Korean · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 4 of 12
Science and technology
과학과 기술Gwahakgwa gisul
Explain how something works in Korean: the passive with -되다, -받다 and -아지다, cause and effect, and “the more …, the more” with -ㄹ수록.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Explain a process with passive verbs: -되다, -받다, -아 / -어지다
- Link cause and effect with -(으)로 인해, -에 따라 and -(으)ㅁ으로써
- Say “the more …, the more …” with -(으)면 -(으)ㄹ수록
- Explain steps clearly: first …, then …, and so …
Listen
In Gangneung, engineer Yang Seoyun visits Mr Noh Byeongcheol, 68, to explain how solar panels on his roof would work. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Mr Noh
어서 와요. 우리 집 지붕에 태양광 패널을 설치하면 전기 요금이 정말 줄어들어요? 옆집도 작년에 설치했다고 하던데, 나도 궁금해서요.
Eoseo wayo. Uri jip jibunge taeyanggwang paeneoreul seolchihamyeon jeongi yogeumi jeongmal jureodeureoyo? Yeopjipdo jangnyeone seolchihaetdago hadeonde, nado gunggeumhaeseoyo.
Come in. If I put solar panels on my roof, will my electricity bill really go down? The people next door had them put in last year, so I'm curious.
Seoyun
네, 선생님. 먼저 원리부터 간단히 설명드릴게요. 햇빛이 패널에 닿으면 빛 에너지가 전기로 변환됩니다. 이렇게 만들어진 전기는 집에서 바로 사용되고요.
Ne, seonsaengnim. Meonjeo wollibuteo gandanhi seolmyeongdeurilgeyo. Haetbichi paeneore daeumyeon bit eneojiga jeongiro byeonhwandoemnida. Ireoke mandeureojin jeongineun jibeseo baro sayongdoegoyo.
Yes, sir. Let me first explain briefly how it works. When sunlight hits the panel, the light energy is converted into electricity. The electricity made this way is used straight away in the house.
Mr Noh
그럼 해가 없는 밤에는 어떻게 해요? 비가 오는 날도 있고.
Geureom haega eomneun bameneun eotteoke haeyo? Biga oneun naldo itgo.
Then what happens at night, when there's no sun? And there are rainy days too.
Seoyun
그래서 배터리가 필요합니다. 낮에 쓰고 남은 전기는 배터리에 저장되고, 밤에는 그 전기를 쓰시면 됩니다. 물론 흐린 날에는 햇빛이 약해지기 때문에 생산되는 전기도 줄어들어요.
Geuraeseo baeteoriga piryohamnida. Naje sseugo nameun jeongineun baeteorie jeojangdoego, bameneun geu jeongireul sseusimyeon doemnida. Mullon heurin nareneun haetbichi yakaejigi ttaemune saengsandoeneun jeongido jureodeureoyo.
That's why you need a battery. The electricity left over during the day is stored in the battery, and at night you simply use that. Of course, on cloudy days the sunlight is weaker, so less electricity is produced.
Mr Noh
그렇군요. 그런데 설치 비용이 꽤 비싸다고 들었어요. 우리 같은 사람한테는 부담이 될 것 같은데요.
Geureokunyo. Geureonde seolchi biyongi kkwae bissadago deureosseoyo. Uri gateun saramhanteneun budami doel geot gateundeyo.
I see. But I've heard that it's quite expensive to put in. I imagine that's a burden for people like us.
Seoyun
처음에는 비용이 부담되실 수도 있어요. 그런데 강릉시에서 설치비 일부를 지원해 줘요. 게다가 전기를 많이 쓰시면 쓰실수록 절약되는 요금도 커집니다.
Cheoeumeneun biyongi budamdoesil sudo isseoyo. Geureonde Gangneungsieseo seolchibi ilbureul jiwonhae jwoyo. Gedaga jeongireul mani sseusimyeon sseusilsurok jeoryakdoeneun yogeumdo keojimnida.
The cost may feel like a burden at first. But the city of Gangneung pays part of the installation cost. On top of that, the more electricity you use, the more you save on your bill.
Mr Noh
그래요? 그건 몰랐네요. 그럼 설치는 어떻게 해요? 공사가 오래 걸려요?
Geuraeyo? Geugeon mollanneyo. Geureom seolchineun eotteoke haeyo? Gongsaga orae geollyeoyo?
Really? I didn't know that. So how is it put in? Does the work take long?
