πŸ“˜ Grammar 31: How to Use ~λŠ” 것 κ°™μ•„μš” – I Think / It Seems in Korean

πŸ“˜ How to Use ~λŠ” 것 κ°™μ•„μš” – I Think / It Seems in Korean

Do you want to say “I think it’s going to rain,” “She seems happy,” or “It looks like he’s busy” in Korean?

Then you need to learn how to use ~λŠ” 것 κ°™μ•„μš”, a very natural and polite grammar pattern used to express your opinion, assumption, or impression in Korean.

This is one of the most common and versatile expressions in Korean daily conversation.

πŸ“Œ What Does ~λŠ” 것 κ°™μ•„μš” Mean?

~λŠ” 것 κ°™μ•„μš” literally means “It seems like…” or “I think…”. It’s used to soften a statement and express a guess or impression.

Structure:

  • Action verb + λŠ” 것 κ°™μ•„μš”
  • Descriptive verb (adjective) + (으)γ„΄ 것 κ°™μ•„μš”
  • Future tense: verb + (으)γ„Ή 것 κ°™μ•„μš”

✔️ This form makes your speech more polite, less direct, and more natural in Korean culture.


πŸ“˜ Example Sentences

  • λΉ„κ°€ μ˜€λŠ” 것 κ°™μ•„μš” – I think it’s raining
    bi-ga o-neun geot ga-ta-yo
  • κ·Έλ…€λŠ” ν–‰λ³΅ν•œ 것 κ°™μ•„μš” – She seems happy
    geu-nyeo-neun haeng-bok-han geot ga-ta-yo
  • κ·ΈλŠ” 바쁠 것 κ°™μ•„μš” – I think he’ll be busy
    geu-neun ba-ppeul geot ga-ta-yo
  • λ§›μžˆλŠ” 것 κ°™μ•„μš” – I think it’s delicious
    ma-sit-neun geot ga-ta-yo

πŸ“Š Grammar Table – Different Forms

Type Form Example Meaning
Present (Action Verb) ~λŠ” 것 κ°™μ•„μš” κ°€λŠ” 것 κ°™μ•„μš” I think (someone) is going
Present (Adjective) ~(으)γ„΄ 것 κ°™μ•„μš” 예쁜 것 κ°™μ•„μš” It seems pretty
Past ~μ•˜/μ—ˆλ˜ 것 κ°™μ•„μš” 먹은 것 κ°™μ•„μš” I think (someone) ate
Future ~(으)γ„Ή 것 κ°™μ•„μš” 올 것 κ°™μ•„μš” I think (someone) will come

πŸ’¬ Why Is This Expression Useful?

✔️ It allows you to give an opinion without sounding too strong or assertive.

✔️ It shows respect and humility in communication—very important in Korean culture.

✔️ Native speakers use it constantly in daily conversations, text messages, and media.


❗ Common Mistakes

  • ❌ λ§›μžˆλŠ” κ°™μ•„μš” → ✅ λ§›μžˆλŠ” 것 κ°™μ•„μš”
  • ❌ λ°”μœ 것 κ°™μ•„μš” (when talking about future) → ✅ 바쁠 것 κ°™μ•„μš”
  • Always include “것” and apply proper tense rules!

πŸ§ͺ Mini Quiz – Test Yourself!

  1. How do you say “It looks like it’s raining” in Korean?
    a) λΉ„ μ˜€λŠ” 것 κ°™μ•„μš”
    b) λΉ„κ°€ μ˜€λŠ” 것 κ°™μ•„μš”
    Click to Show Answer

    ✅ b) λΉ„κ°€ μ˜€λŠ” 것 κ°™μ•„μš”

  2. Translate: “I think she is tired.”
    a) κ·Έλ…€λŠ” ν”Όκ³€ν•œ 것 κ°™μ•„μš”
    b) κ·Έλ…€λŠ” ν”Όκ³€ν•΄ κ°™μ•„μš”
    Click to Show Answer

    ✅ a) κ·Έλ…€λŠ” ν”Όκ³€ν•œ 것 κ°™μ•„μš”

  3. How to say “I think he will go”?
    a) κ·ΈλŠ” 갈 것 κ°™μ•„μš”
    b) κ·ΈλŠ” 갔을 것 κ°™μ•„μš”
    Click to Show Answer

    ✅ a) κ·ΈλŠ” 갈 것 κ°™μ•„μš”


✅ Conclusion

Now you can express your thoughts, feelings, and guesses politely and naturally using ~λŠ” 것 κ°™μ•„μš”.

  • Use ~λŠ” 것 κ°™μ•„μš” for present action verbs
  • Use ~(으)γ„΄ 것 κ°™μ•„μš” for adjectives
  • Use ~(으)γ„Ή 것 κ°™μ•„μš” for future guesses

Try these examples:

  • “I think it’s difficult” → μ–΄λ €μš΄ 것 κ°™μ•„μš”
  • “It seems like he’s sleeping” → μžλŠ” 것 κ°™μ•„μš”
  • “It will be cold tomorrow” → 내일 μΆ”μšΈ 것 κ°™μ•„μš”


πŸ“˜ Coming Up Next

Next lesson: How to Use ~κ³  μžˆλ‹€ – Present Progressive in Korean
Learn how to say “I’m eating,” “She’s studying,” and more!

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