V+듯이

Overview

V+듯이 is a connective ending used to indicate that the action or state in the following clause is performed in the same manner as, or strongly resembles, the action or state described in the preceding clause. It draws a direct comparison, often implying that the first action serves as a model or reference for the second.

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Usage

This pattern is employed when you want to emphasize that something is happening just like something else, or as if it were that other thing. It's particularly useful for describing actions that are imitative, habitual, or so similar that they evoke the image of the comparison. The nuance often suggests a vivid or observed similarity, rather than a purely hypothetical one. It can be used for both literal comparisons (e.g., doing something exactly as someone else did) and figurative ones (e.g., doing something as easily as breathing).

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Conjugation Rules

-듯이 attaches directly to the verb stem, regardless of whether the stem ends in a vowel or a consonant.

• Verb stem ending in a vowel: Remove 다, add -듯이.

  • 가다 (to go) -> 가 + 듯이 = 가듯이
  • 보다 (to see) -> 보 + 듯이 = 보듯이

• Verb stem ending in a consonant: Remove 다, add -듯이.

  • 먹다 (to eat) -> 먹 + 듯이 = 먹듯이
  • 읽다 (to read) -> 읽 + 듯이 = 읽듯이

• Verb stem ending in ㄹ: Remove 다, add -듯이. The ㄹ remains.

  • 만들다 (to make) -> 만들 + 듯이 = 만들듯이

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Knowledge Plus

• 듯이 vs. -것처럼: While both express similarity, -듯이 often implies a more direct, observed, or commonly known comparison, suggesting 'just as X is/was'. -것처럼 can be more general, meaning 'like' or 'as if', and is more frequently used for hypothetical or imagined comparisons. For instance, '그는 아무것도 모르는 것처럼 행동했다' (He acted as if he knew nothing) implies a pretense, whereas '그는 물 마시듯이 쉽게 그 일을 해냈다' (He finished the work as easily as drinking water) implies a factual, effortless action.
• Shortened form '듯': In some contexts, especially literary or when followed by other particles (e.g., 듯이 하다 -> 듯하다), -듯이 can be shortened to -듯. For example, '비가 올 듯하다' (It looks like it will rain).
• Common fixed expressions: This pattern appears in many idiomatic expressions, such as '눈 깜짝할 새도 없이' (in the blink of an eye, literally 'without even blinking as if').