haru Korean › Grammar › Level 2B › A-군요 · V-는군요 · N(이)군요
A-군요 · V-는군요 · N(이)군요 — oh, so … · I see … — reacting to something you have just found out
Oh, so … · I see … — reacting to something you have just found out. Korean grammar for upper beginner learners — Level 2B, lesson 9: 하마터면 늦을 뻔했어요 (I nearly missed it — first day at work).
What it means
-군요 is how you react when you find something out: 'oh, so …!', 'I see …'. After an adjective add 군요 (크군요, 바쁘군요, 좋군요); after a verb add 는군요 (잘하는군요, 먹는군요 — verbs that end in ㄹ drop it: 살다 → 사는군요); after a noun add 이군요 if it ends in a 받침 and 군요 if it does not (신입 사원이군요, 친구군요). For the past, put -았/었- in front and use 군요 without 는: 벌써 왔군요, 무역을 공부했군요. The phrase you will hear most is 아, 그렇군요 — 'oh, I see' — when someone explains something to you. -네요 (Level 1A) also reacts to something new, but it is about what you see or feel right now: 와, 사무실이 넓네요! -군요 is more 'now I understand', often after hearing or reading something, and it sounds a little more formal; in writing it is very common.
Forms
| Pattern | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -군요 | 형용사 | 크다 + 군요 → 크군요 |
| -는군요 | 동사 (ㄹ 탈락) | 잘하다 + 는군요 → 잘하는군요 |
| (이)군요 | 명사 — 받침 O 이군요 · 받침 X 군요 | 신입 사원 + 이군요 → 신입 사원이군요 |
Key points
- -군요 = oh, so … · I see …: adjective + 군요 (크군요 · 바쁘군요) · verb + 는군요 (잘하는군요 · 사는군요) · noun + (이)군요 (신입 사원이군요 · 친구군요)
- Past: -았/었군요 (벌써 왔군요). -네요 (Level 1A) is what you see or feel right now; -군요 is 'now I see' — often after you hear something new.
Examples
- 크다 → 크군요. 바쁘다 → 바쁘군요. 좋다 → 좋군요.
- 잘하다 → 잘하는군요. 먹다 → 먹는군요. 살다 → 사는군요.
- 신입 사원 → 신입 사원이군요. 친구 → 친구군요.
- 오다 → 왔군요. 공부하다 → 공부했군요.
- 아, 그렇군요.
Where university textbooks teach it
This point also appears in: Yonsei University Korean 1-2, lesson 18; Ewha Womans University Korean 2-1, lesson 5; Sogang University Korean 4B, lesson 1.
Also in this lesson
- V-(으)ㄹ 뻔하다 — nearly … · almost … (but it didn't happen)
- V-아/어 있다 — is …-ed · is sitting / standing / open — a state that stays
- V-아다/어다 주다 — go and get … for someone · take someone somewhere — two steps, one favour