TOPIK II · LEVEL 3
-기만 하다
-기만 하다 means 'only / just keep doing A' (and nothing else), often with a complaining tone.
경험·시도Trying & experienceHan: Conjugate 하다 normally: 했어요.
Examples
그 식당은 비싸기만 하고 맛은 별로예요.That restaurant is just expensive; the taste isn't great.
질문을 해도 그 사람은 웃기만 했어요.Even when I asked, he just smiled.
동생은 주말에 게임을 하기만 해요.My younger sibling does nothing but play games at weekends.
Don’t mix up
-기만 하다vs-만N만 limits a noun ('only N'); -기만 하다 limits an action: 물만 마셔요 vs 물을 마시기만 해요 (just drinks, does nothing else).How to build it
V/A+기만 하다
자다 → 자기만 해요, 웃다 → 웃기만 했어요
- Tense goes on 하다: 놀기만 했어요.
- With adjectives it means 'only/just so': 비싸기만 하고 맛없어요 'just expensive and not tasty'.
Classic mistake
Wrong: 공부하기만 했다요.
Right: 공부하기만 했어요.
Conjugate 하다 normally: 했어요.
Practise -기만 하다 on real TOPIK questions
Hannim plans each day up to your exam date: questions on this pattern, reviews, full mock papers and graded writing. 7 days free, no card.
Start 7-day free trialMore level 3 grammar
All TOPIK grammar- -(으)ㄴ/는 척하다Shows that someone deliberately acts as if something were true when it is not: 'pretend to / act as if'.
- -(으)ㄴ/는 편이다-(으)ㄴ/는 편이다 softly says that something is 'rather' or 'on the whole' a certain way compared with what is usual or average.
- -아/어 드리다The humble form of -아/어 주다: do something for someone older or higher in status, such as parents, teachers or customers. Also the polite way to offer help: 도와드릴까요?
- -아/어 보이다A-아/어 보이다 means 'to look / seem (adjective)' based on appearance.
- -(으)ㅁ-(으)ㅁ turns a verb or adjective into a noun; it is used in notes, notices, memos and written records.
- -(으)며-(으)며 is a formal, written 'and' (listing) or 'while' (two actions at once).
- -(이)야-(이)야 emphasizes a topic as obvious or as the only one meant: 'as for N, of course …'.
- -(으)ㄹ 겸-(으)ㄹ 겸 gives one of two or more purposes for a single action: 'partly to …, and also to …'.
- -(으)ㄹ 걸 그랬다-(으)ㄹ 걸 그랬다 expresses regret: 'I should have done …' (but didn't).
