘든 것 같아요.
Whether a child has an upright character or not depends on the parents’ teaching, and since all educaticr these days revolves around entrance examinations, it’s hard for parents to place an emphasis on character-building education.

가: 이번에 끝난 공연이 성공적이 었다고 생각하세요?
Do you feel that your most recently completed concert was a success?
나: 그건 평가하기 나름인데 비록 관객 수는 적었지만 국내에서 최초로 시도된 공연이라는 점에서 성공적이 었다고 봐요.
That depends on how you evaluate it, but despite the fact that the attendance was low, it was our first domestic concert attempt, so I consider it a success.

>> You can click on the title of each grammar below to see other grammars which also express 'Conditions and Decisions'

1. -는 한
2. -(으)ㄹ라치면
3. -노라면
4. -느냐에 달려 있다
5. -기 나름이다

>> Full of 'Korean grammar in use - Advanced': Click here
>> Full of 'Korean grammar in use - Intermediate': Click here

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