目錄
When the Korean forms 「-음／-기／-는 것／-다는 것」 are translated into Chinese, they often all end up as some version of “the fact or matter that…,” so it is easy to see why they look similar at first. Expressions such as 「회의 시간이 변경되었음」「회의 시간을 변경하기」「회의 시간을 변경하는 것」「회의 시간이 변경됐다는 것」 can be translated very similarly into Chinese, but the Korean originals are actually dealing with different things. One records the content, another lists an action as an item, another directly discusses the action itself, and another treats the entire sentence as a piece of information.
If you memorize only the Chinese meanings of these forms, they quickly blur together because Chinese does not spell out these distinctions every time. A clearer approach is to look directly at how Korean is treating the preceding content in that particular context: is it recording a result, listing an action, discussing an event, or saying that “this is how things are”?
What is the difference between the Korean forms 「-음／-기／-는 것／-다는 것」? The core distinction among four nominalization forms
「-음」 and 「-기」 are true nominalizing endings. 「-는 것」, by contrast, is a structure in which 「-는」 modifies the dependent noun 「것」, so strictly speaking, its grammatical analysis differs from that of the first two forms. However, the complete 「-는 것」 structure can function like a noun in a sentence, which is why it is often compared with them in Korean-language instruction.
「-다는 것」 adds another layer. 「-다는」 can be related to the contracted form of 「-다고 하는」, so the sentence is not simply nominalizing an action. Instead, it takes the entire content that “something is the case” and makes it the topic.
| Form | Easiest mental image | Common functions | Common contexts |
| 「-음／-ㅁ」 | Writing an event into a record | Facts, results, confirmed items | Reports, notices, notes, written records |
| 「-기」 | Turning an action into an item | Actions, plans, rules, evaluations | To-do items, goals, preferences, abilities |
| 「-는 것」 | Taking out the action or state under discussion | Actions, phenomena, the matter itself | Everyday conversation and general writing |
| 「-다는 것」 | Packaging the entire sentence as information | Propositions, factual content, quoted content | Explanations, commentary, arguments |
Using “the meeting time changed” as the same example, the focus shifts directly with each of the four forms.
- 회의 시간이 변경되었음: The meeting time was changed; the focus is on “leaving a record of this.”
- 회의 시간을 변경하기: Changing the meeting time; the focus is on “the action of making the change.”
- 회의 시간을 변경하는 것: The act of changing the meeting time; the focus is on “the action itself.”
- 회의 시간이 변경됐다는 것: The fact or information that the meeting time was changed; the focus is on “the complete informational content.”
Conjugation rules for 「-음／-ㅁ」: What happens with no batchim, ㄹ batchim, and other final consonants?
「-음／-ㅁ」 often treats the preceding content as a fact, result, or record. It is common in reports, work logs, meeting notes, announcements, and memos, especially in forms that end directly in 「확인했음」「변경되었음」「문제없음」.
This is also why 「-음」 is often called a form of nominalization in written Korean. However, 「-음」 itself is not synonymous with a “formal sentence ending.” It is first and foremost a nominalizing ending that also works well for concise records in actual written use.
| Preceding form | Conjugation | Example |
| Verb／adjective without batchim | Stem＋ㅁ | 가다 → 감 |
| ㄹ batchim | Stem＋ㅁ | 알다 → 앎 |
| Other batchim | Stem＋음 | 먹다 → 먹음 |
| Past tense | -았／었＋음 | 확인했다 → 확인했음 |
| Conjecture or intention | -겠＋음 | 필요하겠음 |
How is the Korean nominalizer 「-음／-ㅁ」 used? Conjugation, written records, and examples
Usage ① of 「-음／-ㅁ」｜Recording a confirmed fact or result
「-음」 is well suited to preserving something that has already been confirmed. Here, the speaker is not discussing the action itself but recording the result as a piece of information, which makes it especially common in work notes, inspection records, and report summaries.
- Example: 서류에 이상이 없음을 확인했습니다.
Romanization: seo-ryu-e i-sang-i eop-seum-eul hwak-in-haet-seum-ni-da.
