V/A+ 는/은/ㄴ 거 아닐까요?

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명절은 잘 보냈어?
Did you have a good holiday?
응, 난 친척집에 안 가니까 연휴 내내 그냥 집에서 잘 쉬었지.
Yeah, I didn't visit my relatives so I stayed at home and rested during the holidays.
부럽다. 나는 언제 결혼하냐는 친척들 잔소리에 시달렸는데.
I'm jealous. I was nagged by relatives about when I will be getting married.
걱정돼서 그렇게 말씀하시는 거 아닐까?
Are they speaking like that because they're worried?
그래도 매번 결혼 얘기를 하시니까 스트레스가 돼.
Still, I get stressed because they always talk about marriage.
명절에 좋은 이야기들만 나누면 좋을 텐데.
It would be nice if only good stories were shared during the holidays.

V/A+ 는/은/ㄴ 거 아닐까요?
It is used with an action verb and descriptive verb stem. It is used when the speaker assumes, internally, carefully considering the intention of the listener’s thought or opinion. It is combined with negative expression ‘-는/은/ㄴ 거 아니다’ and ‘을까요/ㄹ까요?’ as an expression assuming through a question.

‘-는 거 아닐까요?’ is used for the end of an active verb stem, ‘있다’ or ‘ 없다’, ‘-ㄴ 거 아닐까요? ‘ is used for vowel or with ‘ㄹ’ ending of a descriptive verb stem. ‘- 은 거 아닐까요?’ is used for ending with consonants of a descriptive verb stem. ‘- 는/은/ㄴ 게 아닐까요?’ is possible to use, too.

전화를 안 받는 걸 보니 자고 있는 거 아닐까요?
Don't you think that he won't sleep because he did not answer my phone call?

지금까지 안 오는 걸 보면 오늘 약속을 잊은 게 아닐까요?
Don't you think that he must forget his today's appointment because he did not show up till now?

이 음식은 냄새가 이상한데 혹시 상한 거 아닐까?
Perhaps, isn't this rotten due to the smell of food being nasty.

Related words
잔소리 nagging
시달리다 bothering
스트레스가 되다 to be stressed
이야기를 나누다 share someone's story

Source: Yonsei University. Korean Language Institute

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