Embedded sentences (also called relative clauses or noun-modifying clauses) allow you to turn entire sentences into adjectives that describe nouns. This creates more sophisticated and detailed expressions.
Basic Structure
Verb + Noun Pattern
How it works:
- Take a complete sentence
- Modify the verb with -(으)ㄴ/는/-(으)ㄹ
- Place before the noun it describes
- Creates "the noun that [verb]"
Pattern: [Modified verb] + [Noun]
Present Tense Modifiers
Action Verbs: -는
Structure: Verb stem + -는
Meaning: [Noun] that is [verb]-ing / [verb]s
Use when:
- Describing ongoing or habitual actions
- Present tense active verbs
- Characterizing nouns
Formation:
- 가다 → 가는 (that goes/is going)
- 먹다 → 먹는 (that eats/is eating)
- 공부하다 → 공부하는 (that studies/is studying)
Examples:
- 가는 사람 (the person who is going)
- 먹는 음식 (the food that one eats)
- 공부하는 학생 (the student who studies/is studying)
- 읽는 책 (the book that I'm reading)
Full sentences:
- 저기 가는 사람이 누구예요? (Who is that person going over there?)
- 제가 먹는 음식은 김치예요 (The food I'm eating is kimchi)
- 공부하는 학생들이 많아요 (There are many students studying)
State/Descriptive Verbs: -(으)ㄴ
Structure:
- Vowel/ㄹ ending + -ㄴ
- Consonant ending + -은
Meaning: [Noun] that is [adjective]
Use when:
- Adjectives (descriptive verbs)
- Existential verbs (있다, 없다)
- State verbs
Formation:
- 크다 → 큰 (that is big)
- 작다 → 작은 (that is small)
- 예쁘다 → 예쁜 (that is pretty)
- 있다 → 있는 (that exists)
Examples:
- 큰 집 (a big house)
- 예쁜 꽃 (a pretty flower)
- 맛있는 음식 (delicious food)
- 재미있는 영화 (an interesting movie)
Full sentences:
- 큰 집에 살아요 (I live in a big house)
- 예쁜 꽃을 샀어요 (I bought pretty flowers)
- 맛있는 음식을 먹었어요 (I ate delicious food)
이다 (To be): -(이)ㄴ
Structure:
- Consonant ending + -인
- Vowel ending + -ㄴ
Meaning: [Noun] that is [noun]
Formation:
- 학생 → 학생인 (that is a student)
- 의사 → 의사인 (that is a doctor)
- 선생님 → 선생님인 (that is a teacher)
Examples:
- 학생인 사람 (a person who is a student)
- 의사인 친구 (a friend who is a doctor)
- 한국인인 선생님 (a teacher who is Korean)
Past Tense Modifiers
All Verbs: -(으)ㄴ
Structure:
- Vowel/ㄹ ending + -ㄴ
- Consonant ending + -은
Meaning: [Noun] that [verb]-ed / has [verb]-ed
Use when:
- Completed actions
- Past tense
- Results of actions
Formation:
- 가다 → 간 (that went)
- 먹다 → 먹은 (that ate)
- 보다 → 본 (that saw)
- 읽다 → 읽은 (that read)
Examples:
- 어제 간 식당 (the restaurant I went to yesterday)
- 먹은 음식 (the food that I ate)
- 본 영화 (the movie that I saw)
- 읽은 책 (the book that I read)
Full sentences:
- 어제 간 식당이 좋았어요 (The restaurant I went to yesterday was good)
- 먹은 음식이 맛있었어요 (The food I ate was delicious)
- 본 영화가 재미있었어요 (The movie I saw was interesting)
Past Tense of Adjectives: -았/었던
Structure: Verb/Adjective stem + -았/었던
Meaning: [Noun] that was [adjective]
Use when:
- Past state no longer true
- Reminiscing
- Changed conditions
Formation:
- 크다 → 컸던 (that was big)
- 예쁘다 → 예뻤던 (that was pretty)
- 좋다 → 좋았던 (that was good)
Examples:
- 어렸을 때 살았던 집 (the house I lived in when I was young)
- 좋았던 시절 (the good times that were)
- 사귀었던 사람 (the person I dated)
Full sentences:
- 예전에 살았던 집이 그리워요 (I miss the house I used to live in)
- 좋았던 시절을 기억해요 (I remember the good times)
Future Tense Modifiers
All Verbs: -(으)ㄹ
Structure:
- Vowel/ㄹ ending + -ㄹ
- Consonant ending + -을
Meaning: [Noun] that will [verb] / plans to [verb]
Use when:
- Future actions
- Intentions
- Plans
Formation:
- 가다 → 갈 (that will go)
- 먹다 → 먹을 (that will eat)
- 만나다 → 만날 (that will meet)
- 하다 → 할 (that will do)
Examples:
- 갈 곳 (the place I will go)
- 먹을 음식 (the food I will eat)
- 만날 사람 (the person I will meet)
- 할 일 (the work I will do)
Full sentences:
- 내일 갈 곳이 어디예요? (Where is the place you'll go tomorrow?)
