기분과 감정 이야기Feelings and Reactions
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Describe your own and other people's feelings using common emotion vocabulary, such as 기쁘다, 슬프다, 화나다, 걱정되다, and 긴장되다.
- Explain the reason for a feeling using the connector -아서/어서.
- Ask someone how they feel and respond appropriately in everyday polite speech.
- Continue using the comparison pattern 보다/더 from Chapter 12 to compare feelings or reactions.
- Continue using noun-modifying descriptive forms to describe a person's emotional state.
- Understand a short conversation and a short written message about feelings and their causes.
- Write a short paragraph describing a recent feeling and its reason.
- Complete a practical task: explaining how you feel about a recent event and why.
Communication Scenario
A few days later, 라일라 texts 지영 about her upcoming Korean class presentation. She feels nervous, and 지영 checks in on how she is doing. As they talk, 지영 also shares some good news that made her happy, and 라일라 asks why. Together they practice describing feelings and explaining the reasons behind them.
- This chapter continues Unit III, extending the description of people from Chapters 11 and 12 into feelings and emotional reactions.
- New productive systems in this chapter are limited to emotion vocabulary and the reason connector -아서/어서 used specifically to explain feelings.
- Kinship terms, comparison with 보다/더, closeness vocabulary, and noun-modifying descriptive forms continue to be used throughout.
Unit III Preview
Unit III (Chapters 11-14) moves from independent daily-living tasks toward describing people, relationships, feelings, and plans in more detail. The table below shows how this chapter fits into that progression.
| Chapter | Focus | New Productive Systems |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Meeting new people | noun-modifying descriptive forms -(으)ㄴ, appearance and personality vocabulary, introductions |
| 12 | Talking about family and friends | kinship terms, comparison with 보다/더, closeness vocabulary |
| 13 | Feelings and reactions | emotion vocabulary, reason clauses with feelings using -아서/어서 |
| 14 | Making plans with others | suggestions, invitations, scheduling language |
This chapter introduces only emotion vocabulary and the use of -아서/어서 to explain feelings. It recycles kinship terms, comparison, closeness vocabulary, and noun-modifying descriptive forms from Chapters 11 and 12.
Core Vocabulary
The vocabulary below supports describing feelings and explaining the reasons behind them. All items are productive for this chapter.
| Korean | Meaning | Pattern / Note |
|---|---|---|
| 기분 | mood, feeling | noun; used with 이/가 좋다/나쁘다 |
| 기쁘다 | to be glad, joyful | descriptive verb; ㅡ deletion, chapter form 기뻐요 |
| 슬프다 | to be sad | descriptive verb; ㅡ deletion, chapter form 슬퍼요 |
| 화나다 | to become angry | descriptive/process verb; chapter form 화나요/화났어요 |
| 걱정되다 | to become worried | process verb; chapter form 걱정돼요 |
| 긴장되다 | to become nervous | process verb; chapter form 긴장돼요 |
| 신나다 | to be excited | process verb; chapter form 신나요 |
| 피곤하다 | to be tired | descriptive verb; chapter form 피곤해요 |
| 놀라다 | to be surprised | process verb; chapter form 놀라요/놀랐어요 |
| 괜찮다 | to be okay, all right | descriptive verb; common response to 왜 그래요? |
| 왜 그래요? | What's wrong? / Why are you like that? | fixed question checking on someone's feelings |
| -아서/어서 | because, so (reason) | connector; recycled from Chapter 11, applied here to feelings |
Receptive support: 답답하다 (to feel frustrated/stifled), 서운하다 (to feel a little hurt or disappointed) may appear in the reading passage with glosses.
Pronunciation Focus
This chapter introduces no new sound-change rule. It reviews the ㅡ deletion pattern that appears in 기쁘다 and 슬프다 when they combine with the polite ending, and reviews liaison in 걱정돼서 and 긴장돼서 before the following syllable.
Both 기쁘다 and 슬프다 drop the stem vowel ㅡ before the polite ending, giving 기뻐요 and 슬퍼요 rather than a form built directly from 쁘/프 plus 아요. Practice the phrases below at a natural pace.
기뻐요 · 슬퍼요 · 걱정돼서 · 긴장돼서 · 화나서
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
This chapter introduces emotion vocabulary and extends the reason connector -아서/어서, already recycled from Chapter 11, specifically to explaining feelings. It also reviews comparison with 보다/더 and noun-modifying descriptive forms.
New: describing feelings with 기분이 + descriptive verb
Many feelings can be described using the noun 기분 together with 이/가 and a descriptive verb such as 좋다 or 나쁘다, or with a specific emotion verb used on its own.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 기분이 좋아요. | I'm in a good mood. |
| 기분이 나빠요. | I'm in a bad mood. |
| 저는 기뻐요. | I'm glad. |
| 저는 긴장돼요. | I'm nervous. |
Only these core emotion words are activated productively this chapter. Additional feeling vocabulary remains receptive until a later chapter schedules it.
[reason clause] + -아서/어서 + [feeling]
This pattern reuses the connector -아서/어서 from Chapter 11 to state the reason for a feeling. The first clause gives the cause; the second clause names the emotion.