Translation: It was confirmed that there were no irregularities in the documents.
「이상이 없다」 is treated as a confirmed fact and then becomes the content of 「확인했습니다」. - Example: 회의 일정이 변경되었음을 알려 드립니다.
Romanization: hoe-ui il-jeong-i byeon-gyeong-doe-eot-seum-eul al-lyeo deu-rim-ni-da.
Translation: We are writing to inform you that the meeting schedule has changed.
「변경되었음」 treats the schedule change as the content of a formal notice and is common in announcements and business writing. - Example: 추가 문제가 없었음.
Romanization: chu-ga mun-je-ga eop-seo-sseum.
Translation: There were no additional problems.
Ending directly in 「-음」 sounds like an entry in a record, work log, or brief memo. It is not the same as a complete sentence ending in ordinary conversation.
Usage ② of 「-음／-ㅁ」｜Using it in announcements, headings, and brief written records
Korean announcements and internal notes often omit a complete sentence ending and finish directly with 「-음」. This style is information-dense and reads like a record stating “confirmed,” “processed,” or “no abnormalities,” without much conversational feel.
- Example: 신청 기간이 연장되었음.
Romanization: sin-cheong gi-gan-i yeon-jang-doe-eo-sseum.
Translation: The application period was extended.
The focus is on preserving the information that “the period was extended,” making it suitable for an internal memo or short announcement. - Example: 담당자에게 전달했음.
Romanization: dam-dang-ja-e-ge jeon-dal-hae-sseum.
Translation: Forwarded to the person in charge.
This sounds more like a record than 「전달했습니다」 and is not a direct explanation to someone. - Example: 현재 정상적으로 작동함.
Romanization: hyeon-jae jeong-sang-jeok-eu-ro jak-dong-ham.
Translation: Currently operating normally.
This is common in inspection records and concisely records the current condition of a device.
How is the Korean form 「-기」 used? Plans, to-do items, and difficulty evaluations
「-기」 is more concerned with the action of “doing something” itself. 「운동하기」 on a to-do list, 「사진 촬영하지 않기」 in a rule, and 「한국어로 설명하기 어렵다」 in an evaluation all turn an action into something that can be planned, required, or assessed.
Compared with 「-음」, 「-기」 usually does not have as strong a sense of “something already confirmed and entered into a record.” The former tends toward results and facts, while the latter tends toward actions and processes.
Usage ① of 「-기」｜Treating an action as a plan, goal, or to-do item
「-기」 is particularly common on to-do lists and in personal goals. The sentence is not reporting that something has already happened; it is listing an action to be performed as an item.
- Example: 아침마다 물 한 잔 마시기.
Romanization: a-chim-ma-da mul han jan ma-si-gi.
Translation: Drink a glass of water every morning.
「마시기」 functions like a to-do item, with the focus on the action to be carried out. - Example: 이번 주 안에 보고서 완성하기.
Romanization: i-beon ju an-e bo-go-seo wan-seong-ha-gi.
Translation: Finish the report this week.
This fits a calendar, notebook, or work list and does not mean that the report has already been completed. - Example: 여행 전에 숙소 위치 확인하기.
Romanization: yeo-haeng jeon-e suk-so wi-chi hwak-in-ha-gi.
Translation: Check the location of the accommodation before the trip.
「확인하기」 lists checking the accommodation’s location as an action to complete before departure.
Usage ② of 「-기」｜Evaluating the difficulty, preference, or suitability of an action
「-기」 also commonly combines with evaluative expressions such as 「어렵다」「쉽다」「좋다」「싫다」. Here, the sentence is not preserving a factual record but evaluating how difficult the action is or whether it is liked.
- Example: 이 설명은 처음 읽으면 이해하기 어렵습니다.
Romanization: i seol-myeong-eun cheo-eum il-geu-myeon i-hae-ha-gi eo-ryeop-seum-ni-da.
Translation: This explanation is difficult to understand the first time you read it.
The act of “understanding” is what is being evaluated, so the form is 「이해하기 어렵다」. - Example: 혼자 여행하기를 좋아해요.
