Overview
The V+(ㄴ)다든지, (이)라든지 grammar pattern is used to list two or more possibilities, choices, or examples, often with a nuance of uncertainty or speculation. It suggests that the speaker is considering various options or is unsure which one is applicable or true. It can also be used to provide examples of something, implying "such as X, Y, or Z."
Usage
This connective ending is primarily employed when the speaker wants to:
- Express uncertainty or speculation about a situation, reason, or choice. For instance, "I don't know if it's because of the weather or something else."
- List potential options or examples without exhaustively covering all possibilities, often implying "and so on" or "among other things."
- Present hypothetical scenarios for consideration.
- When used with a single item, it still conveys a sense of uncertainty or "whether it's even this."
The nuance is similar to saying "whether it's A, or whether it's B, or whether it's C..." It highlights a lack of definitive knowledge or a willingness to consider multiple angles. It's often followed by expressions that indicate uncertainty, indifference, or a lack of knowledge, such as 모르겠다 (I don't know), 상관없다 (it doesn't matter), or 궁금하다 (I'm curious).
Conjugation Rules
The conjugation depends on whether the preceding word is a verb, adjective, or noun. The base form for verbs and adjectives comes from the plain declarative style ending.
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Verbs (Action Verbs):
- Present Tense:
- If the verb stem ends in a vowel: V-ㄴ다든지 (e.g., 가다 -> 간다든지)
- If the verb stem ends in a consonant: V-는다든지 (e.g., 먹다 -> 먹는다든지)
- Past Tense: V-았/었다든지 (e.g., 갔다든지, 먹었다든지)
- Future Tense: V-(으)ㄹ 거라든지 (e.g., 갈 거라든지, 먹을 거라든지)
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Adjectives (Descriptive Verbs):
- Present Tense: Adj-다든지 (e.g., 예쁘다 -> 예쁘다든지, 좋다 -> 좋다든지)
- Past Tense: Adj-았/었다든지 (e.g., 예뻤다든지, 좋았다든지)
- Future Tense: Adj-(으)ㄹ 거라든지 (e.g., 예쁠 거라든지, 좋을 거라든지)
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Nouns:
- If the noun ends in a vowel: N-라든지 (e.g., 의사 -> 의사라든지)
- If the noun ends in a consonant: N-이라든지 (e.g., 학생 -> 학생이라든지)
- Past Tense: N-이었/였다든지 (e.g., 학생이었다든지, 의사였다든지)
Knowledge Plus
- This pattern is similar in function to -(으)든지, but -(으)든지 often implies a choice that can be made, whereas -(ㄴ)다든지, (이)라든지 often implies a choice or possibility that is being considered or is uncertain.
- While it typically lists multiple items, it can also be used with a single item to express uncertainty about that one thing. For example, "그냥 피곤하다든지..." (Perhaps I'm just tired...). It can also be used to give a single example.
- It is frequently used in spoken Korean and informal contexts, but also appears in written form to convey a speculative or illustrative tone.
- The listed items can be verbs, adjectives, or nouns, and they can be mixed within the same sentence.