| . The Pattern '-(으)ㄴ/는/ -(으)ㄹ 것 같다 : It seems that ... |
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 This pattern is used to indicate a speaker's presumption or conjecture. |
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| 1.1 |
The pattern '-(으)ㄴ 것 같다' is used in the present tense with adjectives or '이다' to express the speaker's thought or opinion. However the pattern -(으) ㄹ 것 같다 is used in the future tense to indicate the speaker's stronger conjecture or presumption. | |
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| 비싼 것 같아요. |
It seems to be expensive. |
| 그분이 미국사람인 것 같아요. |
He seems to be an American. | |
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The difference between the above two examples is as follows:
The sentence "비싼 것 같아요." is used when the speaker knows the price, or is seeing the price first hand and is conparing with his/her expectation.
However the sentence "비쌀 것 같아요" is used when the speaker is guessing the price without prior knowledge of the price. | |
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| 비쌀 것 같아요. |
I think it will be expensive. |
| 그분이 미국사람일 것 같아요. |
I think he will be an American. | |
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| 1.2 |
With general verbs, the pattern '-는 것 같다' is used in the present tense, '(으)ㄴin the past tense, and (으)ㄹ in the future tense. | |
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| 비가 오는 것 같아요. |
It seems that it is raining. |
| 비가 올 것 같아요. |
It seems that it will rain. |
| 비가 온 것 같아요. |
It seems that it rained. | |
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| 1.3 |
Negation is expressed either in the final verb '같다' or in the main verb preceding this pattern. There is slight difference in meaning between the two. | |
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| 안 비싼 것 같았어요. ( '안' negation) |
It seems that it is not expensive. |
| 비싸지 않은 것 같았어요. |
It seemed that it was not expensive. |
| 비싼 것 같지 않았어요. ('-지 않다' negation) |
It doesn't seem to be expensive. | |
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| 1.4 |
Tense is expressed in the final verb '같다'. | |
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| 비가 오는 것 같아요/같았어요. |
It seems that it is raining./ It seemed that - |
| 비가 온 것 같아요/같았어요. |
It seems that it was raining. / It seemed that - |
| 비가 올 것 같아요/같았어요. |
It seems that it will rain./ It seemed that - | |
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| 2. The pattern 'Verb + -(으)ㄴ 지 + time word + 되다' : since |
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This pattern 'Verb + -(으)ㄴ 지 + time word + 되다' is used to express an interval of time which extends from a definite past to the present. The case marker '-가` or '-는' can be attached optionally after ‘지' |
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| 한국에 온 지(가) 얼마나 되었어요 ? |
How long have you been in Korea ? |
| 한국에 온 지(는) 3년 되었어요. |
It's been three years since I came to Korea. |
| 그분은 만난 지(가) 10년쯤 되었어요. |
It's been around ten years since I met him. | |
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-은 지 is used after verb stems ending in a consonant. |
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-ㄴ 지 is used after verb stems ending in a vowel |