Romanization: hon-ja yeo-haeng-ha-gi-reul jo-a-hae-yo.
Translation: I like traveling alone.
「여행하기」 makes the act of traveling the object of preference. - Example: 이 길은 밤에 혼자 걷기에는 조금 어두워요.
Romanization: i gi-reun bam-e hon-ja geot-gi-e-neun jo-geum eo-du-wo-yo.
Translation: This road is a little dark for walking alone at night.
「걷기에는」 treats “walking alone on this road” as the condition being evaluated.
How is the Korean form 「-는 것」 used? Nominalization, tense, and basic usage
「-는 것」 is one of the most common nominalizing expressions in Korean. It can directly turn actions such as eating, traveling, working, and waiting into the subject or object of a sentence, and it is common in both conversation and general writing.
In strict grammatical analysis, 「-는 것」 is not a nominalizing ending of the same type as 「-기」 and 「-음」. It is a structure in which the adnominal form 「-는」 modifies the dependent noun 「것」. From a usage perspective, however, the full structure does perform a nominalizing function.
The form also changes according to the time of the verb.
- 먹는 것: eating／the act of eating now
- 먹은 것: something eaten／the fact of having eaten
- 먹을 것: something to eat／something that will be eaten
Adjectives commonly use 「-(으)ㄴ 것」.
- 좋은 것: a good thing／the fact that something is good
- 어려운 것: something difficult
Usage ① of 「-는 것」｜Neutrally bringing up an action for discussion
「-는 것」 does not sound as much like a record as 「-음」, nor does it as readily evoke a to-do item or action category as 「-기」. It simply turns an action into something that can be discussed, so its uses are broad.
- Example: 매일 조금씩 읽는 것이 중요해요.
Romanization: mae-il jo-geum-ssik il-neun geo-si jung-yo-hae-yo.
Translation: It is important to read a little every day. 「읽는 것」 brings up the habit of daily reading in a neutral tone. - Example: 혼자 여행하는 것을 좋아해요.
Romanization: hon-ja yeo-haeng-ha-neun geo-seul jo-a-hae-yo.
Translation: I like traveling alone.
「혼자 여행하기를 좋아해요」 is also possible, but 「여행하는 것」 sounds more like a direct discussion of “the act of traveling alone.” - Example: 약속 시간을 지키는 것은 기본이에요.
Romanization: yak-sok si-gan-eul ji-ki-neun geo-seun gi-bon-i-e-yo.
Translation: Keeping the agreed time is a basic requirement.
The entire 「약속 시간을 지키는 것」 is taken as the topic of the sentence.
Conjugation rules for 「-는 것」: How do 「-는／-(으)ㄴ／-(으)ㄹ 것」 differ?
The biggest difference between 「-다는 것」 and ordinary 「-는 것」 is that the preceding content feels more like a complete statement. 「-는 것」 tends to focus on the action or phenomenon itself, while 「-다는 것」 discusses the entire piece of information that “something is the case.”
This is why 「-다는 것」 often appears in sentences with expressions such as 「알다」「깨닫다」「의미하다」「중요하다」「문제는」, which need to deal with informational content, viewpoints, or facts.
The form changes according to the part of speech.
| Preceding element | Form | Example |
| Present-tense verb | -ㄴ／는다는 것 | 간다는 것、먹는다는 것 |
| Adjective | -다는 것 | 좋다는 것 |
| Noun＋이다 | -(이)라는 것 | 학생이라는 것 |
| Past | -았／었다는 것 | 갔다는 것 |
| Future／conjecture | -(으)ㄹ 거라는 것 | 갈 거라는 것 |
How is the Korean form 「-다는 것」 used? Treating an entire sentence as a proposition
Usage ① of 「-다는 것」｜Bringing up a complete fact or piece of information for discussion
The sentence before 「-다는 것」 usually retains the sense of a complete statement. In Chinese, it often needs to be translated as “the fact that…,” “the matter that…,” or “what is called….”
- Example: 이런 직업이 있다는 것을 처음 알았어요.
