Day 12. Derived Words 3 — Changing Parts of Speech

Quick Review: Day 11

Day 11 was about attaching -하다 or -되다 to a noun to create a verb or adjective.

공부(noun) + 하다 = 공부하다 (verb)

행복(noun) + 하다 = 행복하다 (adjective)

해결(noun) + 되다 = 해결되다 (verb)

Day 12 moves in two different directions.

verb/adjective  →  noun      : -기, -음
noun            →  adjective : -스럽다, -롭다, -답다

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1. Verb/Adjective → Noun: -기 and -음

Korean verbs and adjectives are made up of a stem and an ending.

먹다  = 먹- + -다
살다  = 살- + -다
좋다  = 좋- + -다
   ↑stem   ↑ending

Drop the ending -다 and attach a suffix to the stem — and you get a noun.

먹-  + -기  = 먹기   eating (the activity)
살-  + -기  = 살기   living
걷-  + -기  = 걷기   walking
읽-  + -기  = 읽기   reading
쓰-  + -기  = 쓰기   writing
듣-  + -기  = 듣기   listening
말하- + -기 = 말하기 speaking

웃-  + -음  = 웃음   laughter, smile
믿-  + -음  = 믿음   faith, belief
죽-  + -음  = 죽음   death
살-  + -ㅁ  = 삶     life  (ㄹ + ㅁ merge into a double consonant)
꾸-  + -ㅁ  = 꿈     dream (vowel stem + ㅁ)

꿈, 삶, 죽음, 믿음 — words that come up constantly in K-dramas. Every one of them is a verb with -음 attached.

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-기 and -음: What's the Difference?

Both turn verbs into nouns, but the nuance is different.

-기  →  emphasizes the action/process  ("doing ~")
-음  →  emphasizes the result/fact     ("the thing done", "that it happened")

Side by side:

수영하기    =  swimming as an activity
수영함      =  the fact that one swims

오기를 기다렸다.        →  natural    (-기: waiting for the action to happen)
왔음을 알았다.          →  natural    (-음: confirming a fact)
왔기를 알았다.          →  awkward    (-기 doesn't work for confirming facts)

수영하기 좋은 날씨      →  natural    (-기: condition/evaluation)
수영함이 좋다           →  awkward

-기 appears in these common patterns:

-기 좋다     →  수영하기 좋다        (good to swim)
-기 위해     →  공부하기 위해        (in order to study)
-기 어렵다   →  말하기 어렵다        (hard to say)
-기 시작하다 →  달리기 시작하다      (start running)
-기 전에     →  먹기 전에            (before eating)

-음 appears in these common patterns:

-음을 알다     →  그가 왔음을 알았다          (knew that he came)
-음이 틀림없다 →  그것이 사실임이 틀림없다    (must be true)
                  ↑ 사실이다 → 사실이- + -ㅁ → 사실임
-음에 감사하다 →  살아있음에 감사하다          (grateful to be alive)

And some -음 words have hardened into standalone nouns entirely:

꾸다(to dream) → 꿈    (dream)
살다(to live)  → 삶    (life)
죽다(to die)   → 죽음  (death)
믿다(to trust) → 믿음  (faith, belief)
웃다(to laugh) → 웃음  (laughter, smile)

These words are listed in the dictionary as independent nouns. Most Korean speakers don't consciously think of them as coming from verbs.

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✏️ Activity 1 — -기 or -음?

Fill in each blank with -기 or -음.

1. 매일 자___  좋은 환경         (an environment good for sleeping every day)
2. 그녀가 떠났___을 나중에 알았다.   (I found out later that she left.)
3. 찾___ 전에 다시 확인해라.     (Check again before searching.)
4. 그가 틀렸___이 밝혀졌다.      (It was revealed that he was wrong.)
5. 자전거 타___ 연습             (bicycle riding practice)
6. 그가 돌아왔___에 감사했다.    (I was grateful that he returned.)

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2. Noun → Adjective: -스럽다, -롭다, -답다

Now the other direction. Attach a suffix to a noun and you get an adjective. Three suffixes do this job — each with a different nuance.

-스럽다  →  "has that quality / gives that feeling"
-롭다    →  "is full of that"
-답다    →  "is worthy of / fits the expected role"

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-스럽다 — "has that feeling"

Attaches to a noun and means "has that quality, gives off that vibe."

사랑(love)          + 스럽다 = 사랑스럽다    lovely, adorable
자연(nature)        + 스럽다 = 자연스럽다    natural
부담(burden)        + 스럽다 = 부담스럽다    burdensome, pressuring
어른(adult)         + 스럽다 = 어른스럽다    mature, adult-like
여성(woman)         + 스럽다 = 여성스럽다    feminine
남성(man)           + 스럽다 = 남성스럽다    masculine
장난(prank)         + 스럽다 = 장난스럽다    playful, mischievous
실망(disappointment)+ 스럽다 = 실망스럽다    disappointing

"사랑스러워" — the murmur heard in practically every K-drama. 사랑(love) + 스럽다, in conjugated form.

