TOPIK II · LEVEL 6
-(으)나 -(으)나
Two 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'.
나열·첨가Listing & addingHan: Inside the doubled pattern the verbs usually stay bare; past tense is marked once, on the final verb (하셨어요).
Examples
그는 비가 오나 눈이 오나 매일 아침 공원을 달린다.Rain or snow, he runs in the park every morning.
고향을 떠난 뒤로 앉으나 서나 가족 생각뿐이다.Since I left home, my family is on my mind constantly, whatever I'm doing.
좋으나 싫으나 이 일은 우리가 끝내야 한다.Like it or not, we have to finish this work.
어머니는 자나 깨나 자식 걱정뿐이세요.My mother worries about her children day and night.
Don’t mix up
-(으)나 -(으)나vs-거나 -거나-거나 -거나 is the everyday, freely combinable form, often with 상관없다; -(으)나 -(으)나 is more formal and prefers fixed opposite pairs: 비가 오거나 말거나 상관없어요.
-(으)나 -(으)나vs-든지 -든지-든지 -든지 can leave the choice to the listener, even in commands; -(으)나 -(으)나 only states that something stays the same: 가든지 말든지 마음대로 해.
-(으)나 -(으)나vs-(으)나 (single)A single -(으)나 means 'but' and can take past tense; only the doubled form means 'regardless': 열심히 공부했으나 떨어졌다.
How to build it
V/A+(으)나+V/A+(으)나 (vowel stem + 나, consonant stem + 으나)
자다 / 깨다 → 자나 깨나; 앉다 / 서다 → 앉으나 서나; 좋다 / 싫다 → 좋으나 싫으나
- Usually no past -았/었- or future -겠- inside the pair; tense goes on the final predicate (자나 깨나 걱정했다, not 잤으나 깼으나).
- The two parts are typically opposites or a fixed pair (자나 깨나, 앉으나 서나, 비가 오나 눈이 오나); random unrelated verbs sound odd.
- It describes a constant fact or attitude; it is not used to offer the listener a choice (for that use -거나 or -든지).
- Outside fixed idioms it sounds written or formal; in casual speech -거나 -거나 / -든 -든 are more common.
Classic mistake
Wrong: 어머니는 잤으나 깼으나 제 걱정만 하셨어요.
Right: 어머니는 자나 깨나 제 걱정만 하셨어요.
Inside the doubled pattern the verbs usually stay bare; past tense is marked once, on the final verb (하셨어요).
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All TOPIK grammar- -(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).
- -느니 -느니 하다Lists the different, often conflicting or complaining things people keep saying, like 'going on about this and that'.