[Korean grammar] -(으)ㄴ/는 척하다 Expressing Habits and Attitudes

가: 아까 넘어졌을 때 아프지 않았어요?
Didn’t it hurt when you fell earlier?
나: 정말 아팠어요. 하지만 사람들이 보고 있어서 아프지 않은 척했어요.
It really hurt. But with everyone watching, I acted like it didn't hurt.

가: 얘기하다가 왜 갑자기 자는 척해요?
Why are you acting like you're asleep in the middle of having a conversation.
나: 쉿, 저기 앞에 할아버지가 걸어오시잖아요. 오늘은 좀 피곤해서 자리를 양보 못 하겠거든요.
Shh! See that old man over there walking this way? I'm tired and today don't feel like giving my seat up to him.

This expression is used to indicate the subject's acting in a way that goes contrary to reality or to describe such a state of affair. The description of what is contrary to reality appears in the clause preceding -(으)ㄴ/는 척하다.

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[Korean grammar] -기는요 Expressing Habits and Attitudes

가: 한국말을 정말 잘하시네요!
Your Korean is really good!
나: 잘하기는요. 아직도 더 많이 배워야 해요.
No, it's not really that good. I've still got so much more to learn.

가: 어제영화 재미있었어요?
Was the movie interesting yesterday?
나: 재미있기는요. 보다가 졸았어요.
Not really that interesting, I fell asleep watching it.

This expression is used to politely refute or disagree with the other person’s statement. When used in response to a compliment, it expresses the speaker’s modesty. This expression can also be shortened to -긴요.

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[Korean grammar] -곤 하다 Expressing Habits and Attitudes

가: 점심인데 김밥 드세요?
It’s lunchtime, and (all) you’re having (is) gimbap?
나: 네, 시간이 없어서요. 시간이 없을 때는 일하면서 김밥을 먹곤 해요.
Yeah, I don’t have any time. When I’m pressed for time, I’ll often have gimbap while I work.

가: 인터넷이 참 좋아졌지요?
Did your Internet get fixed?
나: 네, 예전에는 인터넷이 갑자기 끊기곤 했는데 이젠 그런 일이 거의 없어요.
Yes. It used to cut off suddenly, but now it rarely, if ever, does.

This expression is used to describe something which occurs repeatedly or a person who performs some action repeatedly or regularly. It is often used together with ‘곧잘’. 차주’, ‘가곰’. The form ‘-고는 하다’ is a variant of this form.

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[Korean grammar] -았/었어야 했는데 Expressing Regret

가: 마크 씨, 책의 내용을 요약해 보세요.
Mark, please summarize the contents of the book.
나: 잘 모르겠습니다, 교수님. 책을 미리 읽어 왔어야 했는데 죄송합니다.
Professor, I don’t know it (the content). I should have read the book in advance, and I’m sorry (that I didn’t).

가: 자야 씨가 왜 그렇게 화가 났어요?
Why is Jaya so angry?
나: 제가 자야 씨한테 뚱뚱해 보인다고 했거든요. 그런 말을 하지 말았어야 했는데 후회가 돼요.
I told her she looked fat. I shouldn't have said such a thing, and now I regret it.

This expression is used to indicate regret or lament about the fact that a necessary action was not completed or that some necessary state was not achieved.

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[Korean grammar] -(으)ㄹ걸 그랬다 Expressing Regret

가: 아키라 씨, 오셨어요?
Akira, have you arrived?
나: 아, 모두들 정장을 입고 왔네요. 저도 정장을 입고 올걸 그랬어요.
(Yes,) but everyone is dressed formally. I should have worn my dress clothes.

가: 컴퓨터가 30%나 세일을 하네요,
Computers are a surprising 30% off.
나: 진짜요? 이렇게 세일할 줄 알았으면 조금만 기다릴걸 그랬어요. 지난주에 샀거든요.
Really? If I had known they were having such a big sale, I would have waited a bit longer. I bought one last week.

This expression is used when the speaker wants to express regret or a feeling of lament about something he or she should have done, or did but should not have done. When referring to something that should have been done but was not, -(으)ㄹ걸 그랬다 is used, and when referring to something that was done, but in hindsight should not have been done, either -지 말걸 그랬다 or 안 -(으)ㄹ걸 그랬다 is used.

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