-는지
-neunji
whether; I wonder if
Attaches to a verb or adjective stem to give a vague reason or judgment for what follows, or, as an informal sentence-final ending, to express a vague question or wondering.
Form
- Attaches to
- Verb, Adjective, 이다, Auxiliary
- Other shapes
- -ㄴ지 · -은지 · -을지
Meanings
- 1
A connective ending used to indicate an ambiguous reason or judgment about the following statement.
뒤에 오는 말의 내용에 대한 막연한 이유나 판단을 나타내는 연결 어미.
- 2
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to indicate a vague doubt.
(두루낮춤으로) 막연한 의문을 나타내는 종결 어미.
Examples
어찌나 비싼지 차마 그 물건을 살 수 없었다.
It was so expensive that I just couldn't bring myself to buy it.
동생이 계단에서 넘어져 다친 건 아닌지 걱정이 되더군요.
I was worried my younger sibling might have gotten hurt falling on the stairs.
집에 가는 길에 불량 청소년인지 어떤 학생이 나에게 시비를 걸었어.
On my way home, some kid who looked like a delinquent picked a fight with me.
요즘 건강하신지?
I wonder how your health has been lately.
세월이 어찌나 빠른지!
Time really does fly, doesn't it!
조카가 아직 고등학생이 아닌지?
Isn't my nephew still in high school, I wonder?
Examples: 한국어기초사전, CC BY-SA 2.0 KR.
Don’t confuse with
Forms with a close meaning — a favourite source of wrong answers on TOPIK.
Quick check
1. What does ‘-는지’ mean?
2. Which form means “whether; I wonder if”?