는/은/을 (neun/eun/eul) Korean Grammar: Describing nouns

beginner

Turns a verb or adjective into a description that goes before a noun: 먹는 사람 (meongneun saram), "a person who's eating".

Checked against the official learner dictionary from the National Institute of Korean Language

Verb stem+는neun+Noun the noun that …

Verbs: 는 for now, (으)ㄴ for the past, (으)ㄹ for the future or "to do".
Adjectives: (으)ㄴ (큰, keun). Words ending in 있다/없다: 는 (재미있는, jaemiinneun).

Build it

가다gada가는 사람ganeun sarama person who goes

읽다ikda읽은 책ilgeun chaeka book I read

먹다meokda먹을 음식meogeul eumsikfood to eat

작다jakda작은 가방jageun gabanga small bag

The forms you need

Now

보는 영화boneun yeonghwathe movie I'm watching

Past

본 영화bon yeonghwathe movie I watched

Future

볼 영화bol yeonghwathe movie I'll watch

Adjective

좋은 영화joeun yeonghwaa good movie

When to use it

Who someone is

Describing a person.

안경을 쓴 사람이 우리 선생님이에요.angyeongeul sseun sarami uri seonsaengnimieyo.The person with glasses is our teacher.

What something is

Describing a thing.

이건 제가 제일 좋아하는 노래예요.igeon jega jeil joahaneun noraeyeyo.This is my favorite song.

Things to do

(으)ㄹ for plans.

주말에 할 일이 많아요.jumare hal iri manayo.I have a lot to do this weekend.

Watch out

예쁘는 꽃

예쁜 꽃yeppeun kkota pretty flower

Adjectives take (으)ㄴ, not 는.

맛있은 음식

맛있는 음식masinneun eumsikdelicious food

Words ending in 있다/없다 take 는: 맛있는 masinneun.

In context

9 examples

1
저기 서 있는 사람이 제 동생이에요.
Jeogi seo inneun sarami je dongsaengieyo.
The person standing over there is my younger sibling.
2
어제 산 옷이 마음에 들어요.
Eoje san osi maeume deureoyo.
I like the clothes I bought yesterday.
3
내일 볼 영화를 골랐어요.
Naeil bol yeonghwareul gollasseoyo.
I picked a movie to watch tomorrow.
4
제가 어제 본 영화는 정말 재미있었어요.
Jega eoje bon yeonghwaneun jeongmal jaemiisseosseoyo.
The movie I saw yesterday was really good.
5
지금 듣는 노래 제목이 뭐예요?
Jigeum deunneun norae jemogi mwoyeyo?
What's the song you're listening to right now?
6
한국에서 먹은 음식 중에 비빔밥이 제일 맛있었어요.
Hangugeseo meogeun eumsik junge bibimbabi jeil masisseosseoyo.
Of all the food I ate in Korea, bibimbap was the best.
7
같이 갈 사람 있어요?
Gachi gal saram isseoyo?
Do you have someone to go with?
8
저는 조용한 카페를 좋아해요.
Jeoneun joyonghan kapereul joahaeyo.
I like quiet cafés.
9
이 근처에 사는 친구가 있어요.
I geuncheoe saneun chinguga isseoyo.
I have a friend who lives near here.

Practice

8 questions

Which form?1 / 8

먹다, now + 사람

All the forms in one table

	Now	Past	Future
가다 (go)	가는	간	갈
먹다 (eat)	먹는	먹은	먹을
살다 (live)	사는	산	살

Adjectives describe how something is right now, so they usually take (으)ㄴ: 큰 keun, "big", 좋은 joeun, "good". The exception is words ending in 있다 or 없다, which take 는: 재미있는 jaemiinneun, "fun", 맛없는 madeomneun, "bad-tasting".

You've already seen these forms

A lot of grammar is built on them, so once they click, these get easier too:

는 것 같다: 오는 것 같아요 oneun geot gatayo, "I think it's coming."
(으)ㄴ 적이 있다: 간 적이 있어요 gan jeogi isseoyo, "I've been there."
(으)ㄹ 때: 갈 때 gal ttae, "when I go."
는 것: 먹는 것 meongneun geot, "eating."

Look it up in the dictionary

The entry for 는 in two trusted Korean dictionaries.

는 in the Naver Korean Dictionary (in Korean) 는 in the Basic Korean Dictionary (NIKL) (with English)