Romanization: i-reon ji-geo-bi it-da-neun geo-seul cheo-eum a-ra-sseo-yo.
Translation: I learned for the first time that this kind of occupation exists.
The focus is on newly receiving the information that “this kind of occupation exists,” not simply observing a state of existence. - Example: 문제가 아직 끝나지 않았다는 것을 인정해야 합니다.
Romanization: mun-je-ga a-jik kkeut-na-ji a-nat-da-neun geo-seul in-jeong-hae-ya ham-ni-da.
Translation: We must acknowledge the fact that the problem is not over yet.
The entire sentence 「문제가 아직 끝나지 않았다」 is packaged as content that must be acknowledged. - Example: 가격이 싸다는 것이 항상 좋은 뜻은 아닙니다.
Romanization: ga-gyeo-gi ssa-da-neun geo-si hang-sang jo-eun tteu-seun a-nim-ni-da.
Translation: A low price does not always mean something good.
The sentence is not describing a cheap object; it is commenting on the proposition that “the price is low.”
The difference between the Korean forms 「-음／-기／-는 것／-다는 것」: A complete comparison of four nominalization forms
「-음」「-기」「-는 것」「-다는 것」 can all make the preceding content function like a noun in a sentence, but they handle that content differently. 「-음」 is common for facts, results, and records; 「-기」 more often treats an action as an activity, plan, or item; 「-는 것」 directly discusses an action, state, or matter itself; and 「-다는 것」 preserves the feeling of a complete preceding statement and treats the entire sentence as information. Although Chinese often translates all four as “the matter that…,” Korean is concerned with how the preceding content is being viewed at that moment.
| Point of comparison | 「-음／-ㅁ」 | 「-기」 | 「-는 것」 | 「-다는 것」 |
| Grammatical structure | Nominalizing ending | Nominalizing ending | Adnominal form＋dependent noun 「것」 | Quotative form＋「것」 |
| Content most often handled | Facts, results, confirmed content | Actions, activities, plans, items | Actions, states, phenomena, the matter itself | Complete statements, news, claims, information |
| Easiest mental image | Entering the content as a record | Listing the action as an item | Taking out a matter for discussion | Taking out the entire sentence for discussion |
| Common contexts | Work records, reports, notices, memos | To-do items, goals, rules, preferences, difficulty evaluations | Everyday conversation, general writing, action evaluations | Cognition, explanations, commentary, communicating news |
| Common in speech? | Less common; ending directly in 「-음」 often has a record-like feel | Common | Very common | Common |
| Common in writing? | Very common | Common | Common | Very common |
| To-do items | Less common | Very common | Possible, but usually not the first choice | Unsuitable |
| Expressing confirmed content | Very common | Less common | Possible, with a more neutral tone | Very common, especially when complete information is treated as content |
| Preferences and difficulty evaluations | Less common | Very common | Very common | Less common |
| Common combinations | 확인하다、알리다、밝히다 | 좋아하다、싫어하다、어렵다、쉽다、-기로 하다 | 좋아하다、중요하다、필요하다 | 알다、깨닫다、인정하다、의미하다 |
| Example | 변경되었음 | 변경하기 | 변경하는 것 | 변경됐다는 것 |
| Focus of the example | The result that it “was changed” | The action of “changing” | The matter of “changing” | The complete news that it “has been changed” |
「-음」 and 「-기」 cannot simply be memorized as “something that has already happened” versus “something that has not happened yet.” Their real difference is not time, but whether the content is treated as a factual record or as an action. 「-기」 and 「-는 것」 can be interchangeable in many cases. For example, both 「혼자 여행하기를 좋아해요」 and 「혼자 여행하는 것을 좋아해요」 are natural. The former treats travel more like an activity, while the latter directly discusses “the act of traveling alone.”
「-는 것」 and 「-다는 것」 also cannot be distinguished by looking only at their Chinese translations. 「-는 것」 is closer to the action, state, or phenomenon itself, while 「-다는 것」 retains a complete statement before it. For sentences that must process an entire piece of information, such as knowing, hearing, acknowledging, or discovering a fact, 「-다는 것」 is especially common.
