Korean Lessons ᚛ Level 8 - Advanced Korean #1 (Lessons 211 to 240) ᚛ Lesson 224 - In the nature of things in Korean [-기 마련이다] [-는 법이다]
In the nature of things in Korean [-기 마련이다] [-는 법이다]
To say that something is bound to happen, that it is "in the nature of things", Korean has two closely related predicates. -기 마련이다, "it is only natural that", "one always ends up", presents a result as the inevitable consequence of a situation. -는 법이다, "it is the rule that", "that's how it is", states a general law, often with the tone of a lesson or a proverb. Both are used to console, to warn or to moralize.
"Bound to", "inevitably" with -기 마련이다
The noun 마련 refers to what is planned, arranged in advance. After -기, it forms an impersonal predicate:
[Condition] [Stem]기 마련이다 / [Stem]게 마련이다
The sentence first sets up a situation (with -(으)면, -다 보면, 아무리 …-아/어도) and then what necessarily follows from it. -게 마련이다 is a variant with the same meaning. The predicate is conjugated as 이다: 마련이야, 마련이에요, 마련입니다, and in the past 마련이었다.
매일 꾸준하게 한국어 공부를 하다 보면 한국어 실력은 늘기 마련이다.
→ If you keep studying Korean steadily every day, your level is bound to improve.
어떤 일이든 익숙해지는 데는 시간이 걸리기 마련이야. 너무 조급하게 생각하지 마.
→ Whatever it is, getting used to it is bound to take time. Don't be in such a hurry.
민지야, 항상 사람에게 많은 기대를 하면 실망하기 마련이야. 세상에 완벽한 사람은 없단다.
→ Minji, if you always expect a lot from people, you're bound to be disappointed. Nobody's perfect, you know.
모국어가 아닌 외국어는 한동안 사용을 안 하면 금방 잊어버리기 마련이다.
→ A foreign language, unlike your mother tongue, is bound to be quickly forgotten if you stop using it for a while.
아무리 철저하게 준비해서 간다고 해도 처음 가는 해외 여행지에서는 길을 잘 몰라서 헤매기 마련이다.
→ No matter how thoroughly you prepare, in a country you're visiting for the first time, you're bound to get lost because you don't know the roads.
춥고 시린 겨울이 지나면 따뜻한 봄이 오기 마련입니다.
→ After a cold, bitter winter, a warm spring is bound to come.
안 하던 운동을 갑자기 무리해서 하게 되면 몸이 아프기 마련이다.
→ If you suddenly overdo exercise you're not used to, you're bound to ache all over.
이 추위에 옷을 제대로 안 입고 이렇게 얇은 옷을 입고 다니면 감기 걸리기 마련이에요.
→ In this cold, if you go around dressed so lightly, you're bound to catch a cold.
사람은 누구나 늙게 마련이에요.
→ Everyone grows old, it's inevitable.
"It's the rule", "it's only normal that" with -는 법이다
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Podcasts in Korean specially designed for beginners, to learn Korean by really listening to it from the very beginning.
You’re starting to learn Korean (or you already know the basics), but as soon as you listen to spoken Korean, everything suddenly feels too fast?
The words blend together, the pronunciation escapes you, and you feel like “real Korean” is very different from what you learned in textbooks.
That’s normal!
Listening comprehension is the most difficult part for all beginners.
