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Grammar / Level 4 / Lesson 116

바, 터 and 겸: the bound nouns

By Daniel Buckley · 12 minute read · TOPIK 5

Vocabulary

  1. 책임 - responsibility
  2. 맡다 - to take on, to be in charge of
  3. 참다 - to bear, to hold out
  4. 바라다 - to hope for, to wish
  5. 어찌 - how, in what way
  6. 비용 - cost, expense
  7. 쐬다 - to get (some air)
  8. 서재 - study (a room)
  9. 자료 - materials, documents
  10. 수정하다 - to revise, to correct

In a drama, someone snaps 네가 알 바 아니야, none of your business. On the evening news, a spokesperson says 아는 바 없습니다, we know nothing about that. One is a slap and the other is a press statement, and the same small word sits in both.

바 is a bound noun, the proper name for the small nouns you've been meeting: it can't stand alone and needs a modifier in front of it. You already use several, because the 수 in ㄹ/을 수 있다, the 줄 in ㄹ/을 줄 알다 and the 김 in 는 김에 are all bound nouns. This lesson adds the ones you'll mostly read.

바: what, the thing that

바 does the job of 것 in formal Korean. 제가 아는 것 and 제가 아는 바 both mean "what I know", but the second belongs in a report, a speech or a statement. Like 것, it takes a modifier in any tense, and it's written with a space in front.

Using 바

  • Modifier + 바: treat it as a noun that takes particles.아는 바가 없습니다말한 바와 같이느낀 바를 말하다
  • Fixed openers: you'll meet these two constantly.제가 아는 바로는: as far as I know앞서 말한 바와 같이: as stated above

Pick a verb

말하다말하말한 바와 같이

  1. 제가 아는 바로는 회의는 내일입니다.

    As far as I know, the meeting is tomorrow.

  2. 앞에서 말한 바와 같이 비용이 크게 늘었습니다.

    As I said earlier, costs have risen sharply.

  3. 각자 맡은 바 책임을 다해 주십시오.

    Please each carry out the duties you've taken on.

  4. 그것이 제가 바라는 바입니다.

    That's what I hope for.

Two endings on it are worth knowing. ㄴ/은 바 있다 and ㄴ/은 바 없다 say that something has or hasn't happened, and they sound official, so you'll hear them from people on the record. 는 바입니다 at the end of a sentence makes a formal declaration, and it fits a podium much better than a dinner table.

  1. 그런 말을 한 바 없습니다.

    I have never said any such thing.

  2. 이미 여러 번 말씀드린 바 있습니다.

    We have already said so several times.

  3. 도와주신 모든 분께 깊이 감사드리는 바입니다.

    We wish to express our deep thanks to everyone who helped.

※ Official writing also has an ending ㄴ바 or 는바, written with no space: 조사한바 사실이 아니었다, we looked into it and it wasn't true. It sets up the situation for what follows. The bound noun 바 always keeps its space.

Where 바 turns up in speech

A few fixed phrases with ㄹ/을 바 have stayed in ordinary Korean. Here the sense is closer to "what one should do" or "what there is to". Learn them as whole phrases.

  1. 너무 놀라서 어찌할 바를 몰랐어요.

    I was so shocked that I didn't know what to do.

  2. 어제와 다를 바 없어요.

    It's no different from yesterday.

  3. 그건 네가 알 바 아니야.

    That's none of your business.

  4. 내 알 바 아니야.

    That's not my problem.

Be careful with the last two. They're blunt and they end conversations, which is why dramas love them. 바라던 바입니다, that's just what I was hoping for, is a safer one to borrow. You may also hear it said with a grin when someone accepts a challenge.

You've already met one more use, ㄹ/을 바에야, which sets aside a poor option.

테다: I will

You know 터 from 는 터라, a situation you're in, and from ㄹ/을 텐데 and ㄹ/을 테니까, where it marks what's expected. After ㄹ/을, dictionaries give it three shades: what's planned, what's supposed and what's intended. The forms here all come from 터 plus 이다, and each one picks a shade.

