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TOPIK II · LEVEL 4

-고 들다

Shows someone setting about an action aggressively or stubbornly, usually arguing, questioning or confronting; it often carries the speaker's annoyance.

시제·상Tense & aspect

Han: -고 들다 implies pushy, confrontational persistence, so it does not fit a kind, neutral action.

Examples

그는 자기 잘못을 인정하기는커녕 오히려 큰소리를 치며 우기고 들었다.Far from admitting his mistake, he raised his voice and stubbornly insisted he was right.
아이가 왜 안 되냐고 자꾸 캐묻고 들어서 대답하기 곤란했다.The child kept pressing me about why not, so it was hard to answer.
사소한 일까지 하나하나 따지고 들면 끝이 없어요.If you start picking at every little thing, there's no end to it.

Don’t mix up

-고 들다vs-기 시작하다-기 시작하다 just marks a start; -고 들다 adds a combative, insistent attitude: 질문하기 시작했다 vs 꼬치꼬치 캐묻고 들었다.-고 들다vs-아/어 대다-아/어 대다 stresses annoying repetition of any action; -고 들다 stresses confronting someone: 하루 종일 떠들어 댔다 vs 내 말끝마다 따지고 들었다.

How to build it

V+고 들다

따지다 → 따지고 들다; 캐묻다 → 캐묻고 들다; 우기다 → 우기고 들다

  1. It goes with a small group of verbs of arguing or pressing: 따지다, 캐묻다, 우기다, 덤비다, 꼬투리를 잡다. With neutral or kind actions it sounds wrong.
  2. It is very common as -고 들면, 'once someone starts doing that persistently': 하나하나 따지고 들면 끝이 없다.
  3. Tense and endings go on 들다, not on the first verb: 따지고 들었다, not 따졌고 들었다.

Classic mistake

Wrong: 직원이 제 질문에 친절하게 대답하고 들었어요.

Right: 직원이 제 질문에 친절하게 대답해 줬어요.

-고 들다 implies pushy, confrontational persistence, so it does not fit a kind, neutral action.

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More level 4 grammar

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