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Lv 4Connective endingIntermediate · TOPIK II

-는지

-neunji

whether; I wonder if

Attaches to a verb or adjective stem to give a vague reason or judgment for what follows, or, as an informal sentence-final ending, to express a vague question or wondering.

Form

Attaches to
Verb, Adjective, 이다, Auxiliary
Other shapes
-ㄴ지 · -은지 · -을지

Meanings

  1. 1

    A connective ending used to indicate an ambiguous reason or judgment about the following statement.

    뒤에 오는 말의 내용에 대한 막연한 이유나 판단을 나타내는 연결 어미.

  2. 2

    (informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to indicate a vague doubt.

    (두루낮춤으로) 막연한 의문을 나타내는 종결 어미.

Examples

  • 어찌나 비싼지 차마 그 물건을 살 수 없었다.

    It was so expensive that I just couldn't bring myself to buy it.

  • 동생이 계단에서 넘어져 다친 건 아닌지 걱정이 되더군요.

    I was worried my younger sibling might have gotten hurt falling on the stairs.

  • 집에 가는 길에 불량 청소년인지 어떤 학생이 나에게 시비를 걸었어.

    On my way home, some kid who looked like a delinquent picked a fight with me.

  • 요즘 건강하신지?

    I wonder how your health has been lately.

  • 세월이 어찌나 빠른지!

    Time really does fly, doesn't it!

  • 조카가 아직 고등학생이 아닌지?

    Isn't my nephew still in high school, I wonder?

Examples: 한국어기초사전, CC BY-SA 2.0 KR.

Don’t confuse with

Forms with a close meaning — a favourite source of wrong answers on TOPIK.

Quick check

  1. 1. What does ‘-는지’ mean?

  2. 2. Which form means “whether; I wonder if”?