italki - V+기가 무섭게/바쁘게 - How do I remember this grammar point?? Hello!I don't know how to remember this gramma

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Vivien Neko

V+기가 무섭게/바쁘게 - How do I remember this grammar point??

Hello!

I don't know how to remember this grammar point. I can't connect it with ANYTHING and I don't know why 무섭게/바쁘게 is used here, I immediately think of the literal meanings.
(For example 아침에 눈을 뜨기가 무섭게 집에서 나왔어요.)

How do I remember this?? Does anybody know why it's 무섭게/바쁘게?? It's so weird that it means "Right after doing something".

Thanks in advance!

2019년 3월 11일 오전 10:51

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It's a good question. I can see how it can sound weird even though it's so natural to native speakers.

You can understand the phrase as a reference to a dire situation, associating the gravity with those things rather than any proper logic. It describes acting with a great urgency as if nothing else matters. 무섭게 likens it to running away in fear, while 바쁘게 evokes an extremely urgent matter that demands immediate attention.

There is another common expression 부리나케 which comes from 불이 나게 (causing fire, as if on fire).

So think of it as: in great fear(무섭게), on some urgent business(바쁘게), or as if something is on fire (부리나케).

They are much like "as if their tail/ass is on fire" in English.

2019년 3월 11일

Your answer is awesome! I was trying to answer this question but couldn't explain why we use it as a native speaker. I never thought about why we use it. Great work!

2019년 3월 11일

Vivien Neko

언어 구사 능력

카탈로니아어, 중국어(북경어), 영어, 프랑스어, 독일어, 일본어, 한국어, 러시아어, 스페인어

학습 언어

카탈로니아어, 중국어(북경어), 프랑스어, 일본어, 한국어, 러시아어

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