haru Korean › Grammar › Level 3B › A-구나 · V-는구나 · N(이)구나 —와, 가야금이 진짜 크구나!
A-구나 · V-는구나 · N(이)구나 —와, 가야금이 진짜 크구나! — oh, so it's …! — casual exclamations, and the 반말 endings in one place
Oh, so it's …! — casual exclamations, and the 반말 endings in one place. Korean grammar for intermediate learners — Level 3B, lesson 7: 가야금이 사람 키만 해요 (A gayageum as tall as a person — describing shapes and feelings).
What it means
-구나 is the 반말 of -군요 (Lesson 2B-9): you say it when you have just found something out — from what you see, or from what someone shows or tells you — and it often comes with 와 or 아. Adjectives, and 있다 · 없다, add 구나 to the stem: 크구나, 예쁘구나, 맛있구나. Verbs in the present add 는구나: 오는구나, 잘하는구나, and a stem ending in ㄹ drops it (살다 → 사는구나). Nouns take 이구나 after a 받침 and 구나 after a vowel: 가야금이구나, 장구구나. For something that has already happened, use -았/었구나 for everything (많이 왔구나, 생일이었구나), and for a guess, -겠구나 (힘들겠구나). Because it is 반말, keep it for close friends, people younger than you whom you know well, and talking to yourself — 아, 그렇구나 'oh, I see' is a very common thing to mutter. To a teacher, a boss or anyone older, use 그렇군요 or 그렇네요. Today also puts the 반말 endings side by side: -아/어 just says it, -네 reacts to what you see right now, -지? expects agreement, -구나 means 'now I get it'. -더라 (I saw it myself) belongs to Level 4 — just recognise it.
Forms
| Pattern | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A-구나 | 형용사 · 있다 · 없다 — 다 + 구나 | 크다 + 구나 → 크구나 |
| V-는구나 | 동사 — 받침 O · X 모두 · ㄹ은 빠져요 | 오다 + 는구나 → 오는구나 |
| N(이)구나 | 명사 — 받침 O 이구나 · 받침 X 구나 | 가야금 + 이구나 → 가야금이구나 |
Key points
- -구나 = oh, so it's …! — the 반말 of -군요 (Lesson 2B-9): adjective + 구나 (크구나 · 맛있구나) · verb + 는구나 (오는구나 · 사는구나) · noun + (이)구나 (장구구나 · 가야금이구나) · past -았/었구나 (많이 왔구나)
- Only for close friends, people younger than you, and talking to yourself. The 반말 set: -아/어 (Lesson 2B-10) · -네 (I see it right now) · -지? (you agree, don't you?) · -구나 (now I get it) — and -더라 (Level 4), just to recognise.
Examples
- 새로 알게 된 것에 놀랄 때 친한 친구한테 써요: 와, 가야금이 진짜 크구나! (2B 9과 -군요의 반말)
- 형용사 · 있다 · 없다 → -구나: 크구나 · 예쁘구나 · 맛있구나.
- 동사 → -는구나: 오는구나 · 잘하는구나 · 사는구나(ㄹ이 빠져요).
- 명사 → (이)구나: 이게 장구구나! · 그 가야금이구나! 지난 일은 -았/었구나: 사람이 많이 왔구나.
- 혼자 하는 말에도 써요: 아, 그렇구나. 선생님께는 -네요 · -군요: 크네요 · 크군요.
Where university textbooks teach it
This point also appears in: Ewha Womans University Korean 2-1, lesson 5; Yonsei University Korean 1-2, lesson 18; Sogang University Korean 4B, lesson 1.
Also in this lesson
- N만 하다 —가야금이 사람 키만 해요 — as big as … · about the size of … — sizes by comparison
- V-(으)ㄹ 만하다 —그 공연은 정말 볼 만해요 — worth …ing · good enough to … — recommending, and putting up with things
- A/V-기로 유명하다 —이 시장은 떡이 맛있기로 유명해요 — famous for being … · well known for doing …