Grammar Advanced TOPIK II · Level 5–6 Advanced Korean 1 · expression

-는 이상

-는 이상: Now That / Given That — Already In That State

Pattern 이상 「009」 after -은/-는: given that it is already so — then the following follows.

Before this, make sure you know: -(으)니까 , -아요 / -어요

How to form it

When	Form	Example
Verb + -는 이상	-는 이상	하는 이상 / 가는 이상
Past / adjective + -(으)ㄴ 이상	-(으)ㄴ 이상	시작한 이상 / 학생인 이상

-는 이상 means now that / given that — already being in that state, what follows holds.

Why this is hard

It is not English ideal 이상. Learners read the noun as ‘more than’ or ‘ideal’ and miss the connective job: since we are already here, Y follows — often duty, conclusion, or refusal to pretend otherwise.

What it does

You take a settled state as the premise for what comes next.

시작한 이상 끝까지 해요.
학생인 이상 규칙을 지켜야 해요.
아는 이상 모른 척할 수 없어요.
온 이상 만나고 가요.

Forms

Adnominal + 이상 — -는 이상, -(으)ㄴ 이상, 인 이상.

When not to use it

Do not read it as ‘ideal’ or ‘more than’ only. Do not use it when the premise state is not settled. Do not confuse it with -는 법이다 natural law.

Neighbours — and why they differ

Form	Why it is not this slot
-는 법이다	Natural way of things — not ‘given that’.
-으니까	Spoken reason — broader, lighter.
기에	Because / since — different shape.

Advice after a decision loves this frame. Soften upward; the conclusion can sound firm.

Classroom examples should keep the meaning concrete: one clear scene beats three vague glosses. If a neighbour form already says the same thing more lightly, prefer the lighter tool unless register demands this one.

Ask: am I saying ‘given we are already in X, Y follows’? If yes, -는 이상. If you mean natural law, use -는 법이다.

Do not confuse it with

-(으)니까

because (works before commands and suggestions)

-거든①

because, you see — explaining something the listener did not know

-잖아(요)

you know — and why it can sound accusing

Taught alongside this

On the jabi learning path, this appears in 표현 (expression) — Advanced Korean 1, Unit 4, on the theme of expression. These come with it:

-는다니1 what are they telling me to…? — asking what the order was -었던 that had been… — past modifier with a lingering sense 에 관하여 regarding, about — the written 에 관하여 / 관한 -자기에 because one decides to… — contracted -자고 하기에 (청유 인용 + 이유), pair of -는다기에 -게 마련이다 bound to be — naturally so (-기/게 마련이다) -게 생겼다 have ended up (badly)… — negative predicament with -게 생기다 -기 나름이다 depends on how you… — the outcome varies with the method -기가 바쁘게 as soon as — barely finishing one thing before the next -기가 쉽다 easy to… / prone to — a tendency that comes naturally -기만 하다 only does… — limiting the action to just that -기에 따라 depending on… — outcomes that change with the condition -기에 앞서(서) before doing… — prior to the step you name -은 나머지 as a result of… — the outcome that follows from that act -는 데다가 and on top of that — stacking one fact onto another -는 동시에 at the same time as — two things in the same moment -는 듯하다 seems to… — a soft guess from appearance -는 법이다 it is natural that… — a general rule of how things go -은 채로 while still… — leaving it in the state it already has -는 척하다 pretend to… — acting as if -는 가운데 in the midst of — while that situation continues 는 말할 것도 없고 not to mention — A goes without saying, and B too (는/은 말할 것도 없고) -을 만하다 worth doing / decent enough — worth the effort or acceptable -을 법하다 likely to… — a reasonable prediction -을 테다 will (for sure) — a strong expectation about what follows -을 테면 if you are going to… — setting a condition for a plan -을 테지만 will, but… — expecting one thing and contrasting another -으려나 보다 I guess they mean to… — reading someone's likely intention 를 가지고 with, using — taking that as the means or topic -으면 몰라도 only if… — the following holds only under that (unreal / opposite) condition 에도 불구하고 despite — in spite of that noun situation -는데도 even though — contrast after a clause, softer than 지만 -어 내다 manage to… — pushing through until it is done -는다기에 because they say… — the reported claim is the reason -는다는 것이 meant to…, but — intention (-는다고 하는 것이) whose result diverged -는데도 불구하고 even so — despite the whole preceding clause

Words used above

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-는 이상-neun isangnow that / given that…

이상isangbeyond / given that

시작sijakstart

약속yaksokpromise

책임chaegimduty

Quick check

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

1. You have made the trip — given that settled fact, leaving without meeting seems wrong. Which line says so?

2. Given that someone is a student, duty follows — which line uses -인 이상 correctly?

3. Given a settled commitment, duty follows — you need that weight over plain spoken reason. Which line is right?

Common questions

Dictionary?

우리말샘 이상 「009」: after -은/-는 — given that it is already so.

Vs -니까?

-(으)니까 is a plain reason. -는 이상 often adds ‘now that we’re in it, we should…’.

Strange 이상?

Trap: 이상하다 ‘weird’ is another sense family. This page is the ‘given that’ seat.

Tone?

Often resolve / duty after a commitment.