Korean Grammar: How to use -는지 / -(으)ㄴ지 | Learn Korean Online

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The Grammar of Uncertainty: -(으)ㄴ/는지

Have you ever wanted to ask someone, "Do you know where the station is?" or say, "I don't know whether it will rain tomorrow"? In English, we use words like 'if', 'whether', or question words (who, what, where) to connect these clauses. In Korean, we use the grammar pattern: -(으)ㄴ/는지.

This pattern is essential for daily conversation, but it can be a bit tricky because its shape changes depending on whether you are using an Action Verb, an Adjective, or a Noun, as well as the tense (Past, Present, or Future).

Today, we are going to break down these rules into simple, easy-to-understand patterns. By the end of this masterclass, you will be able to express your uncertainties and knowledge exactly like a native Korean speaker!

Click the play buttons in the interactive module below to listen to the native pronunciation and practice reading out loud! 

(The full grammar guide, vocabulary list, and discussion questions are provided at the bottom of the page.)

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Mastering the 'Whether or Not' Pattern

The -(으)ㄴ/는지 grammar might seem complicated at first because of the different conjugation rules, but once you get the hang of it, you will find yourself using it in almost every conversation! It is the perfect tool for asking questions politely or sharing information naturally.

Remember, reading about grammar is just the first step. To truly make these expressions your own, you need to practice building your own sentences and speaking them out loud. If you want to train these grammar points in real-time conversation and receive personalized feedback, join my 1:1 conversation classes. Let's reach your fluency goals together!

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Full Lesson Transcript, Vocabulary, Grammar & Discussion (Free Study Materials)

Detailed Grammar Guide: -(으)ㄴ/는지, Korean Grammar: How to use -는지 / -(으)ㄴ지 | Learn Korean Online

This grammar pattern is used to embed a question or a clause of uncertainty into a sentence. It perfectly translates to "whether," "if," or connects with question words like "who," "what," "where," "when," and "how." It is always followed by verbs related to knowing, asking, or thinking, such as 알다 (to know), 모르다 (to not know), 궁금하다 (to be curious), 물어보다 (to ask), or 기억하다 (to remember).

The tricky part is that the conjugation changes depending on the part of speech (Verb, Adjective, Noun) and the tense (Past, Present, Future).

Here is your ultimate cheat sheet:

1. Action Verbs (동사)

• Present: Verb stem + -는지

  (e.g., 가다 -> 가는지 / 먹다 -> 먹는지)

Example: 어디에 가는지 알아요? (Do you know where they are going?)

• Past: Verb stem + -았/었는지

  (e.g., 가다 -> 갔는지 / 먹다 -> 먹었는지)

  
  

Example: 어제 무엇을 먹었는지 기억이 안 나요. (I don't remember what I ate yesterday.)

• Future / Guess: Verb stem + -(으)ㄹ지

  (e.g., 가다 -> 갈지 / 먹다 -> 먹을지)

  
  

Example: 내일 비가 올지 모르겠어요. (I don't know if it will rain tomorrow.)

2. Adjectives (형용사)

• Present: Adjective stem + -(으)ㄴ지

  (e.g., 크다 -> 큰지 / 작다 -> 작은지 / 비싸다 -> 비싼지)

Example: 이 옷이 나에게 큰지 잘 모르겠어요. (I am not sure if these clothes are big on me.)

• Past: Adjective stem + -았/었는지

(e.g., 크다 -> 컸는지 / 바쁘다 -> 바빴는지)

Example: 어제 파티가 재미있었는지 궁금해요. (I am curious if the party was fun yesterday.)

• Future / Guess: Adjective stem + -(으)ㄹ지

(e.g., 크다 -> 클지 / 바쁘다 -> 바쁠지)

Example: 주말에 날씨가 좋을지 걱정이에요. (I am worried whether the weather will be good on the weekend.)

3. Nouns (명사)

• Present: Noun + -인지

  (e.g., 학생 -> 학생인지 / 의사 -> 의사인지)

Example: 저 사람이 선생님인지 물어보세요. (Please ask if that person is a teacher.)

• Past: Noun + -이었/였는지

(e.g., 학생 -> 학생이었는지 / 의사 -> 의사였는지)

Example: 여기가 병원이었는지 확실하지 않아요. (I am not sure if this place used to be a hospital.)

