TOPIK II · LEVEL 6
-는가 하면
-는가 하면 sets two different or opposite cases side by side: some people or situations are like this, while others are like that.
나열·첨가Listing & addingHan: 덥다 is an adjective, so it takes -(으)ㄴ가 하면 (더운가 하면); -는가 하면 attaches only to verbs and 있다/없다.
Examples
그는 회의 때 한마디도 안 하는가 하면 갑자기 열변을 토하기도 한다.In meetings he sometimes says nothing at all, and at other times he suddenly speaks with great passion.
이번 정책에 찬성하는 의견이 있는가 하면 강하게 반대하는 의견도 적지 않다.There are opinions supporting this policy, but there are also quite a few that strongly oppose it.
아이는 깔깔 웃는가 하면 금세 울음을 터뜨리기도 한다.One moment the child is giggling, the next moment she bursts into tears.
주말에 집에서 푹 쉬는 사람이 있는가 하면 일부러 멀리 여행을 떠나는 사람도 있다.Some people rest at home all weekend, while others deliberately travel far away.
Don’t mix up
-는가 하면vs-는 반면(에)-는 반면 sharply opposes two features (often pros and cons of one thing), while -는가 하면 shows varied cases side by side: 이 집은 넓은 반면에 교통이 불편하다.
-는가 하면vs-나 싶더니 / -는가 싶더니-나 싶더니 describes one situation that seemed to happen and then suddenly changed, not two parallel cases: 비가 그치나 싶더니 다시 쏟아졌다.
How to build it
V+는가 하면
A+(으)ㄴ가 하면
N+인가 하면 (past: V/A + 았/었는가 하면)
쉬다 → 쉬는가 하면, 덥다 → 더운가 하면, 학생 → 학생인가 하면
- The second clause usually presents a different or contrasting case and often contains 도 or -기도 하다 (…사람도 있다, …기도 한다).
- Adjectives take -(으)ㄴ가 하면, not -는가 하면: 더운가 하면, 비싼가 하면.
- It belongs to written or formal speech (essays, news, lectures); in casual conversation Koreans usually use -고 or -는데 instead.
- Here 하면 does not mean 'if'; the pattern expresses contrast, not a condition.
Classic mistake
Wrong: 어떤 날은 덥는가 하면 어떤 날은 쌀쌀하기도 하다.
Right: 어떤 날은 더운가 하면 어떤 날은 쌀쌀하기도 하다.
덥다 is an adjective, so it takes -(으)ㄴ가 하면 (더운가 하면); -는가 하면 attaches only to verbs and 있다/없다.
Practise -는가 하면 on real TOPIK questions
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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).
