"Wearing a belt is not comfortable."
Translation:허리띠를 차는 것은 안 편해요.
32 CommentsThis discussion is locked.
Unlike English, there are many different words for 'to wear' in Korean, depending on the object:
입다: for 옷 (clothes) such as 스웨터, 치마, 드레스 (sweater, skirt, dress)
신다: for things you wear on your feet such as 신발, 양말 (shoes, socks)
쓰다: for items you wear on your head such as 모자, 안경 (hat, glasses)
매다: for things you tie or fasten such as 신발 끈, 넥타이 (shoelaces, neckties)
메다: for items you sling over/wear on you shoulder, like 가방, 배낭 (bag, backpack)
끼다: for things you wear on your hands or fingers, for example 반지, 장갑 (ring, gloves)
차다: for items you wear around a limb, like 시계, 벨트 (watch, belt)
source: sydneytoseoul.wordpress.com
Wow, Korean is way too precise sometimes ! It's like all the different object counters for each category... :(
입다 is wearing clothes in general, 차다 is specific for wearing belts (like 신다 for wearing shoes etc)
1021
Could someone please explain when to use 것이 and when to use 것은, I'm getting them all wrong and I'm really confused :)
Also my question. It seems so arbitrary. Most of the Korean translations in this lesson use 이, so I donʼt get it.
- 269
(1) 허리띠를 차는 것이 안 편해요
= 안 편한 것은 허리띠를 차는 것이에요
= What is not comfortable is wearing a belt (/belt wearing)
이/가 acts as a "naming (identification) marker" picking out the attached word or phrase as the initiator of an event or the owner of a characteristic described by the rest of the sentence.
(2) 허리띠를 차는 것은 안 편해요
= 허리띠를 차는 것은 안 편한 것이에요
= Belt wearing (/Wearing a belt) [in particular] is not a comfortable thing
= Wearing a belt is not comfortable
은/는 can be seen as a "highlight /emphasis marker" indicating that the event or state described by the rest of the sentence is an action or characteristic of the word or phrase marked.
Thank you for answer. But shouldn't they both be acceptable, given the lack of additional context?
- 269
Can't answer for DLG. But suggest you flag them your answer for consideration, quoting the example:
"Wearing dress shoes is uncomfortable", where both answers 구두를 신는 것이 불편해 & 구두를 신는 것은 불편해 are recognized as correct.
불편해 - very common and the logical answer here. 안편해 - uncommon, yet demanded here.
The -기 grammar only turns verbs into nouns. This is exactly like turning verbs into gerunds in English.
-는 것 has two uses. The first is gerunding like the -기 grammar. The second is turning clauses into nouns.
허리띠를 차는 것은 is a noun phrase that was formed by taking the clause "허리띠를 차다" ("to wear a belt") and turning it into a modifier phrase that modifies the noun 것.
- 269
I might be wrong but I think:
the prefix "불-" stands for "non/absolutely not" i.e. void of possibility. It creates word of opposite meaning to the word attached to it.
the adverb "안" on the other hand, stands for "not" i.e. absence or lack of.
Perhaps, 불- is used to express a general belief; hence, connoting objectivity. While 안 offers an opinion, implying subjectivity.
허리띠를 차는 것은 불편해요
= Wearing belt is uncomfortable
= It is not possible for wearing belt to be comfortable
=> wearing belt is no (void of) comfort (general view).
허리띠를 차는 것은 안 편해요
= Wearing belt is not comfortable
= Wearing belt lacks comfort (maybe to speaker but not necessarily to anyone else).