Contents | Previous Topic | Next Topic

Auxiliary Nouns

Auxiliary nouns are widely used in Korean. These words have almost lost their nominative function and are used only with attributes (Attribute + Auxiliary noun).

The most frequently used auxiliary nouns are listed below:

것 "thing"

그 사람은 학생일 것입니다. "He must be a student."

분 "person"

여러 분 "many people"

다섯 분 "five men"

수 "possibility", "measure"

이 책을 찾을 수 없습니다. "I can't find this book."

줄 "how to", "the way"

나는 담배를 피울 줄 몰라요. "I don't smoke" (literally, "don't know the way how to smoke").

데 "place"

가는 데가 어디에요? "Where are we going?"

바 "fact"

김 선생은 이 신문에 소개된 바 있습니다. "There is an article about teacher Pak in this newspaper."

적 "the time when"

한국에 가본 적이 있어요. "I have been in Korea."

Auxiliary nouns are often used in different grammatical structures. For example, the auxiliary nouns 것 and 줄 are used to add subordinating clauses in complex sentences:

내가 기억하는 것은 그 사람 이름뿐이야. "All I can remember is his name."

Sometimes nouns with full nominative function can be used as auxiliary nouns: 사람 ("person"), 길 ("way", "road"), 모양 ("shape, form"), etc.