Korean Grammar Lesson 8. -아/어/여서, -지요?, -(으)ㄹ 수 있다/없다

A : 수희씨는 스키탈 수 있어요?

B : 네, 탈 수 있어요.

A : 그럼 다음주에 스키장에 갈거지요?

B : 네, 그런데 감기에 걸려서 갈 수 있을지 잘 모르겠어요.

A : 네, 알겠어요.

 

스키를 타다       ski                   스키장     ski resort

 

감기에 걸리다    catch a cold     

 

1. -아/어/여서

'-아/어-여서' expresses a reason or a cause. When the final vowel of the verb or adjective stem is

'ㅏ', 'ㅗ', it takes '-아서'. When the final vowel of the verb or adjective stem is other than 'ㅏ' or 'ㅗ',

it takes '-어서'. When combined with the verbs or adjectives ending with '하다', it makes either

'하여서' or '해서'. In spoken Korean, '해서' is more often used.

 

Example)

매워서 이 음식을 못먹겠어요.

: I can't eat this food because it is hot.

바빠서 어제 연락을 못했어요.

: I didn't call you because I was busy yesterday.

유학가고 싶어요?

: Do you want to study abroad?

 

2. -지요?

'-지요?' is used when the speaker wants to verify the listener's agreement with already known or

assumed fact. The past tense is '-었/았/였지요?', and the future tense is '-을 거지요?', In spoken Korean,

we usually say the shortened form '-죠?'.

 

Example)

저 대학을 졸업했죠?

: You graduated from that university, didn't you?

학생이지요?

: You are student, aren't you?

 

3. -(으)ㄹ 수 있다/없다

This pattern expresses ability / inability or possibility / impossibilty.

 

Example)

저는 스키를 탈 수 있어요.

: I can ski.

오늘은 바빠서 저녁을 먹을 수 없어요.

: I cannot have a dinner because I'm busy today.