- 먹을 음식을 준비했어요 (I prepared the food to eat)
- 만날 사람이 많아요 (There are many people to meet)
- 할 일이 많아요 (There's a lot of work to do)
Complex Embedded Sentences
With Objects
Pattern: [Subject] + 이/가 + [Object] + 을/를 + [Verb-modifier] + [Noun]
Examples:
- 내가 어제 먹은 음식 (the food that I ate yesterday)
- 친구가 추천한 영화 (the movie that my friend recommended)
- 선생님이 가르치는 과목 (the subject that the teacher teaches)
Full sentences:
- 내가 어제 먹은 음식이 맛있었어요 (The food I ate yesterday was delicious)
- 친구가 추천한 영화를 봤어요 (I watched the movie my friend recommended)
With Location/Time
Examples:
- 우리가 만난 장소 (the place where we met)
- 내가 태어난 곳 (the place where I was born)
- 비가 온 날 (the day it rained)
- 처음 만난 날 (the day we first met)
Full sentences:
- 우리가 만난 장소에 다시 갔어요 (I went back to the place where we met)
- 비가 온 날을 기억해요 (I remember the day it rained)
Multiple Modifiers
Can stack modifiers:
- 어제 산 새 책 (the new book I bought yesterday)
- 제가 좋아하는 맛있는 음식 (delicious food that I like)
- 친구가 준 예쁜 선물 (the pretty gift my friend gave)
Common Patterns
것 (Thing)
Very common with embedded sentences:
-(으)ㄴ/는 것:
- 먹는 것 (the thing one eats / eating)
- 본 것 (the thing one saw / what one saw)
- 할 것 (the thing one will do / what to do)
Examples:
- 제가 좋아하는 것은 음악이에요 (What I like is music)
- 어제 본 것을 얘기했어요 (I talked about what I saw yesterday)
- 할 것이 많아요 (There are many things to do)
사람 (Person)
Describing people:
- 가는 사람 (the person going)
- 온 사람 (the person who came)
- 올 사람 (the person who will come)
- 공부하는 사람 (the person studying)
Examples:
- 먼저 온 사람이 앉으세요 (The person who came first, please sit)
- 한국어를 공부하는 사람들 (people who study Korean)
때 (Time)
Describing time:
- 어렸을 때 (when I was young)
- 바쁠 때 (when I'm busy)
- 시간이 있을 때 (when I have time)
Examples:
- 어렸을 때 한국에 살았어요 (I lived in Korea when I was young)
- 바쁠 때 연락하지 마세요 (Don't contact me when I'm busy)
곳 (Place)
Describing places:
- 가는 곳 (the place I'm going)
- 산 곳 (the place I bought it)
- 살았던 곳 (the place I lived)
Examples:
- 제가 가는 곳은 서울이에요 (The place I'm going is Seoul)
- 예전에 살았던 곳에 갔어요 (I went to the place I used to live)
Negative Embedded Sentences
-지 않는/않은/않을
Pattern: Verb stem + -지 않는/않은/않을 + Noun
Examples:
- 가지 않는 사람 (the person not going)
- 먹지 않은 음식 (the food I didn't eat)
- 하지 않을 일 (the work I won't do)
Full sentences:
- 학교에 가지 않는 학생이 있어요 (There's a student not going to school)
- 먹지 않은 음식은 냉장고에 있어요 (The food I didn't eat is in the fridge)
못 하는/한/할
Pattern: 못 + Verb stem + -는/ㄴ/ㄹ + Noun
Examples:
- 못 가는 곳 (the place I can't go)
- 못 먹는 음식 (the food I can't eat)
- 못 만날 사람 (the person I can't meet)
Honorific Embedded Sentences
-(으)시는/신/실
Pattern: Verb stem + -(으)시 + -는/ㄴ/ㄹ + Noun
Examples:
- 가시는 분 (the person who is going - honorific)
- 오신 손님 (the guest who came - honorific)
- 하실 일 (the work you will do - honorific)
Full sentences:
- 오신 분들을 환영합니다 (We welcome those who came)
- 선생님께서 하시는 일 (the work that the teacher does)
Common Mistakes
❌ Incorrect: 가는 것 음식
Missing particle
✅ Correct: 가는 것은 음식이에요
Need subject particle
❌ Incorrect: 큰는 집
Wrong modifier for adjective
✅ Correct: 큰 집
Adjectives use -(으)ㄴ, not -는
❌ Incorrect: 먹을는 음식
Can't combine future and present
✅ Correct: 먹을 음식
Use one modifier
Usage Tips
Word Order
Korean embedded sentence:
- [Full descriptive clause] + [Noun]
- 내가 어제 산 책 (the book I bought yesterday)
English translation:
- [Noun] + [that/which] + [descriptive clause]
- The book that I bought yesterday
Common Nouns Used
Most frequent nouns with embedded sentences:
- 것 (thing)
- 사람 (person)
- 때 (time)
- 곳/장소 (place)
- 일 (work/matter)
- 방법 (way/method)
Summary Table
| Tense/Type | Action Verb | Adjective | Past | Future | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | -는 | -(으)ㄴ | - | - | 가는 사람 |
| Present State | - | -(으)ㄴ | - | - | 큰 집 |
| Past | -(으)ㄴ | -(으)ㄴ | -았/었던 | - | 간 곳 / 컸던 집 |
| Future | -(으)ㄹ | -(으)ㄹ | - | - | 갈 것 |
| Noun (이다) | - | - | -(이)ㄴ | - | 학생인 사람 |
Practice Pattern
Converting sentences to embedded form:
-
Original: 친구가 책을 읽어요 (Friend reads a book)
-
Embedded: 책을 읽는 친구 (the friend who reads a book)
-
Original: 음식이 맛있어요 (Food is delicious)
-
Embedded: 맛있는 음식 (delicious food)
-
Original: 어제 영화를 봤어요 (I watched a movie yesterday)
-
Embedded: 어제 본 영화 (the movie I watched yesterday)