▌The difference between 「-음」 and 「-기」｜A fact that has occurred vs an action to handle
「-음」 and 「-기」 can both nominalize the preceding content, but they highlight different things once placed in a sentence. 「-음」 commonly treats a passage as a confirmed fact, result, or record, so it readily appears with verbs such as “confirm,” “notify,” and “discover.” 「-기」 is closer to the action of doing something and often discusses decisions, plans, goals, or items to handle next. The distinction is not that one can only refer to the past while the other can only refer to the future; it is whether the content is being viewed as a result or as an action.
- Example: 회의 시간이 변경되었음을 확인했습니다.
Romanization: hoe-ui si-gan-i byeon-gyeong-doe-eo-sseum-eul hwak-in-haet-seum-ni-da.
Translation: It was confirmed that the meeting time had changed.
What must be confirmed here is the information that “the meeting time has already changed,” so 「변경되었음」 turns the complete content into the object of confirmation and puts the focus on the result of the change. - Example: 회의 시간을 변경하기로 했습니다.
Romanization: hoe-ui si-gan-eul byeon-gyeong-ha-gi-ro hae-sseum-ni-da.
Translation: We decided to change the meeting time.
「변경하기」 refers to the action of “changing the meeting time” and combines with 「-기로 하다」 to show that the decision has been made. The focus is on the action to be taken next. - Example: 검사 결과에 문제가 없음을 확인한 후 다음 단계로 진행하기로 했습니다.
Romanization: geom-sa gyeol-gwa-e mun-je-ga eop-seum-eul hwak-in-han hu da-eum dan-gye-ro jin-haeng-ha-gi-ro hae-sseum-ni-da.
Translation: After confirming that there were no problems with the inspection results, we decided to proceed to the next stage.
Both forms appear in the same sentence: 「문제가 없음」 is a confirmed result, while 「진행하기」 is the action subsequently chosen. This also shows directly that the forms are not distinguished merely by past and future time.
▌The difference between 「-기」 and 「-는 것」｜An action item vs the matter itself
「-기」 and 「-는 것」 are the most readily interchangeable pair among these four forms. Especially around expressions such as 「좋아하다」「싫어하다」「어렵다」, both forms are often possible. 「-기」 generally packages an action as an activity or act and makes the sentence somewhat more compact. 「-는 것」 brings up the complete action or situation, producing a slightly fuller picture. However, this is not a distinction that can be rigidly drawn in every sentence. In everyday Korean, the two forms often differ only slightly in focus, and their Chinese translations may be identical.
- Example: 혼자 여행하기를 좋아해요.
Romanization: hon-ja yeo-haeng-ha-gi-reul jo-a-hae-yo.
Translation: I like traveling alone.
「여행하기」 presents “traveling alone” as an activity the speaker likes to do. It is concise and natural. - Example: 혼자 여행하는 것을 좋아해요.
Romanization: hon-ja yeo-haeng-ha-neun geo-seul jo-a-hae-yo.
Translation: I like traveling alone.
With 「여행하는 것」, the complete act of “traveling alone” becomes the object of preference. The meaning is very close to the previous sentence, but it sounds more like a discussion of the matter itself. - Example: 외국어를 배우기는 어렵지만 새로운 표현을 알아 가는 것은 재미있어요.
Romanization: oe-gu-geo-reul bae-u-gi-neun eo-ryeop-ji-man sae-ro-un pyo-hyeon-eul a-ra ga-neun geo-seun jae-mi-i-sseo-yo.
Translation: Learning a foreign language is difficult, but gradually discovering new expressions is interesting.
The first 「배우기」 directly treats “learning a foreign language” as an activity whose difficulty is evaluated. The later 「알아 가는 것」 brings up the complete process of gradually learning new expressions. Putting both nominalizations in one sentence makes the difference in nuance easier to see.
