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Grammar / Level 1 / Lesson 30

적, 스럽다 and 하다: building words

By Daniel Buckley · 9 minute read · TOPIK 1

Vocabulary

  1. 문화 - culture
  2. 사회 - society
  3. 전통 - tradition
  4. 개인 - individual
  5. 기본 - the basics
  6. 자연 - nature
  7. 어른 - adult
  8. 부담 - burden
  9. 건강 - health
  10. 행복 - happiness

English turns "culture" into "cultural" and "tradition" into "traditional", then wanders off to "-ic" and "-ive" for others. Korean mostly uses one piece: 문화 gives 문화적, and 전통 gives 전통적.

These aren't verb endings. They're parts that make new words out of nouns, so you can't put them on anything you like. But a few of them do a lot of the work, and spotting them lets you guess words you've never seen.

적: the three shapes

적 attaches to a noun, nearly always a Sino-Korean one and usually abstract, and says something has that quality. What matters is what you add next, because that decides the word's job in the sentence.

The three shapes

  • 적이다: ends a sentence, like an adjective.전통 → 전통적이에요
  • 적인, or just 적: goes before a noun.전통 → 전통적인 음식문화 → 문화적 차이
  • 적으로: an adverb, modifying a verb or adjective.개인 → 개인적으로기본 → 기본적으로

Before a noun, 적인 and bare 적 usually mean the same. Some pairs sound better one way, and I'd use 적인 when unsure, and after 아주: 아주 전통적인 음식.

  1. 이 집은 아주 전통적이에요.

    This house is very traditional.

  2. 제 친구는 긍정적이에요.

    My friend is positive.

  3. 그 계획은 현실적이에요.

    That plan is realistic.

  4. 전통적인 음식을 먹었어요.

    (I) ate traditional food.

  5. 이건 사회적인 문제예요.

    This is a social problem.

  6. 기본적인 단어를 배워요.

    (I) learn basic words.

  7. 문화적 차이가 있어요.

    There is a cultural difference.

적으로 often matches English "-ally", and it often frames the whole sentence: personally, basically, generally.

  1. 저는 개인적으로 이 영화가 좋아요.

    I personally like this movie.

  2. 기본적으로 한국어는 어렵지 않아요.

    Basically Korean isn't hard.

  3. 일반적으로 아침에는 길이 막혀요.

    Generally in the morning the road is blocked.

  4. 역사적으로 중요한 곳이에요.

    (It) is a historically important place.

※ Don't invent these. 학교적 isn't a word, because 적 mostly goes on abstract nouns, and only the ones Korean already uses it with. Treat each as a word you've met.

  1. 이 문제는 아주 ___.

    This problem is very personal.

  2. ___ 음식을 좋아해요.

    I like traditional food.

  3. 저는 ___ 이 노래가 좋아요.

    Personally, I like this song.

스럽다: gives that feeling

스럽다 turns a noun into an adjective meaning something gives the impression of that noun. 사랑 is love, so 사랑스럽다 is lovable. 자연 is nature, so 자연스럽다 is natural.

The word "impression" matters. 어른스럽다 mostly describes a child who acts grown-up, because an actual adult doesn't need the word. Something 스러운 usually reminds you of the noun without being it.

Making 스럽다

  • Noun plus 스럽다. Every one is a ㅂ irregular adjective.자연 → 자연스러워요자연 → 자연스러운 말자연 → 자연스럽게

Pick a verb

자연스럽다자연스럽자연스러워요

  1. 아기가 정말 사랑스러워요.

    Baby is really lovable.

  2. 그 아이는 참 어른스러워요.

    That child is really grown-up.

  3. 선물이 너무 비싸서 부담스러워요.

    Gift is too expensive, so (it) feels burdensome.

  4. 한국어가 정말 자연스러워요.

    (Your) Korean is really natural.

  5. 자연스럽게 말해요.

    (I) speak naturally.

※ If the ㅂ irregular is rusty, 스럽 turns into 스러우 before a vowel: 스러워요, 스러운.

Listen and type

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Play it as often as you like.

하다 nouns

You've used this one since the beginning. 공부 is a noun, study, and 공부하다 is the verb. A huge number of Korean verbs are a noun plus 하다, and many adjectives are too: 건강 gives 건강하다, to be healthy.

Noun plus 하다

  • Verbs:공부 → 공부하다운동 → 운동하다전화 → 전화하다
  • Adjectives:건강 → 건강하다행복 → 행복하다

As lesson 11 showed, verbs like 공부하다 are still two words underneath: 공부를 해요 means the same as 공부해요, and 안 and 못 go right before 하다. Adjectives stay whole, so it's 안 건강해요.

  1. 저는 매일 운동해요.

    I exercise every day.

  2. 저는 매일 운동을 해요.

    I do exercise every day.

  3. 어제 친구에게 전화했어요.

    Yesterday (I) called friend.

  4. 오늘은 공부 안 해요.

    Today study (I) don't do.

  5. 어제는 운동 못 했어요.

    Yesterday exercise (I) couldn't do.

  6. 할머니는 건강하세요.

    Grandmother is healthy.

Common mistakes

  1. 저는 개인적 이 영화가 좋아요.

    저는 개인적으로 이 영화가 좋아요.

    Bare 적 can only go before a noun. To frame a sentence, it needs 으로.

  2. 한국어가 자연스럽어요.

    한국어가 자연스러워요.

    스럽다 is a ㅂ irregular.

  3. 이 집은 전통적해요.

    이 집은 전통적이에요.

    적 words end a sentence with 이다, not 하다.

Check yourself

Quick check

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이 집은 아주 ___. (전통적) This house is very traditional.

It ends the sentence.

Summary

Three ways to build on a noun

  • 적: having that quality. 적이다 ends a sentence, 적인 goes before a noun, 적으로 is an adverb.전통적이에요, 전통적인 음식, 기본적으로
  • 스럽다: gives that impression. A ㅂ irregular adjective.자연스러워요, 자연스러운, 자연스럽게
  • 하다: makes a verb or adjective. 안 and 못 go before 하다 on verbs.공부해요, 공부 안 해요, 건강해요
ㄴ/은 forms
DictionaryStemㄴ/은
자연스럽다자연스럽자연스러운
사랑스럽다사랑스럽사랑스러운
어른스럽다어른스럽어른스러운
부담스럽다부담스럽부담스러운

Now you can say

  1. 개인적으로 이 노래가 좋아요.

    Personally this song is good.

  2. 한국어가 자연스러워요.

    (Your) Korean is natural.

  3. 오늘은 운동 안 해요.

    Today exercise (I) don't do.

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