Telling a Story

Korean Basic Conversation 4

Chapter 7 · Telling a Story: Anecdotes, Incidents & What Happened Next

🗣️ Telling a Story — 이야기하기

In this chapter you learn to tell what happened to you, in order and with a bit of drama. The grammar: -았/었더니 ("when I did X, I found that…"), -더라 ("I saw that…", recalling what you experienced) and -(으)ㄴ 채로 ("with it still in that state"), plus the story words 갑자기, 결국, 그런데, 다행히. For the background see Korean Grammar 3 9 (Recall and Discovery) and Korean Grammar 2 5 (And, But, So).

① Why I Was Late — 왜 늦었어요?

A:오늘 왜 이렇게 늦었어요? 회의가 벌써 시작됐어요.Why are you so late today? The meeting has already started.

B:죄송해요. 알람을 못 듣고 늦잠을 잤어요. 일어났더니 벌써 아홉 시였어요.Sorry. I didn't hear the alarm and overslept. When I woke up it was already nine.

A:그래서 어떻게 왔어요?So how did you get here?

B:급하게 택시를 탔는데 갑자기 길이 막히더라고요.I took a taxi in a hurry, but suddenly the road was jammed.

A:그럼 결국 걸어서 왔어요?So in the end you walked?

B:네, 택시에서 내려서 십 분 동안 뛰어왔어요. 다행히 회의가 오래 걸려서 괜찮았어요.Yes, I got out of the taxi and ran for ten minutes. Luckily the meeting was long, so it was fine.

Hard words: 늦잠을 자다 neut-ja-meul ja-da oversleep · 알람 al-lam alarm · 급하게 geu-pa-ge in a hurry · 뛰어오다 ttwi-eo-o-da come running · 다행히 da-haeng-hi luckily

② No Wallet — 지갑이 없더라고요

A:어제 카페에서 정말 창피한 일이 있었어요.Something really embarrassing happened at the café yesterday.

B:무슨 일이었는데요?What happened?

A:계산하려고 했더니 지갑이 없더라고요. 집에 두고 나왔어요.When I tried to pay, my wallet wasn't there. I'd left it at home.

B:어머, 그래서 어떻게 했어요?Oh no, so what did you do?

A:친구한테 전화했더니 마침 근처에 있어서 바로 와 줬어요.I called a friend, and it happened that they were nearby and came right away.

B:다행이네요. 그 친구한테 커피를 사 줘야겠어요.What a relief. You'll have to buy that friend a coffee.

Hard words: 창피하다 chang-pi-ha-da be embarrassing · 두고 나오다 du-go na-o-da leave behind · 마침 ma-chim just then · 근처 geun-cheo nearby

③ Left On — 켜 놓은 채로

A:어젯밤에 너무 피곤해서 불을 켠 채로 잤어요.Last night I was so tired that I fell asleep with the light on.

B:아침에 일어나니까 어땠어요?What was it like when you woke up?

A:텔레비전도 켜져 있더라고요. 밤새 켜 놓은 채로 잔 거예요.The TV was on too. I'd slept through the night with it on.

B:전기세가 많이 나왔겠네요.The electricity bill must have been big.

A:그런데 더 큰 문제는 신발을 신은 채로 침대에 누웠다는 거예요.But the bigger problem is that I lay on the bed with my shoes on.

B:정말요? 그건 청소가 필요하겠네요.Really? That means cleaning.

Hard words: 켜다 kyeo-da turn on · 밤새 bam-sae all night · 전기세 jeon-gi-se electricity bill · 눕다 nup-da lie down

④ The New Restaurant — 새로 생긴 식당

A:어제 새로 생긴 식당에 가 봤는데, 사람이 정말 많더라고요.Yesterday I tried the new restaurant, and there were really lots of people.

B:그래서 오래 기다렸어요?So did you wait long?

A:한 시간 기다렸더니 다리가 아프더라고요. 그래도 음식은 정말 맛있었어요.After waiting an hour my legs hurt. But the food was really good.

B:뭘 드셨어요?What did you eat?

A:찌개를 먹었는데 국물이 진하고 양도 많더라고요.I had the stew, and the broth was rich and the portion was large.

B:그럼 저도 한번 가 봐야겠어요. 주말 말고 평일에 가야겠죠?Then I should try it too. Probably on a weekday and not at the weekend?

Hard words: 생기다 saeng-gi-da open, appear · 진하다 jin-ha-da be rich, strong · 양 yang quantity, portion · 평일 pyeong-il weekday

⑤ A Mix-up — 착각

A:오늘 지하철에서 웃긴 일이 있었어요.Something funny happened on the subway today.

B:어떤 일이었는데요?What was it?

A:아는 사람이라고 생각해서 인사했더니 모르는 사람이더라고요.I thought it was someone I knew and said hello, and it turned out to be a stranger.

