KoreanBlueprint
Daily Korean
Today’s Phrase
결정하기 어려워요
gyeol·jeong·ha·gi eo·ryeo·wo·yo
gyeoljeongagi eoryeowoyo
It’s hard to decide
Grammar Spotlight
The -기 suffix turns verbs into nouns: 결정하기 (the act of deciding), 먹기 (the act of eating), 배우기 (learning). So ‘결정하기 어렵다’ = ‘the act of deciding is difficult.’ This is distinct from -는 것 which is another nominalizer; both are used but -기 pairs better with certain adjectives.
Phrase Breakdown
결정하기
gyeoljeongagi
deciding (nominalized)
결정하다 (to decide) + -기 (nominalizing suffix = ‘the act of’)
어려워요
eoryeowoyo
is difficult
어렵다 (to be difficult) → 어려워요 (polite, ㅂ-irregular)
Expresses that a decision is difficult to make.
Example Phrases
뭘 먹을지 결정하기 어려워요.
Mwol meogeulji gyeoljeongagi eoryeowoyo.
It’s hard to decide what to eat.
-ㄹ지 = whether/what to do (indirect question).
둘 다 좋아서 결정하기 어려워요.
Dul da johaseoseo gyeoljeongagi eoryeowoyo.
I like both, so it’s hard to decide.
둘 다 = both.
조언 좀 해 주세요. 결정하기 너무 어려워요.
Joen jom hae juseyo. Gyeoljeongagi neomu eoryeowoyo.
Please give me some advice. It’s really hard to decide.
조언 = advice.
Related Phrases
어떻게 해야 할지 모르겠어요
eotteoke haeya halji moreugesseoyo
I don’t know what to do
Uncertainty about the right course of action.
고민이 돼요
gomini dwaeyo
I’m having a dilemma
Expressing being troubled by a decision.
결정했어요
gyeoljeongaesseoyo
I’ve decided
Announcing a decision has been made.
Quick Review
무료예요?
Can you recall what this means?
muryoyeyo?
Is it free?