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Grammar / Level 3 / Lesson 88

지 뭐 and 지 그래요: resignation and advice

By Daniel Buckley · 11 minute read · TOPIK 3

Vocabulary

  1. 그냥 - just, simply
  2. 라면 - instant noodles
  3. 걸어가다 - to walk (somewhere)
  4. 놓고 오다 - to leave behind
  5. 지갑 - wallet
  6. 약국 - pharmacy
  7. 궁금하다 - to be curious
  8. 직접 - in person, yourself
  9. 출발하다 - to set off
  10. 부장님 - department head

The last bus has gone. You could complain, or you could shrug and say 걸어가지 뭐: I'll walk, then. That small 뭐 is doing the shrugging, and it's a good word to have.

When things go wrong for you, Korean has a shrug. When they go wrong for someone else, it has a little ladder of ways to say what they could do, from a light nudge up to firm advice. Choosing a rung depends mostly on who you're talking to.

지 뭐: oh well

지 뭐 goes on the stem. It accepts something that isn't what you'd hoped for, and it usually says what you'll settle for. The 뭐 here doesn't mean "what", and I'd think of it as the sound of the shrug.

Making 지 뭐

  • Verbs and adjectives: drop 다, add 지 뭐.가다 → 가지 뭐먹다 → 먹지 뭐
  • Polite: 죠 뭐.가다 → 가죠 뭐없다 → 없죠 뭐
  • Past: add 지 뭐 to the 았/었 stem.샀지 뭐
  • Nouns: 이지 뭐, or 지 뭐 after a vowel.라면 → 라면이지 뭐

Pick a verb

가다가가지 뭐

  1. 버스가 없어? 그럼 걸어가지 뭐.

    No buses? I'll just walk, then.

  2. 오늘 못 하면 내일 하지 뭐.

    If I can't do it today, I'll just do it tomorrow.

  3. 밥이 없네. 라면 먹지 뭐.

    There's no rice. I'll just have noodles.

  4. 어쩔 수 없죠 뭐.

    Oh well, there's nothing we can do.

  5. 비싸서 그냥 안 샀지 뭐.

    It was expensive, so I just didn't buy it.

  6. 그러죠 뭐.

    Sure, why not.

Example 6 is a lukewarm yes. That's fine with people you know well, but to someone who has asked you a real favour it can sound reluctant.

Add 예요 and the meaning turns. 지 뭐예요 is for telling a story: something happened that you didn't expect, often a bit of bad luck, and the listener is invited to share your disbelief. It's polite, and it's about something that has already happened.

  1. 집에 갔는데 열쇠가 없지 뭐예요.

    I got home and, would you believe it, I had no keys.

  2. 버스를 탔는데 지갑을 놓고 왔지 뭐예요.

    I got on the bus, and what do you know, I'd left my wallet behind.

  3. 두 시간을 기다렸는데 결국 안 왔지 뭐예요.

    I waited two hours, and would you believe it, he didn't come.

지 그래요: why don't you

지 그래요 is a nudge. You can hear a faint wonder in it that the person hasn't done this already. I'd say it to a friend, a colleague at my own level or someone younger, because from below it can sound as if you're telling them their business.

Making 지 그래요

  • Verbs: drop 다, add 지 그래요.쉬다 → 쉬지 그래요먹다 → 먹지 그래요
  • Casual: 지 그래.가다 → 가지 그래
  • "Why don't you not": 지 말지 그래요.가지 말지 그래요
  • Too late: 지 그랬어요. The first verb stays as it is.말하다 → 말하지 그랬어요

Pick a verb

쉬다쉬쉬지 그래요

  1. 피곤해 보이는데 좀 쉬지 그래요?

    You look tired. Why don't you rest a bit?

  2. 춥지 않아요? 코트를 입지 그래요.

    Aren't you cold? Why don't you put a coat on?

  3. 그렇게 궁금하면 직접 물어보지 그래요?

    If you're that curious, why don't you ask them yourself?

  4. 여기 앉지 그래?

    Why don't you sit here?

Once it's too late, the nudge turns into a mild reproach. 지 그랬어요 is lighter than 았/었어야 했다: more "oh, why didn't you?" than a judgement. You'd often say it when you wish you could have helped.

  1. 미리 말하지 그랬어요.

    You should have said something.

  2. 저한테 전화하지 그랬어요.

    You could have called me.

  3. 같이 오지 그랬어요.

    You should have come with us.

는 게 어때요: how about

This one simply offers an idea. 는 게 is "doing this", from ~는 것, and 어때요 asks how that sounds. The decision stays with the other person, which makes it the safest of the group. For someone above you, make both parts honorific, as in 가시는 게 어떠세요?

Pick a verb

가다가가는 게 어때요

  1. 같이 가는 게 어때요?

    How about going together?

  2. 오늘은 일찍 자는 게 어때요?

    How about an early night?

