감탄형 vs 평서형: Expressing Emotion vs Stating Facts

감탄형 (gam-tan-hyeong, gamtanhyeong) · 평서형 (pyeong-seo-hyeong, pyeongseohyeong)

감탄형 (gamtan-hyeong) expresses strong emotions, while 평서형 (pyeongseo-hyeong) states facts or information.

Comparison of 감탄형 and 평서형 sentence endings in Korean

Word-by-word breakdown

One lane per word — no nested boxes, just the gist.

감탄형(gam-tan-hyeong, gamtanhyeong)

Sentence form expressing strong emotions or surprise

When to use

Expressing emotion, Conveying surprise, Giving praise or admiration

The nuance

감탄형 reveals the speaker's emotion, often accompanied by exclamation marks. It uses interjections or emotive endings like -구나, -네요.

평서형(pyeong-seo-hyeong, pyeongseohyeong)

Sentence form that simply conveys facts or information

When to use

Stating facts, Providing information, General statements in daily conversation

The nuance

평서형 uses the basic form of predicates and ends with a period. It conveys objective information without emotion.

Real-world examples

  • 와, 정말 예쁘구나!

    wa, jeong-mal ye-ppeu-gu-na!, wa, jeong mal ye ppeu gu na!

    Uses 감탄형 ending '-구나' to express admiration and emotion.

  • 와, 정말 예뻐요.

    wa, jeong-mal ye-ppeo-yo., wa, jeong mal ye ppeo yo.

    Combines interjection '와' with polite 평서형 ending '-요' for natural emotion.

  • 정말 예쁘구나.

    jeong-mal ye-ppeu-gu-na., jeong mal ye ppeu gu na.

    Clear emotion expressed with 감탄형 ending '-구나'.

  • 정말 예쁘다.

    jeong-mal ye-ppeu-da., jeong mal ye ppeu da.

    Plain statement conveying fact with 평서형.

  • 정말 예쁘다!

    jeong-mal ye-ppeu-da!, jeong mal ye ppeu da!

    Ends with exclamation mark but uses 평서형 ending, causing mismatch.

  • 이 영화 재미있네요!

    i yeong-hwa jae-mi-iss-ne-yo!, i yeong hwa jae mi iss ne yo!

    Uses 감탄형 ending '-네요' to express positive emotion.

  • 이 영화 재미있다.

    i yeong-hwa jae-mi-iss-da., i yeong hwa jae mi iss da.

    Plain fact stated with 평서형 ending.

  • 이 영화 재미있구나.

    i yeong-hwa jae-mi-iss-gu-na., i yeong hwa jae mi iss gu na.

    Expresses surprise or admiration with 감탄형 ending '-구나'.

Quick quiz

  1. Which sentence is 감탄형?

    다음 중 감탄형 문장은?(da-eumjunggam-tan-hyeongmun-jang-eun?, daeumjunggamtanhyeongmunjangeun?)
  2. Which is a 평서형 sentence?

    평서형 문장은?(pyeong-seo-hyeongmun-jang-eun?, pyeongseohyeongmunjangeun?)
  3. Which is NOT used in 감탄형?

    감탄형에 쓰이지 않는 표현은?(gam-tan-hyeong-esseu-i-jian-neunpyo-hyeon-eun?, gamtanhyeongesseuijianneunpyohyeoneun?)

More comparisons to explore

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