Korean relative clauses work differently from English. Instead of using "who," "which," or "that," Korean uses adnominal endings (관형사형 어미) attached to verbs and adjectives to modify nouns.
What Are Relative Clauses?
English vs. Korean
English: Uses relative pronouns (who, which, that)
- The book that I read was interesting
- The person who came is my friend
Korean: Uses verb/adjective endings + noun
- 내가 읽은 책이 재미있었어요 (The book I read was interesting)
- 온 사람이 내 친구예요 (The person who came is my friend)
Key difference: Korean puts the modifying clause BEFORE the noun, and the verb/adjective takes a special ending.
Basic Structure
Pattern
[Clause + Adnominal Ending] + Noun
Components:
- Subject/Object/Other elements (optional)
- Verb/Adjective with adnominal ending
- Noun being modified
Example breakdown:
- 내가 읽은 책 (the book that I read)
- 내가 = I (subject)
- 읽은 = read (past adnominal form)
- 책 = book (noun)
Three Main Adnominal Endings
-(으)ㄴ - Past/Completed
For actions completed or states:
- 읽은 책 (the book [I] read)
- 만난 사람 (the person [I] met)
- 먹은 음식 (the food [I] ate)
For present state adjectives:
- 좋은 책 (a good book)
- 큰 집 (a big house)
-는 - Present/Ongoing
For ongoing actions:
- 읽는 책 (the book [I] am reading)
- 가는 사람 (the person who is going)
- 먹는 음식 (the food [I] am eating)
For verbs only (not adjectives in present)
-(으)ㄹ - Future/Prospective
For future actions or general truths:
- 읽을 책 (the book [I] will read)
- 갈 곳 (the place [I] will go)
- 먹을 음식 (the food [I] will eat)
For both verbs and adjectives
Relative Clauses with Verbs
Past: -(으)ㄴ
Completed actions:
- 어제 산 책 (the book [I] bought yesterday)
- 지난주에 만난 친구 (the friend [I] met last week)
- 어제 먹은 음식 (the food [I] ate yesterday)
Present: -는
Ongoing actions:
- 지금 읽는 책 (the book [I] am reading now)
- 매일 가는 학교 (the school [I] go to every day)
- 자주 먹는 음식 (the food [I] eat often)
Future: -(으)ㄹ
Future actions:
- 내일 만날 사람 (the person [I] will meet tomorrow)
- 다음에 갈 곳 (the place [I] will go next)
- 나중에 읽을 책 (the book [I] will read later)
Relative Clauses with Adjectives
Present: -(으)ㄴ
Current states:
- 좋은 날씨 (good weather)
- 큰 집 (a big house)
- 예쁜 꽃 (a pretty flower)
- 맛있는 음식 (delicious food - 맛있다 irregular)
Past: -았/었던
Past states:
- 좋았던 날씨 (the weather that was good)
- 컸던 집 (the house that was big)
- 예뻤던 꽃 (the flower that was pretty)
Future: -(으)ㄹ
Future states or suppositions:
- 좋을 날씨 (weather that will be good)
- 클 집 (a house that will be big)
Note: Future adjective modifiers are less common
Subject vs. Object Modification
Subject Relative Clauses
The modified noun is the subject of the clause:
- 온 사람 (the person who came)
- 사람이 왔다 → 온 사람
- 자는 아이 (the child who is sleeping)
- 아이가 잔다 → 자는 아이
Subject marker often omitted:
- (사람이) 온 사람 → 온 사람
Object Relative Clauses
The modified noun is the object of the clause:
- 내가 읽은 책 (the book that I read)
- 내가 책을 읽었다 → 내가 읽은 책
- 그가 만든 음식 (the food that he made)
- 그가 음식을 만들었다 → 그가 만든 음식
Subject stays in the clause:
- 내가 (I) stays when book is modified
Common Patterns
-는 사람 (The person who...)
Describing people by actions:
- 한국어를 공부하는 사람 (a person who studies Korean)
- 매일 운동하는 사람 (a person who exercises every day)
- 여기서 일하는 사람 (a person who works here)
-(으)ㄴ 것 (The thing that...)
Describing things/facts:
- 내가 산 것 (the thing I bought)
- 그가 말한 것 (the thing he said)
- 중요한 것 (an important thing)
-(으)ㄹ 곳 (The place where...)