Seoyun
아니요, 보통 하루면 끝납니다. 먼저 저희 기사님이 지붕 상태를 확인합니다. 그다음에 패널을 설치하고 배터리와 연결하면, 그날부터 바로 전기를 쓰시게 됩니다.
Aniyo, botong harumyeon kkeunnamnida. Meonjeo jeohui gisanimi jibung sangtaereul hwaginhamnida. Geudaeume paeneoreul seolchihago baeteoriwa yeongyeolhamyeon, geunalbuteo baro jeongireul sseusige doemnida.
No, it usually takes just a day. First, our technician checks the condition of the roof. Then we install the panels and connect them to the battery, and you can use the electricity from that same day.
Mr Noh
생각보다 간단하네요. 그런데 요즘 태양광이 왜 이렇게 주목받는 거예요? 뉴스에도 자주 나오던데요.
Saenggakboda gandanhaneyo. Geureonde yojeum taeyanggwangi wae ireoke jumokbanneun geoyeyo? Nyuseuedo jaju naodeondeyo.
That's simpler than I thought. But why is solar power getting so much attention these days? It's on the news all the time.
Seoyun
기후 변화로 인해 깨끗한 에너지가 더 중요해졌기 때문이에요. 또 기술이 발전함에 따라 패널 효율은 높아지고 가격은 많이 내려갔고요.
Gihu byeonhwaro inhae kkaekkeutan eneojiga deo jungyohaejyeotgi ttaemunieyo. Tto gisuri baljeonhame ttara paeneol hyoyureun nopajigo gagyeogeun mani naeryeogatgoyo.
It's because clean energy has become more important as a result of climate change. And as the technology has developed, panels have become more efficient and a lot cheaper.
Mr Noh
그러니까 우리 집에서 태양광을 쓰면 환경도 지키고 돈도 아낄 수 있다는 거네요.
Geureonikka uri jibeseo taeyanggwangeul sseumyeon hwangyeongdo jikigo dondo akkil su itdaneun geoneyo.
So what you're saying is, if I use solar power at home, I can protect the environment and save money too.
Seoyun
맞습니다. 태양광 전기를 사용함으로써 요금도 아끼고 환경도 보호할 수 있습니다. 자세한 비용은 내일까지 문자로 보내 드릴게요.
Matseumnida. Taeyanggwang jeongireul sayonghameurosseo yogeumdo akkigo hwangyeongdo bohohal su itseumnida. Jasehan biyongeun naeilkkaji munjaro bonae deurilgeyo.
Exactly. By using solar electricity, you can both save on your bills and protect the environment. I'll text you the detailed costs by tomorrow.
Understand
The passive in depth
Explanations of how things work are full of passive verbs, where the thing an action happens to becomes the subject: (jeongiga byeonhwandoemnida), the electricity is converted. You know two kinds from B1: verbs with 이 / 히 / 리 / 기 (i / hi / ri / gi), such as (yeollida), to be opened, and -아 / -어지다 (-a / -eojida): (mandeureojida), to be made.
Most Sino-Korean verbs with (hada) form their passive with (doeda): (sayonghada), to use → (sayongdoeda), to be used; (jeojanghada) → (jeojangdoeda), to be stored. A few nouns take (batda), to receive, when someone is on the receiving end of attention, praise or help: (jumokbatda), to get attention; (jiwonbatda), to get support.
Everyday speech prefers active sentences with a person as the subject: (gisanimi paeneoreul seolchihaeyo), the technician installs the panels. The passive sounds more technical, which is why it is so common in science, news and instructions.
| Type | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| 이 / 히 / 리 / 기 | (sseuda), to use | (sseuida), to be used |
| -아 / -어지다 (-a / -eojida) | (mandeulda), to make | (mandeureojida), to be made |
| 하다 → 되다 (hada → doeda) | (saengsanhada), to produce | (saengsandoeda), to be produced |
| 하다 → 되다 (hada → doeda) | (gaebalhada), to develop | (gaebaldoeda), to be developed |
| 받다 (batda) | (jumokhada), to pay attention | (jumokbatda), to get attention |
Cause and effect
Besides -아서 (-aseo), -(으)니까 (-(eu)nikka) and -기 때문에 (-gi ttaemune), explanations use some more formal links. -(으)로 인해 (-(eu)ro inhae), because of, due to, follows a noun: (gihu byeonhwaro inhae), because of climate change. -에 따라 (-e ttara) means “depending on, as … changes”: (nalssie ttara), depending on the weather. After a verb, turn it into a noun with -(으)ㅁ (-(eu)m) first: (gisuri baljeonhame ttara), as technology develops.
