[Korean grammar] -는 마당에 Expressing Situations and Standards

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가: 엄마, 저 아이들 좀 봐요. 미래에 대한 꿈도 희망도 없어 보여요.
Mom, look at those kids over there. It looks like they have no hopes or dreams for the future.

나: 제대로 먹지도 못하는 마당에 어떻게 그런 걸 꿈꿀 수 있겠니? 참 안됐구나.
How can they think about such things when they can’t even eat proper meals? It’s so horrible.

가: 엄마, 그런데 오늘 저녁은 외식하면 안 돼요? 며칠째 똑같은 반찬만 먹잖아요.
By the way, Mom, can we eat out tonight? You know we’ve been having the same side dishes for a few days in a row now.

나: 지구의 반대편에서는 저렇게 먹을 것이 없어서 죽어 가는 마당에 너처럼 반찬투정이나 하면 되겠니? 제발 철 좀 들어라. 외식비 아껴서 후원이나 해야겠다.
How can you be picky about side dishes when there are people like that on the other side of the world who are starving because they have nothing to eat? Please grow up! We should take the money we’d save by not eating out and support them.


This expression is used to indicate when the preceding clause describes the situation or circumstances in which the action in the following clause occurs. The situation described in the preceding clause is usually not favorable or negative in nature.



• 1분 1초가 급한 마당에 이것저것 생각할 겨를이 없어요.
I don’t have the time to think about this and that when every second of every minute is urgent.

• 이 계획을 반대하는 사람이 대다수인 마당에 이런 회의가 무슨 소용이 있겠어요?
What’s the point of this meeting if more than half of the group is against the plan?

• 이제 모든 진실이 확실하게 드러난 마당에 범인도 더 이상 거짓말을 할 수가 없을 거예요.
Now that all of the facts have been exposed, the criminal can no longer tell any more lies.

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

1. -는 가운데
2. -는 마당에
3. 치고
4. -(으)ㅁ에 따라

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

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