Describing locations:
- 갈 곳 (a place to go)
- 살 곳 (a place to live)
- 만날 곳 (a place to meet)
-는 방법 (The way/method to...)
Describing methods:
- 하는 방법 (the way to do)
- 만드는 방법 (the way to make)
- 요리하는 방법 (the way to cook)
Negation in Relative Clauses
Negative Actions
안/못 before verb:
- 안 가는 사람 (a person who doesn't go)
- 못 먹는 음식 (food [I] can't eat)
- 안 읽은 책 (a book [I] didn't read)
Negative States
With adjectives:
- 좋지 않은 날씨 (weather that's not good)
- 크지 않은 집 (a house that's not big)
Complex Relative Clauses
Multiple Modifiers
Stacking relative clauses:
- 내가 어제 만난 친구 (the friend I met yesterday)
- 그가 자주 가는 식당 (the restaurant he often goes to)
- 우리가 지난주에 본 영화 (the movie we saw last week)
With Other Elements
Adding locations, times, etc.:
- 서울에 사는 친구 (a friend who lives in Seoul)
- 공원에서 노는 아이들 (children playing in the park)
- 도서관에서 공부하는 학생 (a student studying in the library)
Example Sentences
Subject Modification
- 온 사람이 누구예요? (Who is the person who came?)
- 자는 아이를 깨우지 마세요 (Don't wake the sleeping child)
- 웃는 사람이 예뻐요 (The person smiling is pretty)
Object Modification
- 내가 읽은 책이 재미있었어요 (The book I read was interesting)
- 그가 만든 음식이 맛있어요 (The food he made is delicious)
- 어제 산 옷을 입었어요 (I wore the clothes I bought yesterday)
Time-Based
- 내일 만날 사람이 친구예요 (The person I'll meet tomorrow is a friend)
- 어제 먹은 음식이 생각나요 (I remember the food I ate yesterday)
- 지금 읽는 책이 어려워요 (The book I'm reading now is difficult)
Example Dialogues
Dialogue 1: Asking About Books
A: 무슨 책 읽어요?
(What book are you reading?)
B: 친구가 추천한 책 읽어요.
(I'm reading a book my friend recommended.)
A: 재미있어요?
(Is it interesting?)
B: 네, 아주 재미있어요.
(Yes, very interesting.)
Dialogue 2: Meeting Someone
A: 저기 오는 사람이 누구예요?
(Who is that person coming?)
B: 제가 어제 만난 친구예요.
(It's a friend I met yesterday.)
Dialogue 3: Restaurant
A: 이 식당 어때요?
(How is this restaurant?)
B: 제가 자주 가는 식당이에요. 음식이 맛있어요.
(It's a restaurant I often go to. The food is delicious.)
Dialogue 4: Plans
A: 내일 뭐 할 거예요?
(What will you do tomorrow?)
B: 읽을 책을 사러 서점에 갈 거예요.
(I'll go to the bookstore to buy books to read.)
Common Mistakes
❌ Incorrect: 읽는은 책
Double ending
✅ Correct: 읽는 책 or 읽은 책
One adnominal ending
❌ Incorrect: 좋는 책
Using -는 with adjectives in present
✅ Correct: 좋은 책
Adjectives use -(으)ㄴ for present
❌ Incorrect: 간 사람 (meaning "person who is going")
Wrong tense - 간 = went
✅ Correct: 가는 사람
Use -는 for ongoing action
Key Patterns Summary
| Tense | Verbs | Adjectives | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Past | -(으)ㄴ | -았/었던 | 읽은 책, 좋았던 날 |
| Present | -는 | -(으)ㄴ | 읽는 책, 좋은 날 |
| Future | -(으)ㄹ | -(으)ㄹ | 읽을 책, 좋을 날 |
Key Takeaways
- ✅ Before the noun: Korean relative clauses come before the noun
- ✅ No relative pronouns: Use adnominal endings instead
- ✅ Three main forms: -(으)ㄴ, -는, -(으)ㄹ
- ✅ Verbs vs. adjectives: Different patterns for present tense
- ✅ Very common: Essential for natural Korean
- ✅ Practice with 것, 사람, 곳: Common nouns modified by clauses
Relative clauses are fundamental for descriptive Korean. They allow you to create complex, nuanced descriptions and are used constantly in both spoken and written Korean. Master the three main endings and practice with common nouns to build natural fluency!