B:하하, 그 사람도 당황했겠네요.Ha ha, that person must have been flustered too.

A:네, 저도 너무 부끄러워서 다음 역에서 바로 내렸어요.Yes, I was so embarrassed that I got off at the next station.

B:나중에는 웃으면서 이야기할 수 있는 추억이 되겠네요.Later it will become a memory you can laugh about.

Hard words: 웃기다 ut-gi-da be funny · 당황하다 dang-hwang-ha-da be flustered · 부끄럽다 bu-kkeu-reop-da be ashamed · 추억 chu-eok memory

⑥ Between Friends (casual) — 진짜 웃긴 일

A:야, 어제 진짜 웃긴 일 있었어. 들어 볼래?Hey, something really funny happened yesterday. Want to hear?

B:뭔데? 빨리 말해 봐.What is it? Tell me quickly.

A:버스에서 졸았더니 내릴 정거장을 지나쳤어. 결국 종점까지 갔지 뭐야.I dozed on the bus and missed my stop. I ended up going all the way to the terminus.

B:하하, 그래서 어떻게 돌아왔어?Ha ha, so how did you get back?

A:다시 버스 타고 왔지. 한 시간 걸리더라.I took the bus back again. It took an hour.

Hard words: 졸다 jol-da doze · 지나치다 ji-na-chi-da go past · 종점 jong-jeom terminus · -지 뭐야 -ji mwo-ya "and so it was" (casual)

🔑 Key Phrases — 중요한 표현

English	Polite (-요)	Casual (friends)
Something funny happened.	웃긴 일이 있었어요.	웃긴 일이 있었어.
Suddenly…	갑자기 비가 왔어요.	갑자기 비가 왔어.
In the end…	결국 늦었어요.	결국 늦었어.
It turned out that…	가 봤더니 문이 닫혀 있었어요.	가 봤더니 문이 닫혀 있었어.
I saw that (it was)…	사람이 많더라고요.	사람이 많더라.
Luckily…	다행히 안 늦었어요.	다행히 안 늦었어.

🔤 Three Verbs — 동사

Verb	Dictionary	Polite present	Past	-았/었더니	-더라
to doze	졸다	졸아요	졸았어요	졸았더니	졸더라
to sleep	자다	자요	잤어요	잤더니	자더라
to go	가다	가요	갔어요	갔더니	가더라

🧰 Grammar Tools — 문법

1. -았/었더니: "when I did X, I found Y"

Attach -았더니 (after ㅏ, ㅗ) or -었더니 (other vowels), or -했더니 for 하다 verbs, to the past stem. It says: I did X, and as a result (or when I looked) I found Y. The one who did X is usually I, and Y is something you observed or felt afterwards: 집에 갔더니 친구가 와 있었어요. (When I got home, a friend was there.) 약을 먹었더니 열이 내렸어요. (I took medicine, and the fever went down.)

I did X…	…and I found Y	Meaning
일어났더니	벌써 아홉 시였어요.	When I woke up, it was already nine.
계산하려고 했더니	지갑이 없었어요.	When I tried to pay, I had no wallet.
버스에서 졸았더니	정거장을 지나쳤어요.	I dozed on the bus and passed my stop.
한 시간 기다렸더니	다리가 아팠어요.	After waiting an hour, my legs hurt.

2. -더라: "I saw (and recall) that…"

Add -더라 directly to the stem (no tense inside) to report what you saw, heard or felt yourself in the past, often with a little surprise: 사람이 많더라. (There were lots of people, I saw.) 국물이 진하더라. (The broth was rich.) In polite speech use -더라고요: 맛있더라고요. With a noun use 이더라: 모르는 사람이더라고요. (It was a stranger.)

Word	-더라고요	Meaning
맛있다	맛있더라고요	it was delicious (I found)
많다	많더라고요	there were a lot
막히다	막히더라고요	it was jammed
친구이다	친구더라고요	it was a friend

3. -(으)ㄴ 채로: "with it still in that state"

Use -ㄴ 채로 (after a vowel) or -은 채로 (after a consonant) on an action verb to say that someone did something while leaving the result of an earlier action in place: 불을 켠 채로 잤어요. (I slept with the light on.) 신발을 신은 채로 들어갔어요. (I went in with my shoes on.) The 로 can be dropped: 앉은 채 말했어요.

State	Example
켠 채로	텔레비전을 켠 채로 잤어요. I slept with the TV on.
신은 채로	신발을 신은 채로 들어갔어요. I went in with my shoes on.
앉은 채로	앉은 채로 대답했어요. I answered while still sitting.
연 채로	창문을 연 채로 나갔어요. I went out leaving the window open.

Watch out: three limits (1) -더라 reports what you saw or felt, so it is odd for your own deliberate actions: say 저는 일찍 갔어요, not 저는 일찍 가더라. (2) -았/었더니 starts from your own action; for what someone else did you need a different pattern. (3) -(으)ㄴ 채로 needs an action whose result stays: 켜다, 신다, 열다, 앉다, not a continuing activity like 먹다.