• Future / Guess: Noun + -일지

(e.g., 학생 -> 학생일지 / 생일 -> 생일일지)

Example: 내일이 쉬는 날일지 확인해 볼게요. (I will check if tomorrow will be a day off.)

Grammar Conjugation Breakdown (9 Forms)

서울역에 어떻게 가는지 아세요?

Do you know how to go to Seoul Station?

[Seo-ul-lyeo-ge eo-tteo-ke ga-neun-ji a-se-yo?]

어제 어디에 갔는지 기억이 안 나요.

I don't remember where I went yesterday.

[Eo-je eo-di-e gan-neun-ji gi-eo-gi an na-yo.]

내일 파티에 갈지 모르겠어요.

I don't know if I will go to the party tomorrow.

[Nae-il pa-ti-e gal-jji mo-reu-ge-sseo-yo.]

이 옷이 저에게 큰지 잘 모르겠어요.

I'm not sure if these clothes are big on me.

[I o-si jeo-e-ge keun-ji jal mo-reu-ge-sseo-yo.]

그 영화가 정말 재미있었는지 궁금해요.

I am curious if that movie was really fun.

[Geu yeong-hwa-ga jeong-mal jae-mi-i-sseon-neun-ji gung-geum-hae-yo.]

주말에 날씨가 좋을지 걱정이에요.

I am worried whether the weather will be good on the weekend.

[Ju-ma-re nal-ssi-ga jo-eul-jji geok-jjeong-i-e-yo.]

여기가 출구인지 물어보세요.

Please ask if this is the exit.

[Yeo-gi-ga chul-gu-in-ji mu-reo-bo-se-yo.]

어제 만난 사람이 선생님이었는지 확실하지 않아요.

I'm not sure if the person I met yesterday was a teacher.

[Eo-je man-nan sa-ra-mi seon-saeng-ni-mi-eon-neun-ji hwak-si-ra-ji a-na-yo.]

내일이 친구 생일일지 몰라서 선물을 준비했어요.

I didn't know if tomorrow would be my friend's birthday, so I prepared a gift.

[Nae-i-ri chin-gu saeng-i-ril-jji mol-la-seo seon-mu-reul jun-bi-hae-sseo-yo.]

Sentence Builder (9 Examples)

친구가 언제 한국에 오는지 물어봤어요.

I asked when my friend is coming to Korea.

[Chin-gu-ga eon-je han-gu-ge o-neun-ji mu-reo-bwa-sseo-yo.]

어제 파티에 누가 왔는지 기억이 안 나요.

I don't remember who came to the party yesterday.

[Eo-je pa-ti-e nu-ga wan-neun-ji gi-eo-gi an na-yo.]

내일 비가 올지 안 올지 모르겠어요.

I don't know whether it will rain tomorrow or not.

[Nae-il bi-ga ol-jji an ol-jji mo-reu-ge-sseo-yo.]

이 가방이 얼마나 비싼지 알아요?

Do you know how expensive this bag is?

[I ga-bang-i eol-ma-na bi-ssan-ji a-ra-yo?]

한국어 시험이 얼마나 어려웠는지 몰라요.

I don't know (You have no idea) how difficult the Korean exam was.

[Han-gu-geo si-heo-mi eol-ma-na eo-ryeo-won-neun-ji mol-la-yo.]

어떤 선물이 좋을지 생각하고 있어요.

I am thinking about what gift would be good.

[Eo-tteon seon-mu-ri jo-eul-jji saeng-ga-ka-go i-sseo-yo.]

요즘 어떤 노래가 유행인지 궁금해요.

I am curious what kind of song is trending these days.

[Yo-jeum eo-tteon no-rae-ga yu-haeng-in-ji gung-geum-hae-yo.]

그 사람이 가수였는지 아무도 몰랐어요.

Nobody knew if that person was a singer.

[Geu sa-ra-mi ga-su-yeon-neun-ji a-mu-do mol-la-sseo-yo.]

다음 주가 연휴일지 아닐지 확인해 볼게요.

I will check if next week will be a long holiday or not.

[Da-eum ju-ga yeon-hyu-il-jji a-nil-jji hwa-gi-nae bol-kke-yo.]

