Jonathan
How to say 'tell about what they did'? Hello everyone! I'm translating some phrases from a book and I can't translate this one: The children tell about what they did at school. The only thing I don't know is how to say 'about what they did', I know that 'to talk about something' is 에 대해 말하다 but with a verb the '에' is added normally? It would be right to say: 아이들이 뭐 학교에서 했다에 대해 말해요 ? Thanks!
Aug 28, 2014 8:06 PM
Answers · 3
1
I am not so good with grammar but you already have the verb in the sentence which is "말해요" and you don't want two verbs in one sentence. "했다" is verb and you need to change this verb to different form which is "했는지" and then you put "에" after "했는지". I don't know why but this is how we speak/write Korean. Or you can leave out "에" in this case. 아이들이 학교에서 무엇을/뭘 했는지에 대해서 말했어요. or 아이들이 학교에서 무엇을 했는지 말했어요
August 28, 2014
1
Hi Jonathan, Sewon's answer explains pretty much and I just want to add more information here. "What + (Subject) + Verb" may be translated in two ways; one as "~는 것" and the other one as "무엇을 ~ 는지". 1. ~ 는 것 Ex.1 (with Subject) - 그들이 학교에서 한 것 = what they did at school (--> 아이들이 오늘 학교에서 한 것에 대해 말했어요 = The children talked about what they did at school today). - 어제 내가 산 것 = what I bought yesterday (--> 어제 내가 산 것을 방금 잃어버렸어요! => 어제 산 걸 방금 잃어버렸어요! = I lost what I bought yesterday just before!) - 그녀가 좋아하는 것 = what she likes (--> 그녀가 좋아하는 것은 저도 좋아해요 => 그녀가 좋아하는 건 저도 좋아해요 = I like what she likes). Ex.2 (without Subject) - 중요한 것 = what matters, what is important (--> 지금 중요한 것은 우리가 길을 잃었다는 것이에요 => 지금 중요한 건 우리가 길을 잃었다는 거에요 = what is important at this moment is that we are lost). - 나를 웃게 만드는 것 = what makes me laugh (--> 지금 저를 웃게 만드는 것은 저 사람의 행동이에요 => 지금 저를 웃게 만드는 건 저 사람의 행동이에요 = what makes me laugh right now is that person's behaviour). - 너를 짜증나게 하는 것 = what annoys you (--> 이 문제가 너를 짜증나게 하는 것이야? => 이 문제가 널 짜증나게 하는거야? = Is this matter what annoys you?) 2. 무엇을 ~는지 Ex. (-->same as Ex.1 above except that "~는 것" changes to "~는지") - 그들이 학교에서 무엇을 했는지 = what they did at school - 어제 내가 무엇을 샀는지 = what I bought yesterday - 그녀가 무엇을 좋아하는지 = = what she likes Hope it helps.
August 29, 2014
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