안녕하세요 everyone! It's Koreanstudyjunkie~ Today, I'm going to talk about a couple ways to say "Or" in Korean.
N+(이)나
(-이)나 is used to say "or" and can only be attached to nouns. It has a few different usages itself.
Conjugation:
consonant: ~이나
vowel: ~나
First Usage:
a simple choice between to things or expressing “or”.
Examples:
저는 캐나다나 미국에서 일하고 싶어요.
I want to work in Canada or America.
내일 영화관이나 박뭘관에 갈 거에요.
Tomorrow we are going to go to the movie theater or a museum.
Second Usage:
gives a meaning of “this or something similar”. to Indicate the speaker would rather do something else, but is choosing the thing specified as the last result.
This has a nuance that, while [noun] may not be the best thing, it’s acceptable at least
Examples:
라면이나 먹자.
= let’s eat ramen or something.
영화나 볼 거에요.
= I will watch a movie or something.
Third Usage:
can be added to a number or amount to indicate that something was more than expected.
Examples:
기묘한 이야기를 세번이나 봤어.
= I watched stranger things (as many as) three times.
커피를 하루에 다섯 잔이나 마셔요?
Do you drink coffee 5 times a day? (you drink a lot)
집에 친구들이 20명이나 왔어요.
20 friends came to my home. (a lot of friends!)
FOURTH USAGE:
Here’s another way (이)나 can be used :
added to certain question words, to form new words like:
언제나 – Anytime / all the time
어디나 – everywere
무엇이나 – anything / whatever
누구나 – everyone (a bit positive)
아무나 – anyone (a bit negative)
This grammar can also take on the shape of “아무 N+(이)나” to express “any N.”
For example:
아무 스포츠나 = any sports
아무 음식이나 = any food
아무 영화나 = any movie
V-거나
Similar to (이)나, except it can only be used with verbs. ~(이)나 can be attached to nouns or adverbs.
By attaching ~거나 to a verb, the speaker indicates that it hasn’t been decided which action will be completed.
Examples:
이 문제가 너무 어렵거나 도움이 필요하면 교무실로 오세요.
= If this question/problem is too difficult or you need help, come to the office
내일은 영화를 보거나 등산을 갈 거예요.
= Tomorrow I will either see a movie or go hiking.
행복하거나 친구랑 있을 땐 술을 마셔요.
= When I’m happy or with friends I drink alcohol.
외로울 때는 책을 읽거나 영화를 봐요.
= When I’m lonely I read a book or watch a movie.
SECOND USAGE:
Another usage of -거나:
Combine question words like 누구, 어디, 무엇, 언제 etc., with VST-거나 (간에) (the 간에 is optional), to highlight the irrelevance of that clause.
Sidenote: It’s more common to just use the 든지 to create a meaning like : “whatever” “whenever” “whoever” “wherever” and so on which is used to express the same thing.
While all this might sound complicated, it makes more sense by looking at some examples:
무엇을 하건 간에 열심히 해야 돼요.
(거나 can be shortened into 건)
= Whatever you do, you have to work hard.
나는 언제 일본에 가건 간에 친구를 만난다.
= Whenever I go to Japan, I meet my friend.
LAST USAGE:
It is also possible to include ~거나 (or ~(이)나) twice in the same sentence – attached to both possible actions (or options).
In these types of sentences the meaning changes to “whether or not”.
For example:
비가 오거나 안 오거나 중요하지 않아요.
=It’s not important if it rains or not (doesn’t rain).
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