Kory Korean
Basic 07

-것 nominialization

-것 nominialization

In Korean, '-것' is a suffix that is used to turn a verb or an adjective into a noun. This process is called nominalization, which means to turn something into a noun. When '-것' is added to a verb or an adjective, it creates a noun that means 'the act of (verb)' or 'the state of (adjective)'. In English, we often use the infinitive form of a verb or an adjective as a noun to express the same idea. It's usually translated to 'something' in English.

1. Nominalization: Turning a verb or an adjective into a noun

  • 먹다 (to eat) -> 먹는 + 것 = 먹는 것 (something to eat)
  • 예쁘다 (to be pretty) -> 예쁜 + 것 = 예쁜 것 (something pretty)
  • 하다 (to do) -> 하는 + 것 = 하는 것 (the act of doing)

Let's take a closer look at some examples to better understand how '-것' works:

  1. 먹는 것 (the act of eating or something to eat)
  • 먹는 것을 좋아해요 (I like eating)
  1. 하는 것 (the act of doing or doing something)
  • 무언가를 하는 것은 힘들 수 있어요. (The act of doing something can be exhausting.)

2. Indicating someone's possessions with '-것': '-것' can be used to indicate possession, particularly when combined with a pronoun or a noun. For example:

  • 나의 것 (mine [my thing])
  • 그의 것 (his/her thing)
  • 이것 (this thing)
  • 저것 (that thing)

3. Using '것' in announcements to identify an action to be taken: In formal situations, such as announcements, '-것' can be used at the end of a statement to indicate an action that will be taken.

  • 회의가 3시에 시작될 것입니다. (The meeting will start at 3 o'clock.)
  • 방학이 다음 주에 시작될 것입니다. (The vacation will start next week.)

4. Using '것' to give a warning or make a suggestion: In some situations, '것' can be used to give a warning or make a suggestion.

  • 공사 중이니 주의할 것. (Be careful, because it's under construction.)
  • 늦지 않게 출발할 것. (Leave early so you won't be late.)

5. A method used in colloquialisms.

[것] This is commonly used in writing. [거] It is the same as 것 and often used in spoken language. [걸] This is contracted from 것을. This is also a colloquial expression. [건] This is a contraction of 것은. This is also a colloquial expression.


As you can see from the examples above, '-것' can be translated in different ways depending on the context.

Overall, '-것' is a very versatile suffix in Korean that can be used in a variety of ways to create new nouns and compound nouns.

On this page