-는 것
-는 것: Turning a Clause Into a Noun
Turns a clause into a noun phrase so you can treat an action or situation as a thing.
How to form it
| When | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Action verb, ongoing / general | stem + -는 것 | 먹다 → 먹는 것 / 사다 → 사는 것 |
| Past action / completed state (adnominal) | stem + -은/-ㄴ 것 | 먹다 → 먹은 것 / 가다 → 간 것 |
| Future / prospective (adnominal) | stem + -을/-ㄹ 것 | 먹다 → 먹을 것 / 가다 → 갈 것 |
| 것이 as subject (spoken) | 것이 → 게 | 먹는 것이 → 먹는 게 |
-는 것 lets you treat a whole situation as a thing — something you can like, suggest, compare, or put after a particle.
불고기를 해 먹는 게 어때요? is not “eating” as a bare verb. It is the option of cooking and eating bulgogi held up as a noun, then asked about.
Forms
| Shape | Job |
|---|---|
| -는 것 | action as ongoing / general fact |
| -은/-ㄴ 것 | completed or past-flavoured modifier + 것 |
| -을/-ㄹ 것 | prospective modifier + 것 (not the same as -을 것 같다) |
| 것이 → 게 | spoken subject form |
한국 음식을 먹는 것을 좋아해요. I like eating Korean food.
한국어를 배우는 게 재미있어요. Learning Korean is fun.
내일 할 것을 적어요. Write down what you’ll do tomorrow.Not a sermon
우리말샘 lists 것 also in firm it is that… patterns (-는 것이다). That stance is heavier than shopping-unit nominalisation. If you only mean “the act of V-ing,” keep the lighter noun use — do not preach.
Not -을 것 같다
| Pattern | Job |
|---|---|
| -는 것 | clause → noun |
| -을 것 같다 | “seems / I guess” |
먹을 것 같다 and 먹는 것 share the syllable 것; they do not share the job.
Particles still apply
Once you have a noun, Korean wants a particle:
- 것을 — object (먹는 것을 좋아해요)
- 게 / 것이 — subject (먹는 게 좋아요요)
- With 을/를 and topic marking, treat it like any other noun phrase
Vs -기
-기 (-기) is the compact noun form of a verb. -는 것 keeps more of the clause and the adnominal tense system. English -ing hides the split; Korean does not.
Unit twin
Same shopping unit as -는데①: one softens background talk; this one packages the idea as a noun you can propose (…게 어때요?).
Do not confuse it with
Taught alongside this
On the jabi learning path, this appears in 불고기를 해 먹는 게 어때요? (How about cooking and eating bulgogi?) — Beginner Korean 2, Unit 4, on the theme of grocery shopping. These come with it:
Words used above
Quick check
No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.
1. In 불고기를 해 먹는 게 어때요?, what is 게 doing?
2. How is -는 것 different from -을 것 같다?
3. Which mistake mixes sermon tone with simple nominalisation?
Common questions
Is 게 always okay instead of 것이?
In casual speech, 것이 often becomes 게 when it is the subject (먹는 게 좋아요요). Keep 것을 when you need the object form; do not invent 걸 everywhere without hearing it first.
Do I need past -은 것 as a beginner?
Sejong’s early unit highlights -는 것. Past and prospective adnominals (-은/-을 것) follow the same 'modifier + 것' idea once you meet them — do not force every past event into -는 것 alone.
When do I use -기 instead?
gi-nominal is the plain verb-to-noun ending (먹기). -는 것 keeps more clause structure and tense flavour. They overlap in English translation but are not free swaps before every particle and predicate.
Is this the same as -는데?
No. neunde1 softens or backgrounds a clause before the main point. -는 것 turns the clause into a noun so particles and predicates can attach.
Seen in the wild
Lessons where this pattern showed up in real Korean — news, slang, drama lines.
