Adding Details to Noun Modifiers
When describing a noun, you can include more than just the action. You can add who did it, where it happened, or what was involved.
In Korean, this entire descriptive phrase goes directly in front of the noun.
Examples
제가 만든 음식 (The food that I made)
친구가 추천한 식당 (The restaurant that a friend recommended)
No Relative Pronouns
Some languages use linking words (like who , which , or that in English) to connect a description to a noun.
In Korean, you do not use extra linking words. The verb simply changes its form and the whole phrase sits directly before the noun.
Making the Phrase
Finished Sentence · Noun Phrase
제가 만들었어요 · 제가 만든 음식 (The food that I made)
선생님이 썼어요 · 선생님이 쓴 책 (The book that the teacher wrote)
The Subject Inside the Modifier
When you name the person or thing doing the action inside the descriptive phrase, typically use the subject marker 이/가 instead of the topic marker 은/는 .
Common Mistake
저는 만든 음식
제가 만든 음식 (Correct: The food that I made)
Remember to use 제 instead of 저, and 내 instead of 나, when attaching 가 .
Putting It Together in a Sentence
Because the descriptive phrase acts as one big noun block, you can place it anywhere a normal noun would go.
This means the main subject of the sentence and the subject inside the modifier can be different.
Sentence Breakdown
이것은 선생님이 쓴 책이에요.
(This is the book that the teacher wrote.)
이것은 : The main subject of the sentence
선생님이 쓴 : The descriptive phrase
책이에요 : The noun being described + ending