Grammar Advanced TOPIK II · Level 5–6 Advanced Grammar Supplement · Curriculum gap

-을 성싶다

-을 성싶다: Seems Likely To… — Soft Forecast

Auxiliary adjective 성싶다 「001」 after adnominal: sensing or guessing that state to some degree.

Before this, make sure you know: -을 / -ㄹ (modifier) , -아요 / -어요

How to form it

When	Form	Example
Prospective adnominal	-(으)ㄹ 성싶다	올 성싶다 / 비 올 성싶다
Past / completed adnominal	-(으)ㄴ 성싶다	한 성싶다 / 간 성싶다

-을 성싶다 soft-guesses a state — seems likely to….

우리말샘 성싶다 「001」. Not hard assertion. Not ability.

Why this is hard

English seems maps to 듯하다, -나 보다, 성싶다. Learners treat them as clones. 성싶다 is an auxiliary adjective after an adnominal — a felt guess, often a bit literary or older spoken colour.

What it does

You float a soft forecast from what you sense.

비가 올 성싶어요.
그가 올 성싶어요.
일이 끝난 성싶어요.
오늘은 바쁠 성싶어요.

Forms

Adnominal + 성싶다.

오다 → 올 성싶다
하다 → 한 성싶다
바쁘다 → 바쁠 성싶다

When not to use it

Do not use it for firm claims.

Do not confuse it with ability -을 수 있다.

Do not force it where modern -것 같다 is clearer for the listener.

Neighbours — and why they differ

Form	Why it is not this slot
-을까 보다	Worry / precaution guess.
-는 듯하다	Appearance soft guess.
-을 법하다	Reasonable prediction.

Ask: am I floating a soft felt forecast? If yes, -을 성싶다. If firm, use a stronger seat.

Do not confuse it with

-을까 보다

thinking I might — a plan you are still weighing

-는 듯하다

seems to… — a soft guess from appearance

-을 법하다

likely to… — a reasonable prediction

Taught alongside this

On the jabi learning path, this appears in 교재·표준 교육과정 밖의 문법 (Grammar outside of textbooks and standard curriculum) — Advanced Grammar Supplement, Unit 1, on the theme of Curriculum gap. These come with it:

-는 셈이다 amounts to / counts as — treating the situation as that result (-는 셈이다) -을 지경이다 to the point of… — an extreme state or plight (-을 지경이다) -기 십상이다 almost certain to… — nine times out of ten (-기 십상이다) -는 둥 마는 둥 half-doing it — barely, half-heartedly (-는 둥 마는 둥) -던 차에 just when… — at the very moment that was underway (-던 차에) 으로 말미암아 owing to… — formal written cause (으로 말미암아) -는답시고 under the pretext of… — claiming to, often critically (-는답시고) -는가 하면 and then again… — stacking contrasting cases (-는가 하면) -을 겸 while also… — doing it for that purpose too (-을 겸) -게끔 so that… — purpose with a firm push (-게끔) -을 턱이 없다 no reason whatsoever… — denying grounds flatly (-을 턱이 없다) -을 리 만무하다 utterly no chance… — impossibility stressed (-을 리 만무하다) -을지언정 even if… — conceding then holding the other line (-을지언정) -기 그지없다 endlessly… — extreme degree with no bound (-기 그지없다) -기 이를 데 없다 beyond words… — so much there is no way to say it (-기 이를 데 없다) -다 못해 unable to go on… — past the limit, then the sequel (-다 못해) -는 셈치고 pretending / counting it as… — provisional assumption (-는 셈치고) -는다 뿐이지 only that… — limiting the claim to just that (-는다 뿐이지) -는다손 치더라도 even granting that… — strong concession then pushback (-는다손 치더라도) -어 주십사 please do… for me — earnest old-style request (-어 주십사) -겠거니 thinking it would… — assumption that guides the next act (-겠거니) -으랴 -으랴 what with A and B… — piling pressures or tasks (-으랴 -으랴) -으려던 참이다 was just about to… — intention interrupted at the brink (-으려던 참이다) -는다기보다는 rather than saying… — reframing the label (-는다기보다는) -은 끝에 after all that… — only at the end of the ordeal (-은 끝에) -은 바 있다 have (once)… — formal experience on record (-은 바 있다) -건 간에 whether A or B… — it does not matter which (-건 간에)

Words used above

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성싶다seongsipdato seem / feel somewhat so

-을 성싶다-eul seongsipdaseems likely to…

짐작jimjakguess

듯하다deuthadaseems — neighbour

보다bodaguess auxiliary — neighbour

Quick check

No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.

1. You look at the sky, feel the air, and say what you sense is coming. Which line is a guess rather than a forecast?

2. You arrive at a dark flat and guess that your flatmate already left. Which adnominal does that job?

3. You are explaining why a price looks believable to you. Which line leans on reasoning rather than feel?

Common questions

Dictionary?

우리말샘 성싶다 「001」: after verb/adjective adnominal — sensing or guessing that state.

Tone?

Soft, often spoken forecast — weather, hunches.

Vs -는 듯하다?

-는 듯하다 is also soft appearance. 성싶다 is the auxiliary adjective package.

Café soft?

것 같아요 / 듯해요. Keep 성싶다 when you want that older soft colour.