[Korean grammar] -(으)ㄹ 겸 -(으)ㄹ 겸 Expressing Resolution and Intent

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가: 왜 한국에 왔어요?
Why did you come to Korea?
나: 한국 친구도 사귈 겸 한국말도 배울 겸 한국에 왔어요.
I came to Korea to make some Korean friends and also study Korean.

가: 요즘 태권도를 배우고 있어요?
Are you learning taekwondo these days?
나: 네, 운동도 할 겸 한국의 전통문화도 배울 겸 해서 배우고 있어요.
Yes. I’m learning it to get some exercise and also learn about traditional Korean culture.

This expression is used to indicate the speaker’s intention to do at least two actions or behaviors. It is most often used in the forms N도 -(으)ㄹ 겸 N도 -(으)ㄹ 겸 or N도 -(으)ㄹ 겸 N도 -(으)ㄹ 겸 해서.



• 책도 읽을 겸 공부도 할 겸 도서관에 가려고 해요.
I’m planning to go to the library to read some books and also study.
• 기분 전환도 할 겸 쇼핑도 할 겸 명동에 갔어요.
I went to Myeongdong both to relax and do some shopping.
• 요즘에는 아침 겸 점심을 먹을 수 있는 식당들이 많아졌어요.
These days, the number of restaurants where you can eat both breakfast and funch has increased.

This expression can also be used in the form V-(으)ㄹ 겸 (해서)，but in this case it means that the speaker is choosing only one of two or more intentions to do something. This expression allows the other person to infer at the speaker has other intentions even though they are not explicitly stated.
• 요즘 살도 뺄 겸 해서 운동을 하고 있어요,
Here, the speaker has only stated one reason for exercising, but the hearer can infer that there are other reasons besides just losing weight.

>> You can click on the title of each grammar below to learn about the other grammars which also express 'Resolution and Intent':
01 -(으)ㄹ까 하다
02 -고자
03 -(으)려던 참이다
04 -(으)ㄹ 겸 -(으)ㄹ 겸
05 -아/어야지요

>> Full of Intermediate grammars: Click here

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