Korean Lessons ᚛ Level 8 - Advanced Korean #1 (Lessons 211 to 240) ᚛ Lesson 213 - As if in Korean #1 [-듯이] [-(ㄴ/는)다는 듯이] [-는 듯하다]
As if in Korean #1 [-듯이] [-(ㄴ/는)다는 듯이] [-는 듯하다]
The dependent noun 듯 means "the appearance of", "as if". It is used to build three very common structures. -(으)ㄴ/는/(으)ㄹ 듯이, "as if", "like", describes the way an action unfolds by comparing it to an imagined situation. -(ㄴ/는)다는 듯이, "as if to say that", describes a behavior as if it expressed words. Finally -는 듯하다, "it seems that", "it looks like", is a predicate of supposition, slightly more refined than -는 것 같다. We have already seen comparisons with 처럼 and pretending with -(으)ㄴ/는 척하다; this lesson completes the set.
"As if", "like" with -(으)ㄴ/는/(으)ㄹ 듯이
듯이 follows the adjectival form, in the present, past or future depending on the relation between the image and the action:
[Present / past / future adjectival form] 듯이 [Action described]
The form -(으)ㄹ 듯이 is the most frequent: it evokes what is about to happen or what could happen (뛸 듯이, "as if about to jump", 깨질 듯이, "as if about to break"). -(으)ㄴ 듯이 compares to a state or a completed fact (죽은 듯이, "as if dead", 미친 듯이, "like a madman"), -는 듯이 to an ongoing action (아는 듯이, "as if he knew"). In speech, 이 often drops: 뛸 듯 기뻐하다.
한국어 교환학생으로 합격했다는 소식을 듣고 마크는 뛸 듯이 기뻐했어요.
→ When he heard he had been accepted for the exchange program in Korea, Mark jumped for joy. (Lit: rejoiced as if about to jump)
교장 선생님이 갑자기 교실에 들어오자 떠들던 아이들이 쥐 죽은 듯이 조용했어요.
→ When the principal suddenly walked into the classroom, the kids who had been making a racket went as quiet as mice. (Lit: as if a mouse had died)
아버지가 돌아가셨다는 소식을 들은 민지는 그 자리에 주저앉아서 미친 듯이 울었어요.
→ When Minji heard that her father had passed away, she collapsed on the spot and cried like a madwoman.
- 재현아, 어디 아파 괜찮아?
- 갑자기 머리가 깨질 듯이 아파. 혹시 두통약 있어?
→ - Jaehyun, are you sick? Are you okay?
- All of a sudden my head feels like it's splitting open. Do you have any headache medicine?
오늘 산 정상에 올랐을 때 미세 먼지가 없고 대기가 깨끗해서 하늘이 손에 잡힐 듯이 가까이 보였어요.
→ Today at the top of the mountain, there was no fine dust and the air was so clear that the sky looked close enough to touch.
수진이는 모든 상황에 대해서 잘 알지도 못하면서 매번 모든 것을 다 아는 듯이 행동해요.
→ Sujin doesn't really understand the situation, yet every time she acts as if she knew everything.
재현이는 집에 오자마자 냉장고를 열고 음식들을 꺼내서 며칠을 굶은 듯이 허겁지겁 먹었어요.
→ As soon as he got home, Jaehyun opened the fridge, took out some food and wolfed it down as if he hadn't eaten in days.
Many of these phrases are set expressions: 뛸 듯이 기뻐하다, "to jump for joy", 쥐 죽은 듯이 조용하다, "dead silent", 미친 듯이, "like crazy", 깨질 듯이 아프다, "to have a splitting pain", 손에 잡힐 듯이, "within reach", 며칠을 굶은 듯이, "as if one hadn't eaten in days". Note also 듯이 attached directly to the stem in the expressions 밥 먹듯이 하다, "to do something as routinely as eating", and 물 쓰듯이 쓰다, "to spend money like water".
"As if to say that" with -(ㄴ/는)다는 듯이
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"It seems that" with -(으)ㄴ/는/(으)ㄹ 듯하다
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Exercises
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