Korean learners often have this question. In English, structures like don’t do it, don’t go, or don’t eat are simple: you only need do + not.

Korean looks complex, but not because it has too many forms. It feels complex because the core structure of conjugation has not been clearly separated yet.

Once you familiar with that structure, you can approach Korean in a word-order-centered way—much like English, which you may already be comfortable with.

Let’s begin

Compare future tense: -겠- vs. -(으)ㄹ 것

Earlier, we turned an action into a state using the connective ending -고, as in “먹고 있다.” Here, 있다 is used as an adjective. Its dictionary form already functions as the present tense.

So if you want to move this state into the future, you attach the future ending -겠- to the adjective 있다. The result is 먹고 있겠다.

However, if you use -겠- to make the future, it often sounds more definite than a simple future, like we saw with 먹는다. In English, its nuance is closer to must than am going to or will.

In Korean, auxiliary-like future meanings such as “am going to”, “will”, or “can” are often handled differently. 

Korean combines a tense-marked noun-modifying form with a dependent noun. A representative example is (먹을) 거예요 (will), which you may learn very starting point.

It looks very simple on the surface. But many precise grammar pieces are hidden inside this short form.

In this prologue, we will cover the second type with [할 것이다 (will do)]. 

For now, just focus on the future modifying form “할” of the verb 하다 (to do)—that is, “하다” + “ㄹ” and the dependent noun “것”,which “할” modifies. This can be illustrated as follows:

It (할 것이에요) becomes 할 거예요 by following:

Dependent nouns: key features you must remember

Dependent nouns are important for three reasons.

1. They must always be modified by a modifier.
2. They can be modified by a verbs’ and adjectives’ noun-modifying form (modifying form, for short) that carries tense.
3. Because they are nouns, they can take particles that add meanings that English often expresses with adverbs.

Here are the lists of dependent nouns:

There may seem to be many examples. But they all come from the same grammar system. So if you understand the basics well, you can accept the rest without much trouble. 

In Korean, these dependent nouns are used very often in daily conversation. If you do not study them separately, having natural conversations becomes quite difficult. 

The tense-carrying modifier system

A modifier is one of the nine parts of speech in Korean. Its basic role is to modify a noun. Modifiers have two main types. One is the modifier—part of speech. The other is the verbs’ and adjectives’ noun-modifying form—conjugation. 

The second type is special because it carries tense information. So when a verb or adjective conjugates and modifies a noun, especially a dependent noun, the tense information naturally combines with that noun.

All the examples in the table above come from 할 것. You might feel confused because “will” doesn’t appear in the English Equivalent column. However, if you look closely, you will notice that every English phrase listed there still carries a future meaning. 

Is it complicated? It was complicated for me, too, when I was learning English. I often thought,

“In Korean, it’s  so convenient—you can just attach things after 할 것. Why does English need so many words?” 

When we learn languages, we can understand each other. That’s a good interactive point.

A V/Adj’s modifying form modifies a dependent noun. Once this structure is formed, after that, what can appear in the P position – that is, verbs and adjectives – conjugate again.

They either take a connective ending or a modifying form, or they close the sentence with a sentence-final ending, which we learned first.

Here are examples:

• 할 것이고 (이다 → connective ending)
• 할 것이에요 (이다 → sentence-final ending)
• 할 수 있을 (있다 → noun-modifying form) 것 같아요 (같다 → sentence-final ending)

이다: 80% adjective, 20% particle, thus conjugates and attaches

Now the last thing to study among what can appear in the P position is 이다 (is)—the green highlighted one above the table. 이다 is like Shohei Ohtani. You cannot define him as only a pitcher. You cannot define him as only a hitter.

From here, I will examine 이다 in detail.

이다 is a particle. And particles are unconjugated words—normally. But 이다 is an exception.

이다 is a conjugated word. Here, “conjugated” means 이다 can be used like verbs and adjectives. 

Its dictionary form already carries present tense meaning. So about 80% of its nature is like an adjective. The remaining 20% has particle-like properties.

Because of the remaining 20%, a particle (이다) can attach to a noun without a space. The key point is that [noun + particle] does not create a new word.

Thus, 것이다 is not a new word.

So, when 이다 attaches after a noun, the part of speech does not change.

The core is still a noun. 

That’s why 이다 can also come after a verbs’ and adjectives’ noun-modifying form. Think about 할 (future modifying form) 것이다 (noun).  This is the crucial difference from another P-position item, [noun + 하다 (suffix)].

Why modifying forms cannot come before -하다 verbs

With the suffix -하다, -하다 combines with a noun and creates a new word. The new word becomes a verb. 

So the part of speech changes. Because of that, a verbs’ and adjectives’ noun-modifying form cannot come in front of that “new verb”. 

It may sound hard in understanding. But with examples, it becomes clear. 

Because 이다 is 80% like an adjective, it can conjugate. I already explained the three different types of conjugation. So I will skip the explanation here. I will replace it with tables.

Recommended tool: build your conjugation in EdrawMind

InKorean, anything that can appear in the P position—verbs and adjectives—conjugates. That is the rule.

So for conjugated words, I recommend a mind map rather than flashcards.

Start with just 10 conjugated words from their dictionary forms. That’s enough to see the core patterns and get an idea for the Korean’s operating principle. 

Some learners use flashcards for everything without making this distinction, but I don’t recommend that for conjugated words. Memorizing conjugated forms one by one usually doesn’t help you produce sentences, so it can be inefficient.   

If a method does not help you build sentences on your own, it is not the best use of your time.

Personally, I recommend EdrawMind (Mind Map Tool), and it can be helpful to use it alongside Gemini. The usage is like:

Space issue: 수 있다 vs. 것이다

“할 수 있다” (can do) is formed by the same principle. However, 있다 (exist) is not a particle, so it is written with a space.

Because of this, different particles can attach after the dependent noun 수. This allows the meaning to expand. 

By contrast, in 것이다, 이다 is tightly attached to 것. It leaves no space in between. So if you want to attach another particle after 것, 이다 must be dropped.

Grammar in the wild

So far, we have organized how conjugated words work. If you have learned it, you should now try using it.

I explained only two grammar structures—the two types we have learned. Now let us see how far we can go. 

You will meet words you do not know. This’s inevitable. But now you can tell whether a word conjugates (so mind map helps) or whether you simply need to memorize it (flashcards work better), because its form doesn’t change. 

Once you make that distinction, Korean sentences stop feeling heavy.

He said it was to push through a special law to investigate bribery and illegal donations in exchange for party nominations.

In the next prologue, we will look at a Facebook post he wrote on day 7 of that hunger strike. Through this text, we will see how the grammar structures you just learned work in real sentences.

It will be interesting.

Let’s go.