Korean Lessons ᚛ Level 6 - Upper-Intermediate Korean #1 (Lessons 151 to 180) ᚛ Lesson 171 - Negative emphasis in Korean [은커녕 / 는커녕] [-기는커녕]

Negative emphasis in Korean [은커녕 / 는커녕] [-기는커녕]

In this course: 은커녕 / 는커녕 / 기는커녕

The particle 은커녕 / 는커녕

In Korean, there is a particle that allows us to express the idea that since the first thing is not even possible or is already complicated, there is no point in even talking about the second one: 은커녕 / 는커녕.

Like all particles, 은커녕 and 는커녕 are placed right after the noun phrase they refer to, in the following manner:

• If the noun phrase ends with a vowel: [Noun]는커녕
• If the noun phrase ends with a consonant: [Noun]은커녕

The particle 은커녕 / 는커녕 is used in sentences of the following type:
[Noun 1]은커녕/는커녕 [Noun 2]

This sentence structure allows us to say that since [Noun 2] is already compromised, [Noun 1] is even more so. It creates an emphasis on a negative situation through a comparison.

In English, this can correspond to sentences of the following type:

• "[Noun 2] is like this (or not), so forget about [Noun 1]"
• "[Noun 2] is like this (or not), so don’t even think about [Noun 1]"
• "[Noun 2] is like this (or not), so why even talk about [Noun 1]"
• "[Noun 2] is like this (or not), so don’t count on [Noun 1]"
• "[Noun 2] is like this (or not), so [Noun 1] is out of the question"
• "[Noun 2] is not like this, let alone [Noun 1]"
• ...

이번에 회사의 프로젝트에서 좋은 성적을 거뒀지만 승진은커녕 월급도 오르지 않았어요.
→ I got good results on the company project this time, but I didn’t even get a raise, let alone a promotion.

윤미는 월급이 올랐다고 자랑은 했지만 밥은커녕 커피 한잔 사지 않았습니다.
→ Yoonmi bragged that her salary had gone up, but she didn’t even buy us a cup of coffee, let alone a meal.

아이가 매번 실수하고 덤벙거려서 청소는커녕 심부름도 시킬 수가 없었어요.
→ The child kept making mistakes and rushing about carelessly, so I couldn’t even send him on errands, let alone have him do the cleaning.

- 오빠, 혹시 10만 원만 빌려 줄 수 있어요?
- 미안하지만 10만 원은커녕 만 원조차 없어.
→ - Oppa, could you by any chance lend me 100,000 won?
- Sorry, but I don’t even have 10,000 won, so don’t count on 100,000.

지은이는 그 당시에 너무 당황해서 화는커녕 말을 한마디도 못 했다.
→ Jieun was so flustered at that moment that she couldn’t even say a word, let alone get angry.

Negative emphasis with verbs

Exercises

For anyone who wants to learn Korean, mastering Hangeul, the Korean writing system, is an essential step. However, truly understanding how these new characters are used, their real pronunciation, how they function within words, and above all remembering them well enough to read fluently in the long term is often a difficult task for Korean learners.

Master Hangeul in 2 Weeks is a 14-day program in which you learn, day after day, all the secrets of Korean characters so that you can master them and never forget them again. Each day, you discover Hangeul through comprehensive lessons and a wide range of reading and writing exercises. An unlimited online training mode allows you to practice as much as you want until you reach excellence.

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