Welcome to Part 1 of IU's 나의 옛날이야기!
I'm happy to be doing an IU song this week because her songs are just so pleasant - just like she is! (*Including her ahjuma laugh, if you haven't heard it... look it up. Too funny.) Anyway! This week should be a fairly easy week to get through for all level learners. That's not too say, if you are a beginning, there won't be ANYTHING that'll confuse you. But that's why I'm here! :) Don't forget to ASK QUESTIONS! I love them! Part 1, surprisingly, should be the longest part - but it isn't actually that long.
Let's get started!
Nouns 골목 - alley 당신 - you 나 - me 말 - words 날 - day | Adverbs 지금 - now Grammar -던 -ㄴ다 -고 있다 -못 -고 -십니까/니다 | Verbs/Adj 쓸쓸하다 - to be/feel lonely 기억하다 - to remember 하다 - to do 사랑하다 - to love 애태우다 - to worry (over)/fuss (about) 알다 - to know |
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Lesson.
쓸쓸하던 그 골목을
쓸쓸하다 means to be lonely, or solitary. The verb ending -던 attached to the verb stem of 쓸쓸하다 (쓸쓸하) is used when changing a verb into the descriptive form, but it gives a PAST nuance. For example, something that WAS lonely/solitary, but -던 expresses that that fact has now changed. So, 그 means that, and 골목 means alley [그 골목 = that alley]. So, a 쓸쓸하던 그 골목 means that alley, that was lonely/solitary BUT not anymore (the fact has now changed). Attached to 골목 is -을, an object marker that is marking the alley as the target of the verb to come (which is in the next sentence).
당신은 기억하십니까
당신 means you (but be careful using this word, it can be derogatory in some cases). A topic marker -은 is then added to 당신 so the attention is brought onto you. The sentence is ABOUT you // As for you... blank blank. The verb used here is 기억하다 which means to remember. The grammar structure -십니까 is added to form the MOST formal way of asking a question. So, this sentence is translated to: (As for you) do you remember that lonely alleyway?
지금도 난 기억합니다
지금 means now, and the particle -도 is added to add the meaning of even. So, even now. 나 [me] + ㄴ [topic marker] marks that we are now talking about ME. The verb again is 기억하다, but this time we are using the most formal way of making a statement - added -ㅂ니다. So, simply even now (As for ME) I remember.
사랑한단 말 못하고
The verb here is 사랑하다 which means to love. The grammar structure added here is the declarative statement -ㄴ다. So you may often here is dramas, "먼저 간다." It just means I'm leaving first, I'm leaving now. Just making a declarative statement. So, 사랑한다 means I love you (I'm declaring it). Then, in short the -ㄴ topic marker is added to describe 말 words. So, 사랑한단 말 means the words I love you. The grammar structure 못 means CAN'T do (verb) - in this case the verb is 하다 [to do], so can't DO. After the verb stem 하 is the grammar structure -고 which means AND when linking verbs and/or sentences together. So, The words I love you that I couldn't say (couldn't do). For future reference, it's not necessarily past tense until the next sentence.
애태우던 그 날들을
The verb 애태우다 means to worry over, and again we have this -던 grammar structure which is changing the word into a descriptive form (in the past tense, and something that is no longer the case). 그 [that] + 날 [day]. Here the first particle -들 is used when emphasizing the plural of something (used often with people). So in this case, changing day so days. The object marker -을 is added to make 그 날들 the TARGET of the verb to come (in the next sentence again).
당신은 알고 있었습니까
Here again 당신은 which is marking YOU as the topic of this sentence (as for you). The verb in this case is -알다 which means to know. The grammar attached to this verb stem (알) is -고 있다 which changes a verb into the progressive form. So, from to know, to knowing. In this case, the grammar structure has been first changed into the past tense, so... 알고 있다 to 알고 있었다. Then, then most polite form of a question is then added to the end - 습니까. So, did you know (in the past) about the TARGET (the days I worried over the fact that I couldn't saying I love you).
쓸쓸하다 means to be lonely, or solitary. The verb ending -던 attached to the verb stem of 쓸쓸하다 (쓸쓸하) is used when changing a verb into the descriptive form, but it gives a PAST nuance. For example, something that WAS lonely/solitary, but -던 expresses that that fact has now changed. So, 그 means that, and 골목 means alley [그 골목 = that alley]. So, a 쓸쓸하던 그 골목 means that alley, that was lonely/solitary BUT not anymore (the fact has now changed). Attached to 골목 is -을, an object marker that is marking the alley as the target of the verb to come (which is in the next sentence).
당신은 기억하십니까
당신 means you (but be careful using this word, it can be derogatory in some cases). A topic marker -은 is then added to 당신 so the attention is brought onto you. The sentence is ABOUT you // As for you... blank blank. The verb used here is 기억하다 which means to remember. The grammar structure -십니까 is added to form the MOST formal way of asking a question. So, this sentence is translated to: (As for you) do you remember that lonely alleyway?
지금도 난 기억합니다
지금 means now, and the particle -도 is added to add the meaning of even. So, even now. 나 [me] + ㄴ [topic marker] marks that we are now talking about ME. The verb again is 기억하다, but this time we are using the most formal way of making a statement - added -ㅂ니다. So, simply even now (As for ME) I remember.
사랑한단 말 못하고
The verb here is 사랑하다 which means to love. The grammar structure added here is the declarative statement -ㄴ다. So you may often here is dramas, "먼저 간다." It just means I'm leaving first, I'm leaving now. Just making a declarative statement. So, 사랑한다 means I love you (I'm declaring it). Then, in short the -ㄴ topic marker is added to describe 말 words. So, 사랑한단 말 means the words I love you. The grammar structure 못 means CAN'T do (verb) - in this case the verb is 하다 [to do], so can't DO. After the verb stem 하 is the grammar structure -고 which means AND when linking verbs and/or sentences together. So, The words I love you that I couldn't say (couldn't do). For future reference, it's not necessarily past tense until the next sentence.
애태우던 그 날들을
The verb 애태우다 means to worry over, and again we have this -던 grammar structure which is changing the word into a descriptive form (in the past tense, and something that is no longer the case). 그 [that] + 날 [day]. Here the first particle -들 is used when emphasizing the plural of something (used often with people). So in this case, changing day so days. The object marker -을 is added to make 그 날들 the TARGET of the verb to come (in the next sentence again).
당신은 알고 있었습니까
Here again 당신은 which is marking YOU as the topic of this sentence (as for you). The verb in this case is -알다 which means to know. The grammar attached to this verb stem (알) is -고 있다 which changes a verb into the progressive form. So, from to know, to knowing. In this case, the grammar structure has been first changed into the past tense, so... 알고 있다 to 알고 있었다. Then, then most polite form of a question is then added to the end - 습니까. So, did you know (in the past) about the TARGET (the days I worried over the fact that I couldn't saying I love you).
Reading/Comprehension.
쓸쓸하던 그 골목을
당신은 기억하십니까
지금도 난 기억합니다
사랑한단 말 못하고
애태우던 그 날들을
당신은 알고 있었습니까
당신은 기억하십니까
지금도 난 기억합니다
사랑한단 말 못하고
애태우던 그 날들을
당신은 알고 있었습니까
Please leave a comment below!
Any specific questions, suggestions, comments, and/or additions would be great! I would never mind to further explain a few points, add some other examples, or give some pointers, as well. Let's study together.
See you on Wednesday for Part 2!
Part 2