LESSON 35

The Verb Modifier -neun

Bwayo means either looks at, sees or reads. (Sees a person is often translated as mannayo = meets.) But to say the man who is reading or the book that the man is reading you can’t use bon because bon saram means the man who has read and bon chaek means the book someone has read.

Instead, there is a special form, the PROCESSIVE modifier, used only with process verbs (DOES something). This form is made by adding the ending -neun to the verb base. (Various sound changes take place automatically when you attach the ending to a consonant base.) So we have sentences like:

Chaek-eul ilkko inneun saram-i nugu eyo?

책을 읽고 있는 사람이 누구에요?

Who is the man (who is) reading the book?

Chaek bogo inneun saram mannan jeok isseoyo?

책 보고 있는 사람 만난 적 있어요?

Have you met the man who is reading the book? Did you see a man reading a book?

Geu saram-i boneun chaek-i museun chaek ieyo?

그 사람이 보는 책이 무슨 책이에요?

What is the book he is reading?

Geu saram-i boneun chaek na-do bwasseoyo.

그 사람이 보는 책 나도 봤어요.

I too have read the book he is reading.

For some verbs does is a better translation than is doing:

Satang-eul johahaneun yeohaksaeng.

사탕을 좋아하는 여학생.

A girl who likes candy.

Jipe gago sipeohaneun ai.

집에 가고 싶어하는 아이.

The child who wants to go home.

Notice that the -neun modifier form is not used with DESCRIPTION verbs (is something)—these have only the -eun form. This is why the -eun modifier comes out with two different translations: which HAS DONE for process verbs and which IS for description verbs. You will sometimes be in doubt whether a particular verb is a process or a description verb; but the English translation usually tells you.

Isseoyo and eopseoyo are a bit strange; they sometimes behave like description verbs, sometimes like process verbs. The forms isseun and eopseum are rare, however: one usually hears only inneun …that exists, that someone has and oemneun …that is nonexistent, that someone doesn’t have.

Here is a list of some typical verb bases with their modifier forms:

I. CONSONANT BASES
MEANING	BASE	-EUN	-NEUN
catches	jab-	jabeun	jamneun
	잡	잡은	잡는
is high	nop-	nopeun	–
	높	높은
is nonexistent	eops-	(eopseun)	eomneun
	없	(없은)	없는
closes	dad	dadeun	danneun
	닫	닫은	닫는
is like	gat-	gateun	–
	같	같은
laughs	us-	useun	uneun
	웃	웃은	웃는
exists	iss-	(isseun)	inneun
	있	있은	있는
finds	chaj	chajeun	channeun
	찾	찾은	찾는
washes	ssis-	ssiseun	ssinneun
	씻	씻은	씻는
reads	ilk-	ilgeun	ilneun
	읽	읽은	읽는
loses	ilh-	ireun	irneun
	잃	잃은	잃는
licks	halt-	halteun	halleun
	핥	핥은	핥는
steps on	balb-	balbeun	bamneun
	밟	밟은	밟는
puts	noh-	noeun	nonneun
	놓	놓은	놓는
eats	meok-	meogeun	meongneun
	먹	먹은	먹는
cuts	kkakk-	kkakkeun	kkangneun
	깎	깎은	깎는
shampoos	gam-	gameun	gamneun
	감	감은	감는
is young	jeolm-	jolmeun	–
	젊	젊은
wears on feet	sin-	sineun	sinneun
	신	신은	신는
sits	anj-	anjeun	anneun
	앉	앉은	앉는
breaks	breojin-	breojineun	breojin
	부러진	부러지는	부러진

II. VOWEL BASES
is, equals	(i)-	(i)-n	–
honorific	-(eu)si	-(eu)sin	-(eu)sineun
	시	신	시는
rests	swi-	swin	swineun
	쉬	쉰	쉬는
becomes	dwe-	dwen	dweneun
	되	된	되는
pays	nae-	naen	naeneun
	내	낸	내는
writes	sseu-	sseun	sseuneun
	쓰	쓴	쓰는
goes	ga-	>gan	ganeun
	가	간	가는
gives	ju-	jun	juneun
	주	준	주는
sees, reads	bo-	bon	boneun
	보	본	보는
does	ha-	han	haneun
	하	한	하는
calls	bureu-	bureun	bureuneun
	부르	부른	부르는

III. -W BASES
helps	dow-	doun	domneun
	도	도운	돕는
lies	nuw-	nuun	numneun
	누	누운	눕는
is near	gakkau	gakkaun	–
	가까우	가까운
is pretty	yepp-	yeppeun	–
	예	예쁜

IV. -R BASES
walks	geor-	–	geonneun
	걸		걷는
listens	deur-	–	deureooneun
	들		들어오는

V. L- EXTENDING VOWEL BASES
hangs	geo-l-	geon	keoneun
	걸	건	거는
lifts	deu-l-	deun	deuneun
	들	든	드는