The 터 family

  • ㄹ/을 터이다 shortens to ㄹ/을 테다: I will.가다 → 갈 테다먹다 → 먹을 테다
  • ㄹ/을 터이면 shortens to ㄹ/을 테면: if you're going to.가다 → 갈 테면잡다 → 잡을 테면
  • ㄹ/을 터이지만 shortens to ㄹ/을 테지만: no doubt, but.바쁘다 → 바쁠 테지만듣다 → 들을 테지만

With "I" as the subject, ㄹ/을 테다 is a vow. It's 한다체, so it has the sound of someone talking to themselves, or a character in a comic shaking a fist. The 반말 form is 테야, which to my ear sounds stubborn, like a child digging their heels in.

  1. 나는 끝까지 싸울 테다.

    I will fight to the end.

  2. 오늘은 꼭 다 끝낼 테다.

    I am going to finish all of this today.

  3. 싫어, 나는 안 갈 테야.

    No, I'm not going.

You'll read this and hear it from characters, but you won't often say it. For your own plans, ㄹ/을게요 and ㄹ/을 거예요 do the work. With someone else as the subject, the shade is supposition: 지금쯤 도착했을 테지, he'll have got there by now.

테면: go on, then

ㄹ/을 테면 is a dare. It takes up what someone seems set on doing and tells them to go ahead, usually with the same verb straight after it in 아/어 봐. The tone runs from playful to hostile, and only your voice tells them which. 잡을 테면 잡아 봐 is the one everybody knows.

Pick a verb

잡다잡잡을 테면

  1. 잡을 테면 잡아 봐.

    Catch me if you can.

  2. 할 테면 해 봐.

    Go on then, do it.

  3. 갈 테면 가.

    Go, if you're going.

  4. 이거 정말 매워. 먹을 테면 먹어 봐.

    This is really hot. Eat it, if you think you can.

※ The word 이를테면, "for example" or "so to speak", has the same ending frozen inside it. It has no dare in it at all, and it's common in careful speech and writing.

테지만: no doubt, but

ㄹ/을 테지만 grants what you assume is true, then asks or says something anyway. Its natural home is the polite request: I know this is a nuisance for you, but. Put it on 았/었 for something you assume has already happened.

Pick a verb

바쁘다바쁘바쁠 테지만

  1. 바쁘실 테지만 꼭 와 주세요.

    I know you'll be busy, but please do come.

  2. 힘드실 테지만 조금만 더 참아 주세요.

    I know it must be hard, but please bear with it a little longer.

  3. 비쌀 테지만 한번 물어보세요.

    It'll probably be expensive, but ask anyway.

  4. 벌써 들으셨을 테지만 다음 주에 사무실을 옮깁니다.

    You'll have heard already, but we're moving offices next week.

겠지만 does much the same job, and it's what you'll hear most: 바쁘시겠지만. To me ㄹ/을 테지만 sounds a little more bookish, so expect it more in letters, speeches and careful requests.

겸: two things at once

겸 says one thing is doing two jobs, and unlike most of this lesson it's everyday Korean. Between nouns, it's a meal or a room or a person serving as both. After ㄹ/을, it gives a trip or an action two purposes, and each purpose usually takes 도.

Using 겸

  • Noun 겸 noun: both at once.아침 겸 점심거실 겸 서재
  • ㄹ/을 겸: partly in order to. It stays ㄹ/을 even in a past sentence.쉬다 → 쉴 겸먹다 → 먹을 겸

Pick a verb

쉬다쉬쉴 겸

  1. 아침 겸 점심으로 김밥을 먹었어요.

    I had gimbap as both breakfast and lunch.

  2. 이 방은 거실 겸 서재로 써요.

    We use this room as both a living room and a study.

  3. 바람도 쐴 겸 산책을 나갔어요.

    I went out for a walk, partly to get some air.

  4. 친구도 만날 겸 서울에 갔어요.

