I am not pausing on the powerful post modifier -(으)ㄴ. I say it’s powerful because you can do complex sentences with it. My post today is actually still related to this modifier. There is another expression I learned that connotes has ever done or has never done.
The nouns 일 (il) and 적 (jeok) both mean event, act, experience. When used in along with verb 있어요 (isseoyo) and 없어요 (opseoyo) would mean:
- 일이 있어요 (iri isseoyo) – the event, experience or act exists
- 적이 있어요 (jeoki isseoyo) – the event, experience or act exists
- 일이 없어요 (iri opseoyo) – the event, experience or act don’t exists
- 적이 없어요 (jeoki opseoyo) – the event, experience or act don’t exists
This phrase is compatible and in almost all cases used with exploratory pattern (verb) -어 본. Previously, I made a post on using the verb 보다 with another verb to mean try to do something. So the complete pattern would be verb+본 일이 있어요 or verb+본 적이 없어요. Of course 일 is interchangeable with 적.
태국에 가 본 일이 있어요? (Taeguke ka bon iri isseoyo?) It literally means Does having gone to Thailand exists? but it actually means ‘Have you ever been to Thailand? ‘
You can actually answer:
- 네, 태국에 가 본 일이 있어요. (Ne, taeguke ka bun iri isseoyo) Yes, I have been to Thailand.
- 태국에 가 본 적이 없어요 (Taeguke ka bun jeoki opseoyo) I have never been to Thailand.
When I was learning Korean during my first few weeks, i spent time to memorize Korean characters (Hangul) and the first thing I did was to try write my name in Hangul. Now I have a question: 이름을 한글로 써 본 일이 있어요?
