TeacherJoy

Let’s learn the pre-noun forming ending ‘-ㄹ/-을.’

Typically, it marks an action as prospective or uncertain. To understand this, we need to look at the dependent noun “때,” meaning “time.”

Time is actually very hard to define precisely. It’s often approximate and fluid.
Because of this “blurry” nature of time, “때” usually partners with ‘-ㄹ/-을.’

It has two shapes: attach ‘-ㄹ’ to verb stems ending in a vowel, and ‘-을’ to verb stems ending in a consonant.

Think about the phrase “어릴 때” (as a child).
When exactly does childhood start and end? It has no clear boundaries. By using ‘-ㄹ,’ we express that vague, span of time in your youth.

How about “먹을 때”? Again, it refers to the general span of time during which you are eating. 

Now, what if we want to talk about the past?
Look at this: “일본에 여행 갔을 때 너무 재밌었어요.” (I had a lot of fun when I traveled to Japan.)

Here, we add the past tense “-었-” before “-을 때.” This refers to a period in the past, but again, without clearly defined boundaries. It’s the “vague duration” of that trip. 

So, ‘-ㄹ/-을’ is for moments that are prospective, uncertain, or approximate. 

Understanding the big picture of these pre-noun forming endings will change the way you see the language! If this was a bit deep, watch it again and let it sink in.

Reference

• 엄정애(2020), 개정판 우리말 논리로 이해하는 영어시제, 교문사.