    I went to Seoul, partly to see a friend.

  5. 운동도 할 겸 구경도 할 겸 걸어서 갔어요.

    I walked there, partly for the exercise and partly to look around.

  6. 부모님도 뵙고 일도 보고 겸사겸사 왔어요.

    I came to do a bit of both: see my parents and get some things done.

Example 6 has 겸사겸사, the word for getting several things done on one outing. Compare 는 김에, which also joins two actions. With 김에, you're doing one thing anyway and the other comes along because the chance is there. With 겸, you usually have both aims in mind from the start.

  1. 제가 ___ 회의는 내일입니다.

    As far as I know, the meeting is tomorrow.

  2. 친구도 ___ 부산에 갔어요.

    I went to Busan, partly to see a friend.

  3. ___ 조금만 더 기다려 주세요.

    I know you're busy, but please wait a little longer.

  4. ___ 잡아 봐.

    Catch me if you can.

Listen and type

1 / 3

Play it as often as you like.

In a conversation

A

왜 이렇게 늦게 점심을 먹어요?

Why so late lunch eat?

B

아침을 못 먹어서요. 아침 겸 점심이에요.

Breakfast couldn't eat, so. Breakfast and also lunch is.

A

바쁘실 테지만 오후 회의 자료를 세 시까지 부탁드려요.

You'll be busy, I suppose, but afternoon meeting materials until three I ask.

B

네. 부장님도 보셨어요?

Yes. Manager also saw?

A

제가 아는 바로는 아직 안 보셨어요.

As for what I know, not yet saw.

B

그럼 제가 더 수정할게요. 오늘은 꼭 다 끝낼 테다.

Then I more will revise. Today surely all will finish.

The last line drops to 테다 on purpose. B has stopped talking to A and is muttering a vow to the screen.

Common mistakes

  1. 친구도 만난 겸 서울에 갔어요.

    친구도 만날 겸 서울에 갔어요.

    A purpose with 겸 takes ㄹ/을, whatever the tense of the sentence.

  2. 제가 아는바로는 회의는 내일입니다.

    제가 아는 바로는 회의는 내일입니다.

    바 here is a noun, so it keeps its space.

  3. 할머니, 제가 꼭 갈 테다.

    할머니, 제가 꼭 갈게요.

    테다 is 한다체 and a vow. To your grandmother, make a promise with ㄹ/을게요.

Check yourself

Quick check

1 / 6

제가 ___ 회의는 내일입니다. (알다, use 바로는) As far as I know, the meeting is tomorrow.

The present modifier, a space, then 바로는.

Summary

ㄹ/을 겸 forms
DictionaryStemㄹ/을 겸
쉬다쉬쉴 겸
먹다먹먹을 겸
듣다듣들을 겸
만들다만들만들 겸
ㄹ/을 테면 forms
DictionaryStemㄹ/을 테면
가다가갈 테면
먹다먹먹을 테면
잡다잡잡을 테면
말하다말하말할 테면
ㄹ/을 테지만 forms
DictionaryStemㄹ/을 테지만
힘들다힘들힘들 테지만
듣다듣들을 테지만
춥다춥추울 테지만
바쁘다바쁘바쁠 테지만

What each one does

  • 바: formal 것. Mostly written, apart from a few phrases like 어찌할 바를 모르다 and 알 바 아니다.
  • ㄹ/을 테다: I will. A vow in 한다체, from characters more than from people.
  • ㄹ/을 테면: go on, then. A dare.
  • ㄹ/을 테지만: no doubt, but. A courteous lead-in to a request.
  • 겸: both at once, or partly in order to.

Now you can say

  1. 제가 아는 바로는 회의는 내일입니다.

    As far as I know, the meeting is tomorrow.

  2. 바람도 쐴 겸 산책을 나갔어요.

    I went out for a walk, partly to get some air.

  3. 바쁘실 테지만 꼭 와 주세요.

    I know you'll be busy, but please do come.

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