발표가 있어서 긴장돼요.
I'm nervous because I have a presentation.
New: 왜 그래요? and checking on someone's feelings
- 라일라 씨, 왜 그래요? Laila, what's wrong? fixed question, everyday polite
- 발표가 있어서 좀 긴장돼요. I'm a little nervous because I have a presentation. -아서/어서 + feeling verb
Review: comparison with 보다/더
- 저는 언니보다 더 긴장돼요. I'm more nervous than my older sister. recycled 보다/더 from Chapter 12
Review: noun-modifying descriptive forms -(으)ㄴ
- 지영 씨는 신난 목소리로 전화했어요. Jiyoung called me with an excited voice. recycled -(으)ㄴ from Chapter 11
Practice — Building feeling and reason sentences
- Write a sentence stating your current mood using 기분이 좋아요/나빠요 or a specific emotion word.
- Write a sentence explaining a feeling with a reason using -아서/어서.
- Write one sentence asking a friend 왜 그래요? and a possible response.
Model Dialogue
Setting: 지영 calls 라일라 in the evening before her Korean class presentation.
내용 이해 — Comprehension questions:
- Why does 라일라 feel nervous?
- How does 지영 respond to 라일라's nervousness?
- Why is 지영 in a good mood, and why is she excited?
Guided Practice
- Write a sentence stating your mood today using 기분이 좋아요/나빠요.
- Write one sentence explaining why you feel tired, nervous, or glad, using -아서/어서.
- Write a sentence comparing your own feelings to a friend's feelings using 보다 and 더.
- Write a short exchange: ask a partner 왜 그래요? and have them respond with a reason and a feeling.
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a language partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following passage aloud. Listen twice without reading, then complete the tasks below.
오늘 제 기분
오늘 저는 기분이 좋아요. 아침에 친구한테서 좋은 소식을 들어서 기뻤어요. 그런데 오후에는 시험이 있어서 조금 긴장됐어요. 시험이 끝나고 나서 다시 기분이 좋아졌어요. 저녁에는 가족하고 전화해서 아주 편안해요.
듣기 과제 — Listening task: Listen and answer in English.
| 질문 | 답 |
|---|---|
| Why was the speaker glad in the morning? | ______ |
| Why did the speaker feel nervous in the afternoon? | ______ |
| How does the speaker feel in the evening, and why? | ______ |
Reading Practice
Below is a short message that 라일라 wrote to a friend back home after her presentation. Read it and answer the questions below. No romanization is provided.
발표가 끝난 날
오늘 한국어 수업에서 발표를 했어요. 발표 전에는 너무 긴장돼서 잠도 잘 못 잤어요. 그런데 발표가 잘 끝나서 지금은 아주 기뻐요. 지영 씨가 발표를 잘했다고 말해 줘서 더 기뻤어요. 그리고 지영 씨는 요즘 오빠가 한국에 온다고 해서 신나 보여요. 저도 지영 씨 오빠를 만나면 좋겠어요.
This passage recycles vocabulary and grammar from Chapters 1 through 12 and introduces only the emotion vocabulary and reason-for-feeling pattern scheduled for this chapter.
내용 이해 — Comprehension questions:
- Why did 라일라 have trouble sleeping before her presentation?
- How does 라일라 feel now that the presentation is over, and why?
- Why does 지영 seem excited these days?
Writing Workshop
This chapter's writing task is a short paragraph describing a recent feeling and its cause: 요즘 제 기분 이야기하기 ("Talking About My Mood These Days").
- State your current mood. Use 기분이 좋아요/나빠요 or a specific emotion word.
- Give a reason. Use -아서/어서 to explain why you feel that way.
- Add a second feeling and reason. Describe at least one other feeling from your day or week with its cause.
- Compare your feelings. Use 보다 and 더 to compare how you feel now with how you felt before, or compare yourself to a friend or family member.
- Describe someone else briefly. Use a noun-modifying descriptive phrase from Chapter 11 to describe a person connected to your story.
- Revise. Check your draft against the checklist below.
체크리스트 — Editing checklist:
- Current mood is stated clearly.
- At least one feeling is explained with -아서/어서.
- At least one comparison sentence with 보다/더 is used correctly.
- At least one noun-modifying descriptive phrase is used correctly.
- Speech level is consistent everyday polite -아요/어요 throughout.
- Only Hangeul is used; no romanization appears in the final draft.
- No grammar or vocabulary beyond Chapter 13 appears productively.
Speaking Practice
통제 연습 — Controlled practice: 기분 말하기
Practice saying five sentences aloud describing a feeling and its reason using -아서/어서, until the pattern feels automatic.
의사소통 과제 — Communicative task: 서로 기분 물어보기
With a partner, take turns asking 왜 그래요? or 기분이 어때요?, describing your mood, and explaining the reason, as in the Model Dialogue.
혼자 하는 연습 — Solo alternative
Record yourself describing your mood today and yesterday, including at least one reason with -아서/어서 and one comparison sentence.