-(으)ㅁ으로써 (-(eu)meurosseo) means “by doing”: (taeyanggwangeul sayonghameurosseo), by using solar power. It is formal and sounds like writing or a presentation; in conversation -아서 (-aseo) or -(으)면 (-(eu)myeon) is more usual.
| Korean | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|
| -기 때문에 (-gi ttaemune) | because | everyday and formal |
| -(으)로 인해 (-(eu)ro inhae) | because of, due to (after a noun) | formal, news and writing |
| -에 따라 (-e ttara), -(으)ㅁ에 따라 (-(eu)me ttara) | depending on, as … changes | formal, explanations |
| -(으)ㅁ으로써 (-(eu)meurosseo) | by doing | formal, writing |
| (geu gyeolgwa) | as a result | starts a sentence |
- 태풍으로 인해 비행기가 결항되었습니다.Taepungeuro inhae bihaenggiga gyeolhangdoeeotseumnida.The flight was cancelled because of the typhoon.
- 계절에 따라 생산되는 전기가 달라요.Gyejeore ttara saengsandoeneun jeongiga dallayo.The amount of electricity produced depends on the season.
The more …, the more: -(으)면 -(으)ㄹ수록
To say “the more …, the more …”, repeat the verb: first with -(으)면 (-(eu)myeon), then with -(으)ㄹ수록 (-(eu)lsurok): (mani sseumyeon sseulsurok), the more you use; (almyeon alsurok jaemiisseoyo), the more you know, the more interesting it gets. With honorifics, both halves take -시- (-si-): (sseusimyeon sseusilsurok). The first half can be left out: (ppareulsurok joayo), the sooner, the better.
To explain steps, Seoyun uses (meonjeo), first, (geudaeume), then, and -(으)면 … -게 됩니다 (-(eu)myeon … -ge doemnida) for the result: (yeongyeolhamyeon … sseusige doemnida), once we connect it, you'll be able to use it.
- 한국어는 배우면 배울수록 재미있어요.Hangugeoneun baeumyeon baeulsurok jaemiisseoyo.The more you learn Korean, the more fun it gets.
- 패널이 클수록 전기가 많이 생산됩니다.Paeneori keulsurok jeongiga mani saengsandoemnida.The bigger the panel, the more electricity is produced.
More in the grammar: Reasons: -아서/-어서, -(으)니까, -기 때문에 · -게 되다 and -아/어지다: how things turn out · Passive and causative verbs
New words
- 태양광taeyanggwangsolar power, sunlight (as energy) · (taeyanggwang paeneol), solar panel
- 패널paeneolpanel
- 설치하다seolchihadato install, to put in · (seolchibi), installation cost; (jibunge seolchihada), to put on the roof (, jibung)
- 전기jeongielectricity · (jeongi yogeum), electricity bill (, charge); (yogeumi jureodeureoyo), the bill goes down (, to decrease)
- 원리wolliprinciple, how something works · (wollibuteo seolmyeongdeurilgeyo), let me explain (, seolmyeonghada) the principle first
- 햇빛haetbitsunlight · (haetbichi paeneore daayo), sunlight reaches (, data) the panel
- 에너지eneojienergy · (gihu byeonhwa), climate change; (hwangyeongeul bohohada), to protect the environment
- 변환되다byeonhwandoedato be converted · (jeongiro byeonhwandoeda), to be converted into electricity
- 배터리baeteoribattery
- 저장하다jeojanghadato store, to save (a file) · passive: (jeojangdoeda), to be stored
- 생산되다saengsandoedato be produced · active: (saengsanhada), to produce
- 비용biyongcost · (biyongi budamdwaeyo), the cost is a burden (, budam)
- 절약하다jeoryakhadato save (money, energy) · (yogeumi jeoryakdoeda), to save on the bill; in everyday speech (doneul akkida), to save money
- 효율hyoyulefficiency · (hyoyuri nopda), to be efficient
Practise
1.What is the passive of (sayonghada), to use?
2.Seoyun explains the principle. Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.When sunlight hits the panel, it is converted into electricity.
3.Match the Korean with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
4.How do you say “The more you learn Korean, the more fun it gets”?
5.Seoyun says (gihu byeonhwaro inhae). What does it mean?
6.Which sentence means “Solar power is getting a lot of attention these days”?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
먼저 원리부터 간단히 설명드릴게요.
Meonjeo wollibuteo gandanhi seolmyeongdeurilgeyo.
Let me first explain briefly how it works.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.