Korean Lessons ᚛ Level 4 - Intermediate Korean #1 (Lessons 91 to 120) ᚛ Lesson 116 - The choice "or" between nouns in Korean [(이)나] [(이)라도] [(이)든(지)]

The choice "or" between nouns in Korean [(이)나] [(이)라도] [(이)든(지)]

In this course: 나 / 이나 / 라도 / 이라도 / 든지 / 이든지

In Korean, the choice "or" can be expressed in different ways depending on the situation. Moreover, it is necessary to distinguish a choice between several nouns from a choice between several actions, which we will study in the next lesson.

Choosing between several nouns with (이)나

Explicitly

(이)나 is a particle that attaches to a noun to express the fact that this noun is part of a choice, in the following manner:
[Choice 1](이)나 [Choice 2]

• If the noun ends in a vowel: [Choice 1]나 [Choice 2]
• If the noun ends in a consonant: [Choice 1]이나 [Choice 2]

오늘 저녁에 치킨이나 피자 먹자. 뭐가 더 좋아?
→ Let’s eat fried chicken or pizza tonight. Which do you prefer?

이메일이나 편지 보내 주세요.
→ Please send an email or a letter.

내일 5시나 6시 정도에 볼까요?
→ Shall we meet tomorrow at around 5 or 6?

부산이나 제주도로 여행갑시다.
→ Let’s take a trip to Busan or Jeju Island.

돼지고기나 소고기를 사용하면 괜찮아요.
→ It’s fine if you use pork or beef.

Implicitly

Although the particle (이)나 allows us to express a choice, that choice is not always stated explicitly. In that case, the particle (이)나 attaches to a single noun, which is then one choice among many others, without necessarily being the best one. We invite the listener to possibly think of a better choice.

시간이 있으면 우리 커피나 마실까?
→ If you have time, shall we go get a coffee (or something else, if you have a better idea)?

가끔 만나서 밥이나 먹자.
→ Let’s meet up sometimes and have a meal or something.

심심한데 영화나 보러 갈까?
→ I’m bored, shall we go see a movie or something?

전염병 때문에 해외여행은 못 가니 제주도나 갑시다.
→ Since we can’t travel abroad because of the epidemic, let’s go to Jeju Island or something.

시간 없으니 사과나 먹자.
→ Since we don’t have time, let’s eat an apple or something.

The connector 아니면

The word 아니면 is simply the verb 아니다 (= to not be) with the conditional structure "if" (으)면 attached to it.

아니면 can thus be literally translated as "if it is not like that...", which we translate more simply in English as "otherwise" or "or else".

어느 마트 갈까요? 이마트 아니면 롯데마트?
→ Which store shall we go to? Emart, or else Lotte Mart?

오늘 점심은 칼국수 아니면 비빔밥 먹자.
→ For lunch today, let’s eat kalguksu, or else bibimbap.

월요일 아니면 수요일에 방문해 주세요. 화요일은 휴무입니다.
→ Please visit on Monday, or else on Wednesday. We are closed on Tuesdays.

어떤 파스타 좋아하세요? 토마토소스? 아니면 크림소스?
→ What kind of pasta do you like? Tomato sauce? Or else cream sauce?

Choosing between several nouns with (이)라도

Choosing between several nouns with (이)든(지)

Summary table of structure

Exercises

Traveling to South Korea can be an unforgettable experience. But when you don’t speak Korean, everything gets more complicated: ordering in a restaurant or café becomes stressful, you can’t understand signs or directions, asking for help in case of trouble is nearly impossible, and most importantly, you miss out on the very essence of a successful trip to Korea: connecting with the locals.

Since English - Korean machine translators can’t always be trusted (the two languages work in completely different ways), it’s essential to prepare yourself in advance to fully enjoy your trip to South Korea!

Learn more

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