-스럽다 is one of the most freely used suffixes in Korean. It attaches naturally to most emotion and state nouns to create new words.

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-롭다 — "is full of that"

Attaches to a noun and means "fully possesses that quality." Unlike -스럽다, -롭다 only combines with a fixed set of nouns — this one you have to memorize.

자유(freedom)      + 롭다 = 자유롭다    free
평화(peace)        + 롭다 = 평화롭다    peaceful
지혜(wisdom)       + 롭다 = 지혜롭다    wise
새(new, 어근)      + 롭다 = 새롭다      new, novel
해(harm)           + 롭다 = 해롭다      harmful
이(利, profit)     + 롭다 = 이롭다      beneficial  ← the 이 in 이익(利益). It doesn't appear alone, but 이롭다 is common

"자유롭고 싶어" — a phrase that runs through countless K-pop lyrics. 자유(freedom) + 롭다. "Overflowing with freedom" is exactly the feel.

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-답다 — "is worthy of, fits the role"

Attaches to a noun and means "lives up to what is expected of that noun." Unlike -스럽다 or -롭다, -답다 mainly combines with nouns that name a person or role.

어른(adult)        + 답다 = 어른답다    befitting an adult, mature
학생(student)      + 답다 = 학생답다    befitting a student
사람(person)       + 답다 = 사람답다    humane, worthy of being called a person
남자(man)          + 답다 = 남자답다    manly
여자(woman)        + 답다 = 여자답다    womanly, ladylike
선수(athlete)      + 답다 = 선수답다    befitting an athlete
한국(Korea)        + 답다 = 한국답다    distinctly Korean
아름(beauty/grace) + 답다 = 아름답다    beautiful

"그건 너답지 않아." — "That's not like you." A line that shows up constantly in dramas. 너(you) + 답다, negated.

A note on 아름답다: 아름 is a native Korean root meaning beauty. Historically the structure is 아름 + 답다, but since 아름 is no longer used on its own, some grammarians treat 아름답- as a single stem. 아름 does still survive as a personal name — if you've heard the name "아름이" in a drama, that's the same root.

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-스럽다 vs -롭다 vs -답다 Compared

The same noun can sometimes take more than one suffix — but the nuance shifts.

어른스럽다   →  gives off an adult vibe  (appearance, impression)
어른답다     →  meets the standard of an adult  (actual criteria)

자연스럽다   →  feels natural  (look, impression)
자연롭다     →  doesn't exist  ← -롭다 doesn't combine with 자연

	-스럽다	-롭다	-답다
Combines with	abstract/emotion nouns	fixed set of nouns	person/role nouns
Nuance	gives off that feeling	is full of that	fits the expected role
Freely combine new words?	yes	memorize the list	yes, for person nouns
Examples	사랑스럽다, 부담스럽다	자유롭다, 평화롭다	어른답다, 학생답다

Conjugation note: All three follow the ㅂ-irregular pattern — the ㅂ changes when a vowel follows.

사랑스럽다 → 사랑스러워요  (ㅂ → 워)
자유롭다   → 자유로워요    (ㅂ → 워)
어른답다   → 어른다워요    (ㅂ → 워)

The full conjugation rules are covered in Series 3.

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✏️ Activity 2 — Attach the Right Suffix

Choose -스럽다, -롭다, or -답다 and form an adjective from each noun.

Noun                      Suffix       Adjective
1. 의심 (doubt)           ________     ________
2. 친구 (friend)          ________     ________
3. 슬기 (wisdom)          ________     ________
4. 감동 (impression)      ________     ________
5. 영웅 (hero)            ________     ________
6. 촌 (countryside)       ________     ________
7. 풍요 (abundance)       ________     ________
8. 아이 (child)           ________     ________

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✏️ Activity 3 — Guess the Meaning

Work out the meaning of each word using today's patterns. Find the root first.

1. 타기 연습    →  ___________________  (타다 = to ride)
2. 수고스럽다   →  ___________________  (수고 = trouble, effort)
3. 만남         →  ___________________  (만나다 = to meet)
4. 교사답다     →  ___________________  (교사 = teacher)
5. 앎           →  ___________________  (알다 = to know)
6. 후회스럽다   →  ___________________  (후회 = regret)
7. 뛰기 대회    →  ___________________  (뛰다 = to run/jump)
8. 향기롭다     →  ___________________  (향기 = fragrance)

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✏️ Activity 4 — Complete the Sentence

Attach the right suffix to the word in parentheses to complete the sentence.

1. 그 발표는 정말 (감동) _______.
   (That presentation was really impressive/touching.)

2. 이 이야기는 (슬기) _______ 교훈이 담겨 있다.
   (This story contains a wise lesson.)

3. 그건 (친구) _______ 행동이 아니야.
   (That's not behavior befitting a friend.)

4. 밤에 (자다) _______ 이 중요하다.
   (A good night's sleep is important.)