4. Story connectors

Korean	English
갑자기 / 마침	suddenly / just then
그런데 / 그래서	but, by the way / so
결국 / 마침내	in the end / at last
다행히 / 하필	luckily / of all times (unluckily)
그 후에 / 나중에	after that / later

📰 Reading — 읽기

Read the text, then check the English and the word list. Then answer the true/false questions.

잊을 수 없는 하루

지난 일요일에 친구를 만나러 가는 길이었어요. 버스에서 잠깐 졸았더니 내릴 곳을 지나쳐 버렸어요. 갑자기 당황해서 휴대폰을 보려고 했는데, 배터리가 없더라고요. 결국 모르는 동네에서 한 시간 동안 길을 헤맸어요. 그런데 다행히 친절한 아주머니가 길을 알려 주셨어요. 약속에 한 시간이나 늦었지만 친구는 우산을 든 채로 저를 기다리고 있었어요. 그날 이후로 저는 집을 나가기 전에 휴대폰을 꼭 충전해요.

English: Last Sunday I was on my way to meet a friend. I dozed on the bus for a moment and went past my stop. Suddenly flustered, I tried to look at my phone, but the battery was dead. In the end I wandered for an hour in an area I didn't know. Luckily a kind woman showed me the way. I was an hour late for the appointment, but my friend was waiting for me holding an umbrella. Since that day I always charge my phone before leaving home.

Words: 헤매다 wander lost · 친절하다 be kind · 우산 umbrella · 충전하다 charge

1. The writer was on the way to meet a friend.

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True: 친구를 만나러 가는 길이었어요.

2. The writer missed the stop because of dozing off.

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True: 졸았더니 내릴 곳을 지나쳐 버렸어요.

3. The phone battery was fully charged.

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False: 배터리가 없더라고요.

4. The friend was angry about the delay.

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False: the text only says the friend was waiting holding an umbrella (우산을 든 채로 기다리고 있었어요).

📖 Vocabulary — 어휘

20 key words for telling a story.

#	Korean	Say it	English	Type
1	사건	sa-geon	incident, event	noun
2	이야기	i-ya-gi	story, talk	noun
3	실수	sil-su	mistake	noun
4	약속	yak-sok	appointment, promise	noun
5	정거장	jeong-geo-jang	stop, station	noun
6	동네	dong-ne	neighbourhood	noun
7	배터리	bae-teo-ri	battery	noun
8	갑자기	gap-ja-gi	suddenly	adverb
9	결국	gyeol-guk	in the end	adverb
10	그런데	geu-reon-de	but, by the way	connector
11	다행히	da-haeng-hi	luckily	adverb
12	마침내	ma-chim-nae	at last	adverb
13	하필	ha-pil	of all times, unluckily	adverb
14	졸다	jol-da	doze	verb
15	지나치다	ji-na-chi-da	go past, overshoot	verb
16	헤매다	he-mae-da	wander lost	verb
17	당황하다	dang-hwang-ha-da	be flustered	verb
18	놓치다	no-chi-da	miss (a bus, a chance)	verb
19	늦잠을 자다	neut-ja-meul ja-da	oversleep	verb
20	웃기다	ut-gi-da	be funny	adj.

As Heard in Dramas — "있잖아, 어제…" Characters start stories with 있잖아 ("you know what") and 그런데 말이야 ("but listen"). They keep the listener hooked with 그래서? ("and then?") and finish with 대박이지? ("amazing, right?"), all in casual 반말.

Real Korean Tip — Storytelling Style Korean speakers like to tell a story with plenty of reaction words: 어머, 헐, 진짜?, 그래서? If you are the listener, say them to show interest. As the teller, -더라고요 gives a gentle, observational tone: "I noticed that…". Mix it with -았/었어요 for the plain facts.

Register — Casual Endings in Stories Between close friends, -더라 and -지 뭐야 are common, but to a boss or someone you do not know well use polite -더라고요 and -았/었어요. In writing, use the plain past -았/었다.

✍️ Try It Yourself — 연습

Say each answer out loud first, then click to check.

1. Say "When I woke up, it was already nine."

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일어났더니 벌써 아홉 시였어요.

2. Say "There were lots of people, I saw." (polite)

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사람이 많더라고요.

3. Say "I slept with the light on."

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불을 켠 채로 잤어요.

4. Say "I dozed on the bus and, in the end, missed my stop."

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버스에서 졸았더니 결국 정거장을 놓쳤어요.

5. Tell a friend casually "Something really funny happened yesterday."

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어제 진짜 웃긴 일 있었어.

6. Why is 저는 일찍 가더라고요 odd for "I went early"?

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-더라고요 reports what you saw or felt, not your own deliberate action. Say 저는 일찍 갔어요.