Korean grammar patterns › Level 2
-는 것
nominalizer: turns a verb into a noun (doing, the act of -ing)
Level 2 · TOPIK I · beginner
How to use it
Turns a verb phrase into a noun so it can be a subject or object: 노래하는 것을 좋아해요 'I like singing'. In speech 것이 → 게, 것을 → 걸, 것은 → 건.
Forming it
| 보다 | → 보는 것 |
| 먹다 | → 먹는 것 |
| 만들다 | → 만드는 것 |
| 듣다 | → 듣는 것 |
Use -는 for present/general actions; for a past action use -(으)ㄴ 것 (어제 먹은 것). Don't drop 것: ✗ 음악을 듣는 좋아해요.
Examples
저는 음악을 듣는 것을 좋아해요.
I like listening to music.
외국어를 배우는 게 생각보다 어려워요.
Learning a foreign language is harder than I thought.
Compared with similar patterns
-기 is shorter and mostly used in fixed patterns, lists and headings; -는 것 is the general, flexible nominalizer.