TOPIK II · LEVEL 5
-(으)ㄴ/는 듯이
-(으)ㄴ/는 듯이 describes how something is done by comparing it to a situation that is usually not literally true: "as if ~".
인용·전달Quoting & reportingHan: 피곤하다 is an adjective, so it takes (으)ㄴ, not 는; 는 듯이 is for action verbs and 있다/없다.
Examples
그는 마치 모든 것을 다 아는 듯이 자신 있게 말했다.He spoke confidently, as if he knew everything.
합격 소식을 듣고 동생은 뛸 듯이 기뻐했다.Hearing that he had passed, my younger brother was so happy he could have jumped for joy.
아이는 꿈을 꾸는 듯이 창밖을 멍하니 바라보고 있었다.The child was gazing blankly out the window as if dreaming.
그녀는 아무 일도 없었던 듯이 태연하게 인사했다.She greeted us calmly, as if nothing had happened.
Don’t mix up
-(으)ㄴ/는 듯이vs-(으)ㄴ/는 것처럼Same "as if" meaning, but 것처럼 is the everyday spoken choice, while 듯이 sounds written: 다 아는 것처럼 말해요 (speech) vs 다 아는 듯이 말했다 (writing).
-(으)ㄴ/는 듯이vs-(으)ㄴ/는 척하다척하다 is a predicate meaning the subject deliberately pretends; 듯이 only describes manner, not necessarily on purpose: 모르는 척했다 vs 모르는 듯이 고개를 저었다.-(으)ㄴ/는 듯이vs-(으)ㄴ/는 듯하다듯하다 ends the sentence with a guess ("it seems"); 듯이 links to a following action: 비가 올 듯해요 vs 비가 올 듯이 하늘이 어두워졌다.
How to build it
V+는 듯이 (ongoing)
V+(으)ㄴ 듯이 (completed)
A+(으)ㄴ 듯이
N+인 듯이
V·A+(으)ㄹ 듯이 (set phrases)
알다 → 아는 듯이, 보다 → 본 듯이, 피곤하다 → 피곤한 듯이, 뛰다 → 뛸 듯이
- Choose the ending by word class and tense: action verbs take 는 (ongoing) or (으)ㄴ (completed), adjectives take (으)ㄴ, and 이다 becomes 인 — adjectives do not take 는.
- It is a connector that describes the manner of the main-clause action, so it does not end a sentence by itself; for a sentence-final "it seems" use -(으)ㄴ/는 듯하다.
- It is often paired with 마치 and sounds written or formal; in everyday speech -(으)ㄴ/는 것처럼 is more common. 이 is often dropped: -(으)ㄴ/는 듯.
- The (으)ㄹ form appears mostly in fixed expressions of strong feeling: 뛸 듯이 기쁘다, 날아갈 듯이 가볍다, 죽을 듯이 아프다.
Classic mistake
Wrong: 그는 아주 피곤하는 듯이 하품을 했다.
Right: 그는 아주 피곤한 듯이 하품을 했다.
피곤하다 is an adjective, so it takes (으)ㄴ, not 는; 는 듯이 is for action verbs and 있다/없다.
Practise -(으)ㄴ/는 듯이 on real TOPIK questions
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All TOPIK grammar- -(으)라니(요)Repeats an order or request you have just received and reacts to it with surprise, disbelief or indignation: 'You're telling me to …?!'. The polite form -(으)라니요 often talks back to the person who gave the order.
- -(느)ㄴ다니Used to react with surprise or disbelief to something you have just heard or found out, like "I can't believe that…!"
- -(느)ㄴ다고 해서Says that a fact is not enough reason for the conclusion people usually draw from it: 'just because A doesn't mean B'.
- -(느)ㄴ다더니-(느)ㄴ다더니 recalls something you heard from someone else (or a saying) and then tells what actually happened, which either confirms it or turns out differently.
- -다시피With verbs like 알다, 보다 or 듣다, -다시피 means 'as you know / see / heard'; in the form -다시피 하다 it means 'practically doing' something, close to the real thing.
- -자기에Gives someone's suggestion ('let's …') as the reason for what the speaker then did: 'since (someone) suggested …, I …'. A contraction of -자고 하기에; somewhat written, with -자길래 in casual speech.
- -(이)란N(이)란 picks out a concept that you are about to define or explain the essence of: "N is (by its nature)…", "what we call N is…".
- -(으)ㄹ 게 뻔하다Use -(으)ㄹ 게 뻔하다 when the situation makes it plain to you that something, usually something bad, will happen or has happened.
- -(으)ㄴ 끝에Shows that a result was finally reached after a long or difficult process of doing something.