"여자아이가 엄마의 머리를 빗으로 빗는 것을 좋아한다."
Translation:The girl likes combing her mom's hair.
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because it has the phrase '빗으로 빗는', the correct answer would be 'the girl likes combing her mother's hair with a comb'.
267
It's just being more specific, because "머리를 빗다" can be either to comb or to brush one's hair.
- 267
빗다 = 빗질하다 = to comb, to brush
머리를 빗다 = to comb/brush one's hair
머리를 빗으로 빗다 = to tidy hair with a comb/brush = to comb/brush one's hair
머리를 솔빗으로 빗다 = to comb one's hair with one's fingers / to run fingers through hair/to finger-comb one's hair
- 966
I put that 2 years later, and it was marked wrong. I reported that my answer should also be correct. Dec. 2, 2019. augh! I did it again Jan. 4, 2020. I need to remember this one!
If this isn't a way to say, in Korean, "The girl likes to comb her mother's hair," what would be the way to say that?
- 267
My impression is:
(1) 그녀는 엄마의 머리빗기를 좋아합니다 = She likes to comb her mother's hair.
--> the use of "-기" to nominalize the verb puts the focus on the type of activity described by the verb
(2) 그녀는 엄마의 머리를 빗는 것을 좋아합니다 = She likes the combing of her mom's hair = She likes combing her mom's hair
--> the use of "-는 것" to 'nominalize' a clause (similar to the use of the English gerund) puts the focus on the process of the activity.
Note: Of course, I might be wrong. But it's worth writing this out here in the hope that someone could set me on the right track.
- 966
I am not an expert in Korean grammar. Maybe you are right. I hope one of Duo's moderators sees this and comments! I do know that in English grammar "She likes combing her mother's hair" = "She likes to comb her mother's hair." Both verbals are used as the direct objects and both are equally correct, in English.
- 267
I reckon it is the same in Korean. "-는 것" and "-기" are mostly (not always) interchangeable depending on the main verb in use (좋아하다, to like, in this case).
I guess DLG just want to draw Learners's attention to the 2 forms of nominalization of verbs akin to the English "gerund" and "infinitive".
So should I take away from this lesson that 'combing with a comb' functions a bit like 'sleeping a sleep' or 'dancing a dance', or not? Must they always be together?
- 267
I think one of the meanings of 빗다 is to tidy; to straighten out. So,
머리를 빗다 = to tidy one's hair
빗으로 머리를 빗다 = Lit. to tidy one's hair with a comb = to comb one's hair
Similarly,
머리빗으로 머리를 빗다 = to brush one's hair
손으로 머리를 빗다 = to run your fingers through your hair
etc.
- 966
I don't think they must always be together. I think you could just say, "여자아이가 엄마의 머리를 빗는 것을 좋아한다."
- 267
Agreed. Only use ~(으)로 머리를 빗다 if you want to be specific about the way to tidy hair. Otherwise, 머리를 빗다 is sufficient.
But ~(으)로 머리를 빗다 (in my opinion) is not the same construct as 잠(을) 자다; 춤(을) 추다; 꿈(을) 꾸다 where the attached nouns are cognate objects which help a transitive verb to be used "intransitively".
- 267
You are not wrong. As there can never be an exact translation from one language to another, for consistency DLG adopt their own convention (set of terminology and style) which could be quite rigid at times; amongst those, 어머님 (mother, Hon.), 어머니 (mother, familiar), 엄마 (mom, intimate).
It is worth pointing out however that "엄마" is usually used to address (and sometimes, to refer) to one's own mother, unlike the English mom.
Its use here gives the impression that the Korean sentence is a direct reverse translation of the English one?
- 267
No.
머리를 빗으로 빗다 = to groom hair with a comb or brush. => to comb or brush hair
where
빗(noun) = comb or brush. => 빗으로 = with a comb
머리를 빗다 (verb)= to groom hair => 머리를 빗는 = grooming hair / who groom(s) hair
=> 빗는 is the 'adjectivization' process for verb, changing a verb into an attributive adjective(/determiner).
As verbs are subjected to tenses, the added suffix to the verb stem has to change accordingly also when changing to the determiner form.
▪AVs-는 indicates the present tense for action/dynamic verb
머리를 빗으로 빗는 여자아이= girl who comb(s) hair/hair-combing girl
▪AVs-은 indicates the past tense for action/dynamic verb i.e.
빗은 = who combed/combed
머리를 빗으로 빗은 여자아이= girl who combed hair/ hair-combed girl
NB: For stative/descriptive verbs DV, as they describe existing states which start before the time of speech, -ㄴ/ 은 suffices are used to describe the present.
비싸다 = be expensive 비싼 차 = expensive car (car that is expensive)