▌The difference between 「-는 것」 and 「-다는 것」｜An action or state vs the information that “this is true”
「-는 것」 brings up an action, state, or phenomenon before the speaker more directly. 「-다는 것」 retains the sense of the original sentence, as if it packages the entire statement that “something is the case” and turns it into content that can be known, heard, acknowledged, or explained. Both can be translated into Chinese as “the matter that…,” but 「-다는 것」 is especially common with information- and cognition-related verbs such as 「알다」「깨닫다」「인정하다」 because the sentence must process a complete piece of news or factual content.
- Example: 창밖에 비가 오는 것을 봤어요.
Romanization: chang-bak-e bi-ga o-neun geo-seul bwa-sseo-yo.
Translation: I saw that it was raining outside the window.
「비가 오는 것」 points to the actually observed phenomenon of rain, focusing on the state occurring before the speaker rather than relaying a piece of information. - Example: 내일 비가 온다는 것을 오늘 처음 알았어요.
Romanization: nae-il bi-ga on-da-neun geo-seul o-neul cheo-eum a-ra-sseo-yo.
Translation: I only learned today that it will rain tomorrow.
What was received here was the complete information that “it will rain tomorrow,” so the sentence uses 「비가 온다는 것」. The following 「알았어요」 also makes it clear that the sentence concerns newly learned information. - Example: 문제가 아직 해결되지 않았다는 것을 인정해야 해요.
Romanization: mun-je-ga a-jik hae-gyeol-doe-ji a-nat-da-neun geo-seul in-jeong-hae-ya hae-yo.
Translation: We must acknowledge that the problem has not yet been resolved.
What must be acknowledged is the complete statement that “the problem has not yet been resolved,” so 「-다는 것」 is used. Sentences about knowing, acknowledging, or discovering a fact contain 「-다는 것」 more often than sentences that simply describe an action or state.
▌How does the nuance change when 「-음／-기／-는 것／-다는 것」 are used in the same situation?
If the four forms still look similar when viewed separately, placing them in the same situation makes the differences clearer. Suppose a company is dealing with a change in working hours. Even around the same 「변경하다／변경되다」, a sentence may confirm the result of the change, decide to change the hours, discuss the act of changing them, or communicate the news that “the hours have already changed.” The event is the same; what changes is the part the sentence is now handling.
- Example: 근무 시간이 변경되었음을 확인했습니다.
Romanization: geun-mu si-gan-i byeon-gyeong-doe-eo-sseum-eul hwak-in-haet-seum-ni-da.
Translation: It was confirmed that the working hours had changed.
「변경되었음」 treats “the working hours have changed” as content to be confirmed, and the following 「확인했습니다」 clearly tilts the sentence toward results and records.
In this situation, 「-음」 does not focus on whether to change the hours. Rather, “the hours have already changed” is now treated as information that can be confirmed or recorded, making the form well suited to work logs, reports, and formal notices.
- Example: 근무 시간을 변경하기로 결정했습니다.
Romanization: geun-mu si-gan-eul byeon-gyeong-ha-gi-ro gyeol-jeong-haet-seum-ni-da.
Translation: We decided to change the working hours.
「변경하기」 treats changing the working hours as an action, and 「-기로 결정하다」 shows that the decision has been made. The sentence focuses on “what to do.”
With 「-기」, the focus shifts from the result of the change to the action of changing. The sentence is not recording that the hours have already changed; it treats “changing the working hours” as a decision or something to carry out next.
- Example: 근무 시간을 변경하는 것이 필요합니다.
Romanization: geun-mu si-gan-eul byeon-gyeong-ha-neun geo-si pil-yo-ham-ni-da.
Translation: It is necessary to change the working hours.
「변경하는 것」 refers to the act of “changing the working hours,” and 「필요하다」 then evaluates whether it is necessary. It does not indicate that the change has been completed.
「-는 것」 does not specifically record the content or give it the feel of a to-do item. It directly turns the entire act of “changing the working hours” into the object of discussion. It works well when evaluating whether doing so is necessary or reasonable, or what effects it may have.
- Example: 근무 시간이 변경됐다는 것을 모두에게 알려야 합니다.
Romanization: geun-mu si-gan-i byeon-gyeong-dwaet-da-neun geo-seul mo-du-e-ge al-lyeo-ya ham-ni-da.