  3. 병원에 가 보는 게 어때요?

    Why not see a doctor?

  4. 다른 날에 만나는 게 어떨까요?

    Would it be better to meet another day?

  5. 조금 더 쉬시는 게 어떠세요?

    Would you like to rest a little longer?

는 게 좋겠다: you'd better

는 게 좋겠어요 is a judgement: in this situation, this would be best. 겠 marks it as your read of how things stand, so it's a view and not an order. It's firmer than a question, though, because you've already made up your mind.

Pick a verb

가다가가는 게 좋겠어요

  1. 오늘은 집에 있는 게 좋겠어요.

    You'd better stay home today.

  2. 지금 출발하는 게 좋겠어요.

    We'd better set off now.

  3. 그 얘기는 안 하는 게 좋겠어요.

    It'd be best not to mention that.

  4. 제가 먼저 전화하는 게 좋겠어요.

    I'd better call first.

  5. 이 약은 밥을 먹고 드시는 게 좋겠어요.

    It'd be best to take this medicine after you eat.

Without 겠 it's a general point, as in 아침을 먹는 게 좋아요, it's good to eat breakfast. 겠 ties the advice to this person and this moment. Don't mix it up with 았/었으면 좋겠다 from wishes. 왔으면 좋겠어요 hopes, and 오는 게 좋겠어요 advises.

From light to firm

  • 는 게 어때요?: here's an idea, and it's up to you. With 시 added, safe with anyone.같이 가는 게 어때요?
  • 지 그래요: go on, why not? Best with equals and people younger than you.같이 가지 그래요?
  • 는 게 좋겠어요: in my view, this is best.같이 가는 게 좋겠어요.
  • 아/어야 돼요: you have to.같이 가야 돼요.

  1. 사장님, 오늘은 일찍 ___?

    Would you like to head home early today, sir?

  2. 식당이 다 문을 닫았네. 그럼 집에서 라면 ___.

    All the restaurants are shut. I guess we'll have noodles at home.

  3. 비가 많이 오네요. 오늘은 안 ___.

    It's really raining. It'd be best not to go today.

  4. 왜 말 안 했어요? 미리 ___.

    Why didn't you tell me? You should have said something.

Listen and type

1 / 3

Play it as often as you like.

In a conversation

A

왜 그래요? 어디 아파요?

Why like that? Somewhere hurts?

B

머리가 너무 아파요. 아침에 약국에 갔는데 문을 안 열었지 뭐예요.

Head hurts too much. In the morning went to pharmacy, and didn't open, would you believe.

A

저한테 말하지 그랬어요. 제가 약이 있어요.

To me why not have said. I have medicine.

B

고마워요. 오후 회의는 어떡하죠?

Thanks. Afternoon meeting what to do?

A

내일 하는 게 어때요? 부장님께 제가 말씀드릴게요.

Tomorrow doing it, how is it? To the department head I will speak.

B

네, 어쩔 수 없죠 뭐. 오늘은 일찍 들어가는 게 좋겠어요.

Yes, no way around it, oh well. Today early going home would be good.

Common mistakes

  1. 거기 가지 마지 그래요?

    거기 가지 말지 그래요?

    The verb is 말다, and 지 goes on its stem. 마 only appears before certain endings, as in 마세요.

  2. 어제 전화했지 그랬어요.

    어제 전화하지 그랬어요.

    The past goes on 그랬어요, and the first verb stays as it is.

  3. 더 조용하는 게 어때요?

    더 조용히 하는 게 어때요?

    조용하다 is an adjective, so it doesn't take 는. Advice about behaviour needs a verb: 조용히 하다.

Check yourself

Quick check

1 / 6

버스가 없어? 그럼 ___. (걸어가다, the casual shrug) No buses? I'll just walk, then.

Straight on the stem.

Summary

지 뭐 forms
DictionaryStem지 뭐
가다가가지 뭐
먹다먹먹지 뭐
만들다만들만들지 뭐
듣다듣듣지 뭐
지 그래요 forms
DictionaryStem지 그래요
가다가가지 그래요
먹다먹먹지 그래요
쉬다쉬쉬지 그래요
듣다듣듣지 그래요
는 게 어때요 forms
DictionaryStem는 게 어때요
가다가가는 게 어때요
먹다먹먹는 게 어때요
만들다만들만드는 게 어때요
듣다듣듣는 게 어때요
는 게 좋겠어요 forms
DictionaryStem는 게 좋겠어요
가다가가는 게 좋겠어요
먹다먹먹는 게 좋겠어요
만들다만들만드는 게 좋겠어요
듣다듣듣는 게 좋겠어요

Now you can say

  1. 오늘 못 하면 내일 하지 뭐.

    If I can't do it today, I'll just do it tomorrow.

  2. 미리 말하지 그랬어요.

    You should have said something.

  3. 오늘은 집에 있는 게 좋겠어요.

    You'd better stay home today.

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