-기는
No Way, Not at All
-기는 is a conversational pattern used to strongly disagree with or dismiss what someone has just said.
How It Works
The grammar pattern -기는 is a powerful tool in conversation for expressing strong disagreement or dismissal. It directly contradicts a statement made by another person or a presupposition.
How to use:
Attach -기는 directly to the stem of a verb or adjective. For nouns, you attach -이기는 after a noun ending in a consonant (e.g., 편의점이기는) and -기는 after a noun ending in a vowel (e.g., 의사기는).
Key Functions:
1. Strong Contradiction / Dismissal
This is the primary use. It's often used to refute a compliment, an assumption, or a question. The tone can range from humble disagreement to outright dismissal, depending on the context and intonation.
- A: 한국어 정말 잘하시네요! (You speak Korean really well!)
B: 잘하기는요. 아직 멀었어요. (Well? Not at all. I still have a long way to go.)
2. Expressing the Opposite
It emphasizes that the reality is the opposite of what was suggested. The clause following -기는 almost always presents the contrasting truth.
- A: 숙제 다 했어? (Did you finish your homework?)
B: 다 하기는. 이제 시작해야 돼. (Finish it? On the contrary, I have to start now.)
Common Forms:
- -기는요: A common and slightly more polite way to use the pattern, especially when disagreeing with a compliment.
- -기는 뭘: A more casual and sometimes blunt way to express dismissal. (e.g., 고맙기는 뭘. - Don't mention it. / Thanks for what?)
This pattern is fundamentally rhetorical. You repeat the other person's word to set up your contradiction, making it a very direct and impactful way to disagree in conversation.
Examples (4)
- A: 한국어 정말 잘하시네요!
B: 잘하기는요. 아직도 배울 게 많아요.
A: You speak Korean really well! B: Well? Not at all. I still have a lot to learn.
Word by Word: A: Korean really well you do! B: Do well? Still things to learn are many.
Speaker B uses '잘하기는요' to humbly refute the compliment that they speak Korean well, immediately following it with the reality that they still have much to learn.
- A: 시험 쉬웠지?
B: 쉽기는. 너무 어려워서 거의 다 틀렸어.
A: The test was easy, right? B: Easy? Are you kidding me? It was so difficult I got almost everything wrong.
Word by Word: A: Test was easy, right? B: Easy? So difficult almost all was wrong.
Here, '쉽기는' strongly contradicts the idea that the test was easy. The following sentence explains just how difficult it actually was.
- A: 이 근처에 편의점 있어요?
B: 편의점이기는요. 여기는 시골이라 가게가 하나도 없어요.
A: Is there a convenience store around here? B: A convenience store? Not a chance. This is the countryside, so there are no stores at all.
Word by Word: A: This near a convenience store is there? B: A convenience store? Here is countryside so stores one even are not.
This example shows the pattern used with a noun (편의점 + 이기는요). It dismisses the possibility of a convenience store and explains why.
- A: 피곤해 보여. 어제 잠 많이 잤어?
B: 잠을 자기는. 밤새 일했어.
A: You look tired. Did you get a lot of sleep last night? B: Sleep? Far from it. I worked all night.
Word by Word: A: Look tired. Yesterday sleep a lot did you sleep? B: Sleep? All night I worked.
Instead of a simple 'no', '자기는' is used to emphasize the complete opposite of sleeping occurred.
Common Mistakes
Using -기는 as a simple negation without a follow-up contradictory statement.
Not Quite저는 아침을 먹기는.Better아침을 먹기는요. 시간이 없어서 굶었어요.-기는 is not a standalone negation like '안' or '-지 않다'. It's a rhetorical device used to contradict a previous idea. It must be followed by a clause that explains the actual, contrasting situation. The incorrect example is an incomplete thought.
Learn This First
To express denial 'no way/not at all', you need nominalization and topic markers.
Related Patterns
- -기는 하지만Although, But
Both patterns use '-기'. However, -기는 하지만 means 'It is true that... but...'. It acknowledges the first part before contradicting it. '-기는' is a much stronger, more direct dismissal of the first part.
- -지만But
-지만 is a general conjunction for 'but'. '-기는' is specifically used to contradict something that was just said. While both show contrast, '-기는' is a direct response and carries a much stronger nuance of disagreement or dismissal.
- 안/못Not
안/못 are standard ways to make a negative sentence. '-기는' is not a simple negation. It's a rhetorical pattern to refute an idea. For example, '안 먹었어요' (I didn't eat) is a simple fact, while '먹기는요' (Eat? Not at all!) is a strong reaction to the suggestion of eating.