TOPIK II · LEVEL 6
-느니 -느니 하다
Lists the different, often conflicting or complaining things people keep saying, like 'going on about this and that'.
나열·첨가Listing & addingHan: 좁다 and 어둡다 are adjectives, so they take the quoted form -다느니, not -느니.
Examples
그 영화가 재미있느니 없느니 말이 많지만 저는 직접 보고 판단할 거예요.People argue over whether that film is fun or not, but I'll watch it and judge for myself.
그는 월급이 적다느니 일이 많다느니 하면서 불평만 늘어놓는다.He just keeps complaining that the pay is low, that there's too much work, and so on.
동생은 머리가 아프다느니 배가 아프다느니 하면서 학교에 안 가려고 해요.My younger sibling keeps saying his head hurts, his stomach hurts, trying not to go to school.
결혼식을 크게 하느니 작게 하느니 하며 가족끼리 의견이 갈렸다.The family was split, some saying the wedding should be big, others small.
Don’t mix up
-느니 -느니 하다vs-거나 -거나 / -든지 -든지These neutrally list options ('whether A or B'); they do not report complaints: 비가 오든지 눈이 오든지 갈 거예요. -느니 -느니 reports what people keep saying, usually in a complaining tone: 그는 날씨가 춥다느니 덥다느니 불평만 한다.
-느니 -느니 하다vs-느니 (차라리)Single -느니 compares two choices, 'rather than A, (I'd) B'; it does not report speech: 거기 가느니 차라리 집에 있겠어요.How to build it
V / 있다·없다 / V-았+느니 … 느니 하다
adjectives and 이다 (quoted form): A+-다느니 … -다느니 하다
V+-(ㄴ/는)다느니 … 하다
가다 → 가느니 마느니 하다; 좁다 → 좁다느니 넓다느니 하다; 아프다 → 아프다느니 하다
- -느니 attaches directly to verbs, 있다/없다 and past -았/었- (가느니, 있느니, 갔느니). Adjectives use the quoted form -다느니 (좁다느니, 비싸다느니), not -느니.
- It usually carries a negative tone (excuses, complaints, arguing), so it sounds odd for neutral reporting of what someone said.
- 하다 is often replaced or followed by 말이 많다, 싸우다, 불평하다, or used as 하면서/하며 before the main clause.
Classic mistake
Wrong: 사람들은 그 집이 좁느니 어둡느니 하면서 불평했다.
Right: 사람들은 그 집이 좁다느니 어둡다느니 하면서 불평했다.
좁다 and 어둡다 are adjectives, so they take the quoted form -다느니, not -느니.
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All TOPIK grammar- -(으)나 -(으)나Two paired or opposite verbs/adjectives, each with -(으)나, mean 'whichever of these is the case, the following stays the same', which often amounts to 'regardless' or 'all the time'.
- -(으)락 -(으)락Joins two opposite actions or states to show that they keep switching back and forth.
- -(으)랴 -(으)랴Lists two (or more) tasks a person is juggling at the same time to stress that they are extremely busy or worn out.
- -(이)건 -(이)건N(이)건 N(이)건 lists two or more options and says that whichever one it is, the outcome stays the same.
- -(으)ㄹ 듯 말 듯-(으)ㄹ 듯 말 듯 describes something hovering on the edge of happening, so it seems to happen and not happen at the same time.
- -(으)려니와-(으)려니와 grants one fact and then adds another of the same kind on top of it: 'not only A, but also B' in a formal, literary tone.
- -는 둥 마는 둥Describes doing something so carelessly or half-heartedly that you can hardly say it was done at all.
- -는 데 그치지 않고Someone does not stop at one action but goes a step further to something bigger or more serious.
- -거니 -거니Shows two opposite or paired actions alternating back and forth again and again, often between two people or sides (like giving and taking).