Culture and Communication
Asking 왜 그래요? or noticing a change in someone's tone of voice is a common way of showing care in everyday South Korean interactions among friends and classmates. It is generally seen as a caring gesture rather than an intrusive question.
Among close friends, sharing both good news, such as a family visit, and stressful situations, such as an upcoming presentation, is a common way of maintaining closeness. This chapter's dialogue reflects that everyday pattern rather than a formal or public disclosure of feelings.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: Using 기뻐요 and 기분이 좋아요 as if they always mean exactly the same thing in every context.
Correction: 기쁘다 usually describes a stronger, often event-triggered joy, while 기분이 좋다 describes a general good mood. Both are acceptable in this chapter, but learners should notice the difference in later readings.
Error: Saying 긴장돼요. 발표가 있어요. as two separate sentences when a single reason-and-feeling sentence is more natural.
Correction: Combine the two ideas with -아서/어서: 발표가 있어서 긴장돼요.
Error: Writing 기쁘어요 or 슬프어요 instead of the correct contracted forms.
Correction: The stem vowel ㅡ is deleted before the polite ending: 기뻐요, 슬퍼요.
Chapter Review
Section A — 어휘 (Vocabulary)
1. List three emotion words from this chapter and their meanings.
Section B — 문법 (Grammar)
1. Write a sentence explaining a feeling and its reason using -아서/어서.
2. Correct the error: 긴장돼요. 발표가 있어요.
Section C — 독해 이해 (Reading Comprehension)
1. According to 라일라's message, explain why she had trouble sleeping and how she feels after the presentation.
Section D — 쓰기 (Writing)
1. Write your "talking about my mood these days" paragraph following the Writing Workshop steps and checklist.
Section E — 말하기 (Speaking)
1. Role-play or record a conversation checking on a partner's mood and explaining the reason for it.
누적 복습 — Cumulative review
This chapter recycles everyday polite speech level, kinship terms, comparison with 보다/더, closeness vocabulary, and noun-modifying descriptive forms from Chapters 11 and 12, and adds emotion vocabulary and the reason-for-feeling pattern with -아서/어서. If any earlier system still feels uncertain, review the relevant chapter before continuing.
Practical Performance Task
수행 과제
기분과 이유를 설명해요 — Explaining a Feeling and Its Reason
You will describe a recent feeling and its cause in both written and spoken form.
- Written: Write your "talking about my mood these days" paragraph from the Writing Workshop.
- Spoken: Present the same content aloud, including at least one feeling explained with -아서/어서 and one comparison sentence with 보다/더, as in the Model Dialogue.
- Reflection: Write one English sentence identifying which part of this chapter — emotion vocabulary or explaining reasons — felt easiest.
| Criterion | What is evaluated |
|---|---|
| Mood description | Current mood is stated clearly using appropriate emotion vocabulary |
| Reason for feeling | At least one feeling is explained correctly using -아서/어서 |
| Comparison | At least one comparison sentence with 보다/더 is used correctly |
| Descriptive modifier | At least one noun-modifying descriptive phrase from Chapter 11 is used correctly |
| Speech-level consistency | Everyday polite -아요/어요 maintained throughout |
| Hangeul and spacing accuracy | Accurate spelling and level-appropriate spacing throughout, no romanization |
| Scope discipline | No structures used productively beyond Chapter 13 and earlier chapters |
Answer Key
Grammar Practice — Building Feeling and Reason Sentences
1. Sample answer: 오늘 기분이 좋아요.
2. Sample answer: 시험이 있어서 긴장돼요.
3. Sample answer: 왜 그래요? — 발표가 있어서 좀 긴장돼요.
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- 라일라 feels nervous because she has a presentation the next day.
- 지영 says she also always gets nervous before presentations and reassures 라일라 that she will be okay.
- 지영 is glad because she heard good news, and she is excited because her older brother is coming to Korea next month.
Listening comprehension
- The speaker was glad because a friend told her good news in the morning.
- The speaker felt nervous in the afternoon because she had a test.
- The speaker feels relaxed in the evening because she talked with her family on the phone.
Reading comprehension
- 라일라 had trouble sleeping because she was too nervous before her presentation.
- She is very glad now because the presentation ended well and 지영 told her she did a good job.
- 지영 seems excited because her older brother is coming to Korea.
Chapter Review — Section B
1. Sample answer: 좋은 소식을 들어서 기뻐요.
2. Correction: 발표가 있어서 긴장돼요.
Section D — Sample "talking about my mood these days" paragraph
오늘 저는 기분이 좋아요. 친구한테서 좋은 소식을 들어서 기뻤어요. 어제는 시험이 있어서 오늘보다 더 긴장됐어요. 활발한 제 친구가 시험 전에 격려해 줘서 고마웠어요.
Check that: current mood is stated, a feeling is explained with -아서/어서, a comparison sentence with 보다/더 appears, a noun-modifying descriptive phrase appears, and no structures beyond Chapter 13 appear productively.
Looking Ahead
지금 할 수 있는 것 — What you can do now
You can describe your own and other people's feelings, explain the reason behind a feeling using -아서/어서, ask someone how they are doing, and compare feelings between yourself and others, all in consistent everyday polite speech level.