Essential Vocabulary

• 서울역 [seo-ul-lyeok] : Seoul Station

• 어떻게 [eo-tteo-ke] : How

• 가다 [ga-da] : To go

• 기억이 안 나다 [gi-eo-gi an na-da] : Cannot remember

• 크다 [keu-da] : To be big

• 영화 [yeong-hwa] : Movie

• 궁금하다 [gung-geum-ha-da] : To be curious

• 날씨 [nal-ssi] : Weather

• 걱정이다 [geok-jjeong-i-da] : To be worried

• 출구 [chul-gu] : Exit

• 확실하다 [hwak-si-ra-da] : To be certain/sure

• 선물 [seon-mul] : Gift

• 물어보다 [mu-reo-bo-da] : To ask

• 비가 오다 [bi-ga o-da] : To rain

• 얼마나 [eol-ma-na] : How much / How (adjective)

• 비싸다 [bi-ssa-da] : Expensive

• 어렵다 [eo-ryeop-tta] : Difficult

• 생각하다 [saeng-ga-ka-da] : To think

• 노래 [no-rae] : Song

• 유행 [yu-haeng] : Trend

• 가수 [ga-su] : Singer

• 연휴 [yeon-hyu] : Long holiday

• 헷갈리다 [het-kkal-li-da] : To be confusing

• 결정하다 [gyeol-jeong-ha-da] : To decide

• 알려주다 [al-lyeo-ju-da] : To let know / inform

• 인기 [in-gi] : Popularity

• 배우 [bae-u] : Actor

• 정하다 [jeong-ha-da] : To decide / set

• 이해하다 [i-hae-ha-da] : To understand

• 알다 [al-da] : To know

• 모르다 [mo-reu-da] : To not know

Free Talking & Discussion Questions

한국어 문법 중에서 무엇이 가장 헷갈리는지 아세요?

Do you know what is the most confusing among Korean grammar?

[Han-gu-geo mun-bbeop jung-e-seo mu-eo-si ga-jang het-kKal-li-neun-ji a-se-yo?]

이번 주말에 날씨가 어떨지 아세요?

Do you know what the weather will be like this weekend?

[I-beon ju-ma-re nal-ssi-ga eo-tteol-jji a-se-yo?]

내일 저녁으로 무엇을 먹을지 결정했나요?

Have you decided what you will eat for dinner tomorrow?

[Nae-il jeo-nyeog-eu-ro mu-eo-seul meo-geul-jji gyeol-jeong-haen-na-yo?]

여러분의 나라에서 요즘 어떤 노래가 유행인지 알려주세요.

Please tell me what kind of song is trending in your country these days.

[Yeo-reo-bu-ne na-ra-e-seo yo-jeum eo-tteon no-rae-ga yu-haeng-in-ji al-lyeo-ju-se-yo.]

어제 몇 시에 잠을 잤는지 기억나요?

Do you remember what time you slept yesterday?

[Eo-je myeot si-e ja-meul jan-neun-ji gi-eong-na-yo?]

한국에서 가장 인기 있는 여행지가 어디인지 아세요?

Do you know where the most popular travel destination in Korea is?

[Han-gu-ge-seo ga-jang in-gi in-neun yeo-haeng-ji-ga eo-di-in-ji a-se-yo?]

가장 좋아하는 한국 배우가 누구인지 말해줄 수 있어요?

Can you tell me who your favorite Korean actor is?

[Ga-jang jo-a-ha-neun han-guk bae-u-ga nu-gu-in-ji mal-hae-jul ssu i-sseo-yo?]

다음 휴가 때 어디로 여행을 갈지 정했나요?

Have you decided where you will go for your next vacation?

[Da-eum hyu-ga ttae eo-di-ro yeo-haeng-eul gal-jji jeong-haen-na-yo?]

한국 사람들이 왜 아이스 아메리카노를 좋아하는지 아세요?

Do you know why Korean people like iced americano?

[Han-guk sa-ram-deu-ri wae a-i-seu a-me-ri-ka-no-reul jo-a-ha-neun-ji a-se-yo?]

오늘 배운 문법을 언제 사용할지 이해했어요?

Did you understand when to use the grammar you learned today?

[O-neul bae-un mun-bbeo-beul eon-je sa-yong-hal-jji i-hae-hae-sseo-yo?]