Let's study the Korean grammar "-아/어하다" today. This pattern is used to express the speaker's or subject’s emotions, feelings, or attitudes from the speaker's perspective. It turns adjectives (describing feelings or emotions) into action verbs.
Definition:
"-아/어하다" is attached to adjectives that express emotions or feelings to describe the speaker's or subject’s observable actions or reactions. It’s used when talking about what someone appears to feel or do.
Usage:
If the adjective stem ends in ㅏ or ㅗ, you use -아하다.
If the adjective stem ends in any other vowel, you use -어하다.
Detailed Explanation:
1. -아하다 (For adjectives with ㅏ or ㅗ):
Example: 좋다 (to be good) → 좋아하다 (to like [someone else liking])
Example Sentences:
"아이들이 강아지를 좋아해요." (The children like the dog.)
“친구가 시험에 합격해서 정말 신나했어요.” (My friend was really excited because he passed the exam.)
2. -어하다 (For adjectives with other vowels):
Example: 무섭다 (to be scared) → 무서워하다 (to be afraid of)
Example Sentences:
"그 아이는 큰 소리를 무서워해요." (The child is afraid of loud noises.)
"그 남자는 그 이야기에 슬퍼해요." (He feels sad about that story.)
Key Differences:
Adjectives without -아/어하다 are used to describe the speaker's or subject’s direct feelings.
Example: "저는 무척 기뻤어요." (I was very happy.)
The sentence expresses the internal emotion of the speaker without any implication of how the feeling was expressed outwardly.
Adjectives with -아/어하다 are used when describing the speaker's or subject’s feelings or observable behaviors based on their actions or expressions.
Example: "저는 무척 기뻐했어요" (I showed that I was very happy)
This sentence suggests that the speaker not only felt happy but also expressed that happiness outwardly through actions, facial expressions, or behavior.