Translation: We must inform everyone that the working hours have changed.
What must be communicated is not the action of “changing the working hours” but the complete information that “the working hours have already changed,” so the sentence uses 「변경됐다는 것」.
「-다는 것」 handles an entire sentence’s informational content. This sentence is not simply discussing the action “to change”; it takes out the full statement 「근무 시간이 변경됐다」 and treats it as news that must be given to others.
All four sentences concern the same matter, but they look at different levels. 「-음」 records the result of the change, 「-기」 discusses the action of changing, 「-는 것」 brings up the change itself for discussion, and 「-다는 것」 treats the complete statement “the hours have already changed” as news. Looking directly at the level of content a sentence is handling is more accurate than working backward from a Chinese translation such as “the matter that….”
How are 「-음／-기／-는 것／-다는 것」 used in Korean workplaces? Announcements, to-do items, and news
It is easy to encounter these nominalizations together in Korean workplaces. Brief internal records may state 「확인했음」「전달 완료했음」 directly, while work lists readily use 「자료 확인하기」「담당자에게 연락하기」. In complete emails, reports, or general narration, the proportion of 「-는 것」 and 「-다는 것」 increases again.
This also shows why “written Korean nominalization” should not be understood simply as replacing every sentence ending with 「-음」. The forms perform different functions to begin with.
▌Situation ①｜Confirming the handling status in a work group chat
A：자료 수정은 끝났어요?
ja-ryo su-jeong-eun kkeut-na-sseo-yo?
Have you finished revising the materials?
B：네. 내용 확인했고 담당자에게도 전달했음.
ne. nae-yong hwak-in-haet-go dam-dang-ja-e-ge-do jeon-dal-hae-sseum.
Yes. I checked the content and also forwarded it to the person in charge.
📌 Grammar Point: 「전달했음」 functions like a work-status record here. This concise form may appear in a familiar work group chat, but a formal external email would usually use complete honorific sentence endings.
▌Situation ②｜Organizing the next day’s to-do items
A：내일 먼저 뭘 해야 해요?
nae-il meon-je mwol hae-ya hae-yo?
What should we do first tomorrow?
B：오전까지 보고서 확인하기, 그리고 담당자에게 연락하기.
o-jeon-kka-ji bo-go-seo hwak-in-ha-gi, geu-ri-go dam-dang-ja-e-ge yeon-rak-ha-gi.
Check the report by noon, then contact the person in charge.
📌 Grammar Point: 「-기」 directly turns each action into a to-do item here. Changing it to 「확인했음」 would mean that the task had already been completed.
▌Situation ③｜Explaining newly learned company news
A：다음 달부터 근무 시간이 바뀐대요.
da-eum dal-bu-teo geun-mu si-gan-i ba-kkwin-dae-yo.
I heard that the working hours will change starting next month.
B：저도 오늘 근무 시간이 바뀐다는 것을 처음 알았어요.
jeo-do o-neul geun-mu si-gan-i ba-kkwin-da-neun geo-seul cheo-eum a-ra-sseo-yo.
I also only learned today that the working hours will change.
📌 Grammar Point: 「바뀐다는 것」 is not simply about the action of “changing.” It treats “the working hours will change” as a newly learned piece of news.
Cultural Notes:
- In internal chats, development logs, and brief work notes at Korean companies, forms such as 「확인했음」「문제없음」「처리 완료했음」 are common. They sound like status records, but this does not mean that 「-음」 should be used heavily in all formal documents.
- 「-기」 works well with list culture. 「운동하기」「메일 보내기」 in notebooks and task names in interfaces directly turn an action into an item to handle, which can be understood without supplying a complete sentence ending.
- 「-다는 것」 is particularly useful in commentary and explanatory writing. When an article does not simply describe an action but discusses what “a statement, phenomenon, or fact means,” 「-다는 것」 frames the full piece of information more readily than ordinary 「-는 것」.
How do the Korean forms 「-음／-기／-는 것／-다는 것」 compare with the Japanese forms 「こと／の／ということ」?