5. (발표하다) _______ 전에 항상 긴장된다.
   (I'm always nervous before giving a presentation.)

6. 그 사람은 정말 (영웅) _______.
   (That person is truly heroic.)

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Pattern Summary

Verb/Adjective → Noun

Suffix	Combines with	Nuance	Examples
-기	most verbs	the action/process ("doing ~")	읽기, 쓰기, 말하기
-음	verbs	the result/fact; sometimes hardens into a standalone noun	꿈, 삶, 죽음, 믿음

-기 fixed patterns: -기 좋다 / -기 위해 / -기 전에 / -기 시작하다 / -기 어렵다

Noun → Adjective

Suffix	Combines with	Nuance	Examples
-스럽다	abstract/emotion nouns	gives off that feeling	사랑스럽다, 자연스럽다
-롭다	fixed set of nouns	is full of that	자유롭다, 평화롭다
-답다	person/role nouns	fits the expected role	어른답다, 학생답다

All three follow ㅂ-irregular: -스럽다 → -스러워요 / -롭다 → -로워요 / -답다 → -다워요

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Mini Quiz

Q1. Where does the word "꿈" come from?

A) -기 attached to a verb
B) -음 attached to a verb
C) -스럽다 attached to a noun
D) -답다 attached to a noun
Answer: ____

Q2. Which expression uses -기 naturally?

A) 수영___ 좋은 날씨
B) 그가 왔___ 을 알았다
C) 죽___ 의 의미
D) 자유___ 삶
Answer: ____

Q3. "그건 선생님_______ 않아." — Which suffix fills the blank?

A) -스럽지
B) -롭지
C) -답지
D) -기
Answer: ____

Q4. Which statement about -롭다 is correct?

A) It can attach freely to most nouns
B) It only combines with person nouns
C) It combines with a limited, fixed set of nouns
D) It doesn't follow the ㅂ-irregular pattern
Answer: ____

(Answers: Q1-B, Q2-A, Q3-C, Q4-C)

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Answer Key

Activity 1

1. 자기  좋은 환경        (-기: condition/evaluation — 자기 좋다 pattern)
2. 떠났음을               (-음: confirming a fact)
3. 찾기  전에             (-기: -기 전에 pattern)
4. 틀렸음이               (-음: confirming a fact)
5. 타기  연습             (-기: naming an activity)
6. 돌아왔음에             (-음: expressing gratitude for a fact)

Activity 2

1. 의심 + 스럽다 = 의심스럽다    (suspicious, doubtful)
2. 친구 + 답다  = 친구답다       (befitting a friend)
3. 슬기 + 롭다  = 슬기롭다       (wise, clever)
4. 감동 + 스럽다 = 감동스럽다    (touching, impressive)
5. 영웅 + 답다  = 영웅답다       (heroic, befitting a hero)
6. 촌  + 스럽다 = 촌스럽다       (tacky, countrified)
7. 풍요 + 롭다  = 풍요롭다       (prosperous, abundant)
8. 아이 + 답다  = 아이답다       (childlike, befitting a child)

Activity 3

1. 타기 연습    →  riding practice (타다 + -기)
2. 수고스럽다   →  to be troublesome, to involve much effort (수고 + 스럽다)
3. 만남         →  meeting, encounter (만나다 → 만나- + -ㅁ → 만남)
4. 교사답다     →  to be befitting a teacher (교사 + 답다)
5. 앎           →  knowledge (알다 → 알- + -ㅁ → 앎)
6. 후회스럽다   →  to be regretful (후회 + 스럽다)
7. 뛰기 대회    →  running competition (뛰다 + -기)
8. 향기롭다     →  to be fragrant (향기 + 롭다)

Activity 4

1. 감동스러워    (감동 + 스럽다, ㅂ-irregular → 스러워)
2. 슬기로운      (슬기 + 롭다, attributive form → 슬기로운)
3. 친구다운      (친구 + 답다, attributive form → 친구다운)
4. 잠            (자다 → 자- + -ㅁ → 잠)
5. 발표하기      (발표하다 → 발표하기, -기 전에 pattern)
6. 영웅다워      (영웅 + 답다, ㅂ-irregular → 영웅다워)

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Day 12 Checklist

• -기: verb stem + -기 → noun (emphasizes the action/process)
• -음: verb stem + -음 → noun (emphasizes the result/fact)
• -기 fixed patterns: -기 좋다 / -기 위해 / -기 전에 / -기 시작하다
• -음 hardened nouns: 꿈·삶·죽음·믿음·웃음
• -스럽다: abstract/emotion noun + "gives off that feeling"
• -롭다: fixed set of nouns + "is full of that" (자유롭다·평화롭다·지혜롭다)
• -답다: person/role noun + "fits the expected role"
• ㅂ-irregular: all three — -스러워요 / -로워요 / -다워요

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"Next up: Derived Words 4 — Sino-Korean suffixes. Three suffixes — -적(的), -성(性), -화(化) — unlock half of Korean vocabulary."

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