✍️Intermediate Day 6: Using -거나 / -든지 – Expressing Choices in Korean
📘 Intermediate Day 6: Using -거나 / -든지 – Expressing Choices in Korean
Welcome to Day 6 of our Intermediate Korean series! 🌟 Today’s lesson will teach you how to talk about options and choices using two essential Korean grammar patterns:
- -거나 – to express "or" between two actions or states
- -든지 – to say "any," "whichever," or express flexibility
These patterns will help you build more complex sentences and sound more natural in real conversations!
📘 Part 1 – Using -거나 (or)
-거나 is used to list options between two or more verbs or adjectives. It’s similar to "or" in English when describing two possible actions or conditions.
🔧 How to use:
- Verb/Adjective stem + 거나 + Verb/Adjective
📌 Example Sentences:
- 집에서 쉬거나 책을 읽어요.
jib-e-seo swi-geo-na chaek-eul il-geo-yo
👉 I either rest at home or read a book. - 커피를 마시거나 차를 마셔요.
keo-pi-reul ma-si-geo-na cha-reul ma-syeo-yo
👉 I drink either coffee or tea. - 날씨가 춥거나 비가 오면 집에 있어요.
nal-ssi-ga chup-geo-na bi-ga o-myeon jib-e it-seo-yo
👉 If it’s cold or rainy, I stay at home.
📘 Part 2 – Using -든지 (any / whichever / whoever)
-든지 is used to express openness or flexibility in choices.
It’s usually attached to interrogative words like 뭐 (what), 어디 (where), 누구 (who), 언제 (when), etc.
🔧 How to use:
- Interrogative + 든지 → "whichever / anything / wherever / whoever"
📌 Example Sentences:
- 뭐든지 괜찮아요.
mwo-deun-ji gwaen-chan-a-yo
👉 Anything is fine. - 어디든지 가고 싶어요.
eo-di-deun-ji ga-go si-peo-yo
👉 I want to go anywhere. - 누구든지 참여할 수 있어요.
nu-gu-deun-ji cham-yeo-hal su it-seo-yo
👉 Anyone can participate. - 언제든지 전화하세요.
eon-je-deun-ji jeon-hwa-ha-se-yo
👉 Call me anytime.
📘 비교 표 – -거나 vs -든지
| Pattern | Meaning | Usage Example | Romanization |
|---|---|---|---|
| -거나 | or | 책을 읽거나 음악을 들어요 | chaek-eul ilk-geo-na eum-ak-eul deu-reo-yo |
| -든지 | any / whichever | 뭐든지 괜찮아요 | mwo-deun-ji gwaen-chan-a-yo |
💬 Real-Life Dialogue Example
👧 수지: 주말에 뭐 할 거예요?
👦 준호: 영화 보거나 산책할 거예요.
👧 수지: 어디든지 좋으니까 가까운 공원 어때요?
📘 Practice Sentences
- 지하철을 타거나 버스를 탈 수 있어요.
- 점심으로 라면이나 김밥을 먹거나 해요.
- 언제든지 오세요.
- 뭐든지 도와드릴게요.
🧪 Mini Quiz – Choice Master!
- Translate: “You can call or send a message.”
Click to Show Answer
✅ 전화하거나 메시지를 보내세요.
- How do you say “Anything is fine” in Korean?
Click to Show Answer
✅ 뭐든지 괜찮아요.
- Choose the correct use: “I’ll eat ramyeon or rice.”
a) 라면을 먹고 밥도 먹어요
b) 라면을 먹거나 밥을 먹어요Click to Show Answer
✅ b) 라면을 먹거나 밥을 먹어요
✅ Conclusion
🎉 Well done! You now know how to talk about multiple options and flexible choices in Korean.
- ✔️ Use -거나 for linking verbs or adjectives with "or"
- ✔️ Use -든지 with question words to express “any” or “whichever”
- ✔️ Practice with real-life examples to boost fluency!
📘 Coming Up Next
Tomorrow: Intermediate Day 7: Making Assumptions – ~나 봐요 / ~(으)ㄴ가 봐요
You’ll learn how to make polite guesses and assumptions in Korean!
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