Japanese does not have a set of forms that correspond one-to-one with the four Korean nominalizations, but 「こと」「の」「ということ」 can help explain some of the differences.
Japanese 「こと」 often nominalizes actions, facts, and abstract content. 「の」 is generally closer to concrete actions or things perceived in the moment. 「ということ」 has a clearer sense of “the matter called…” or “the information that…,” making it particularly easy to compare with Korean 「-다는 것」.
- Example: 毎日運動することは大切です。
Kana: まいにちうんどうすることはたいせつです。
Translation: Exercising every day is important.
Japanese 「こと」 nominalizes the complete 「毎日運動する」, making it functionally similar to general Korean 「-는 것」 or some uses of 「-기」. - Example: 毎朝、本を読むことにしました。
Kana: まいあさ、ほんをよむことにしました。
Translation: I decided to read a book every morning.
Japanese uses 「ことにする」 to express a decision; Korean often uses 「-기로 하다」 in a similar situation. - Example: 予定が変更されたということを知りませんでした。
Kana: よていがへんこうされたということをしりませんでした。
Translation: I did not know that the schedule had been changed.
「ということ」 treats 「予定が変更された」 as a piece of informational content.
◆ Difference from Japanese nominalization:
Japanese 「こと」 covers a broad range, so one form can correspond to Korean 「-기」「-는 것」 and even some uses of 「-음」. Korean chooses different structures according to record-like, action-oriented, and propositional qualities when nominalizing content, so a Chinese phrase meaning “the matter that…” cannot be translated with one fixed form. The correspondence between 「ということ」 and 「-다는 것」 is comparatively clear: both are well suited to taking a complete sentence and discussing it again as information or a proposition.
The most difficult thing about 「-음／-기／-는 것／-다는 것」 may not be the number of rules, but the way their Chinese translations so easily look the same. When you see a Chinese phrase such as “this matter,” Korean may be recording confirmed content, or it may simply be bringing up an action for discussion. With 「-다는 것」, even the complete preceding sentence is treated as information.
When you encounter an actual sentence, there is therefore little need to begin by asking, “Which Korean form should this Chinese phrase become?” It is faster to look directly at the role played by the preceding content. 「-음」 is common in work records, 「-기」 often appears in to-do items, and 「-는 것」 is everywhere in ordinary conversation and writing. 「-다는 것」 is especially common when someone knows, hears, or acknowledges something. With enough exposure, the four forms gradually stop looking like four versions of “this matter” and start looking like four different kinds of sentence.
FAQs
「-음」 more readily treats content as a fact, result, or record, while 「-기」 more readily treats it as an action, process, or item. Both are nominalizing endings, but they cannot be distinguished only as “completed” and “not completed”; the following predicate and the overall register must also be considered.
They can be interchangeable in some sentences, but their nuances are not necessarily identical. Both 「혼자 여행하기를 좋아해요」 and 「혼자 여행하는 것을 좋아해요」 are natural. The former is more likely to treat travel as an activity, while the latter more directly discusses the act of traveling alone. They cannot be freely substituted in fixed constructions; for example, 「-기로 하다」 must use 「-기」.
「-는 것」 mainly nominalizes an action, state, or phenomenon itself, while 「-다는 것」 more readily treats a complete statement as information or a proposition. 「이런 직업이 있다는 것을 알았다」 means learning the information that “this kind of occupation exists,” so 「-다는 것」 is particularly natural.
No. 「-음」 itself is a nominalizing ending and also appears in ordinary sentences such as 「문제가 없음을 확인했다」. Chats, work notes, and online writing also commonly end directly in forms such as 「확인했음」「알겠음」, but this style carries a record-like, abbreviated, or particular online tone and is not the same as ordinary polite speech.
First identify what the preceding content is being treated as. A confirmed fact or result often takes 「-음」; an action that must be done, is preferred, or is evaluated for difficulty often takes 「-기」. Use 「-는 것」 to discuss an action or phenomenon itself, and consider 「-다는 것」 first when discussing the complete information that something is indeed the case.