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Grammar Advanced TOPIK II · Level 5–6 Advanced Korean 2 · final ending

-는구만

-는구만: So It Is… — Casual Realisation

Ending: so it is… — noticing a newly realised fact (casual).

Before this, make sure you know: -는구먼 , -아요 / -어요

How to form it

When Form Example
Processive -는구만 가는구만 / 하는구만 / 오는구만
Descriptive -구만 좋구만 / 많구만

-는구만 marks casual realisation — oh, so it is….

Close to -는구먼, often looser. Not blank -네① report.

Why this is hard

Another 구 ending. Learners stop differentiating. -는구만’s job is noticing newly with casual colour.

What it does

비가 오는구만.
벌써 가는구만.
잘 하는구만.
여기 있구만.

Forms

-는구만 / -구만.

가다 → 가는구만
좋다 → 좋구만

When not to use it

Do not use it as blank report — -네①.

Do not use it as archaic -는구려.

Do not use it as a command.

Neighbours — and why they differ

FormWhy it is not this slot
-는구먼Same family — often less casual.
-네Living discovery coat.
-네①하게 flat report.

Ask: casual noticing? If yes, -는구만. If blank report, -네①.

Classroom tip: if you can swap in 아, 그렇구나 without changing the speech act, you are in the noticing family — then choose -구먼 vs -구만 by how casual the room feels.

Do not confuse it with

-는구먼

oh, so it is… — noticing a newly realised fact

-네 / -네요

noticing something out loud — mild surprise, said to yourself and to others

-네1

plain statement — the 하게체 -네 that just reports

Taught alongside this

On the jabi learning path, this appears in 종결어미 (final ending) — Advanced Korean 2, Unit 3, on the theme of final ending. These come with it:

-는구려 how…! — a mild, slightly archaic exclamation -는구먼 oh, so it is… — noticing a newly realised fact -그려 you know / indeed — particle stressing the point to the listener -으리라 I shall… / it will… — resolve, or speculation about the situation -으오 …o — the old polite ending of formal speech -으니4 how dare… / some…! — blaming or scolding with -으니 -거들랑2 you should know… — telling the listener something they do not know (종결) -게3 do it — the 하게체 command -게4 mind you / see here — drawing the point back into view -구려2 do it, won't you — a soft command -네1 plain statement — the 하게체 -네 that just reports -는가2 the question is… — raising the issue rather than asking casually -나2 …? — a bare question to yourself or someone close -던2 was it…? — asking about what you experienced before -던가1 was it…, from experience? — past question from what you lived -던가2 was it…, I wonder? — past question as a guess -라2 plain statement — -라 after 이다-type stems -으리오 how could it…? — rhetorical pushback, often with lament -소 …so — the old polite style of shopkeepers and elders

Words used above

Tap the speaker to hear it read aloud by your browser.

-는구만-neungumanso it is… (casual noticing)
-구만-gumandescriptive form
깨달음kkaedareumrealisation
캐주얼kaejueolcasual tone
구먼gumeonrelated noticing coat

Quick check

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

1. You look outside and only now see the rain. The room is loose, not half-formal. Which line?

2. You only now see them leaving, and the room is loose. Which line is that casual notice?

3. The room feels good, and you just noticed. It is a descriptive, not an action in progress. Which line?

Common questions

Job?

Casual ‘oh, so that’s how it is’ noticing.

Vs -는구먼?

-는구먼 is the close cousin; -구만 often looser.

Vs -네?

-네 is living discovery. Keep the -구만 coat on this page.

Register?

Spoken, casual — company-dependent.