Korean Lessons ᚛ Level 8 - Advanced Korean #1 (Lessons 211 to 240) ᚛ Lesson 231 - Rather than saying in Korean [-(ㄴ/는)다기보다(는)]
Rather than saying in Korean [-(ㄴ/는)다기보다(는)]
When you want to correct an impression or qualify a statement, Korean combines indirect speech with the comparison particle 보다: -(ㄴ/는)다기보다(는), literally "rather than saying that…", that is, "it's not so much that…, it's more that…". You politely set aside the other person's wording and replace it with a more accurate one. The structure is very common in answers: "it's not that I don't like it, it's that it's too spicy".
"It's not so much that…" with -(ㄴ/는)다기보다(는)
The rejected statement is put into indirect speech (a contraction of -다고 하기보다), then comes 보다, often reinforced with 는:
[Verb]-(ㄴ/는)다기보다(는) / [Adjective]-다기보다(는) / [Noun](이)라기보다(는) / -았/었다기보다(는) [More accurate wording]
The first part usually repeats the other person's words (불편했어요? → 불편했다기보다는); the second gives the real reason or the exact description, often with -아/어서, 그냥, "simply", or 그저. The tone is that of a gentle correction, frequently with 아니요, "no", at the start of the answer. With a plain infinitive, -기보다(는) compares two actions (먹기보다는 마시는 편이에요, "I drink more than I eat"); -다기보다는 compares two ways of putting things.
- 어제 왜 그렇게 집에 빨리 갔어요? 그 자리가 불편했어요?
- 그 자리가 불편했다기보다는 몸이 좋지 않아서 빨리 집에 가고 싶었어요.
→ - Why did you go home so early yesterday? Were you uncomfortable there?
- It's not so much that I was uncomfortable, it's that I wasn't feeling well and wanted to get home quickly.
- 민지 씨는 떡볶이 안 좋아하세요? 왜 이렇게 못 드세요?
- 떡볶이를 싫어한다기보다는 너무 매워서 먹기가 힘드네요.
→ - Minji, don't you like tteokbokki? Why can't you eat it?
- It's not that I don't like it, it's that it's so spicy I have trouble eating it.
- 둘이 아는 사이야? 정말 친해 보이던데.
- 아니요, 잘 안다기보다는 회사 동료라서 인사만 하고 지내는 사이예요.
→ - Do you two know each other? You looked really close.
- No, it's not that we know each other well, we're coworkers and we just say hello.
- 민지 씨는 아침을 잘 챙겨 먹는 편이에요?
- 잘 챙겨 먹는다기보다는 아침에 아무것도 안 먹으면 기운이 없어서 뭐라도 먹으려고 하긴 해요.
→ - Minji, do you usually eat a proper breakfast?
- It's not so much that I eat well, it's that if I eat nothing in the morning I have no energy, so I try to have something.
- 저 걸그룹은 정말 노래도 잘하는 것 같아요. 그렇지 않아요?
- 음... 제 생각엔 노래를 잘한다기보다는 다들 예쁘고 춤도 잘 춰서 인기가 많은 것 같아요.
→ - That girl group really sings well too, don't you think?
- Hmm… in my opinion, it's not so much that they sing well, it's that they're all pretty and dance well, hence their popularity.
- 너 그 남자랑 무슨 사이야? 지금 말하는 거 보니 관심이 있어 보이는데 솔직히 말해 봐. 그 남자한테 관심 있어?
- 아니야. 관심이 있다기보다는 친구 사인데 그냥 조금 신경 쓰이는 것뿐이야.
→ - What's going on between you and that guy? From the way you talk, you seem interested, so be honest. Are you into him?
- No. It's not that I'm interested, he's a friend, it's just that I think about him a little.
- 게임을 좋아하시나 봐요.
- 아니요. 게임을 좋아한다기보다는 심심할 때 가끔 친구들이랑 하는 거예요.
→ - You seem to like video games.
- No. It's not that I like them, I just play sometimes with friends when I'm bored.
With a noun or an adjective
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