TL;DR
- -기만 하다 means "only do" or "do nothing but" and emphasizes that someone does one thing repeatedly or exclusively 🎯
- Attach it directly to verb stems: verb stem + 기만 하다 (e.g., 먹다 → 먹기만 하다) ✨
- It often carries a slight negative tone, suggesting someone does too much of something or nothing else 😅
What does -기만 하다 mean? 🤔
-기만 하다 expresses that someone only does a certain action, or does nothing but that action 🔁
It emphasizes repetition or exclusivity, and usually implies a bit of criticism or concern 😬
Think of it like saying "all you do is..." in English! 💭
How to form it 🛠️
The structure is super simple! 🎉
Verb stem + 기만 하다
→ 먹다 → 먹기만 하다 (only eat)
→ 자다 → 자기만 하다 (only sleep)
→ 놀다 → 놀기만 하다 (only play/hang out)
→ 공부하다 → 공부하기만 하다 (only study)
No stem changes, no irregular verbs to worry about! 🙌
Example sentences 💬
→ 동생은 게임하기만 해요. (My younger sibling only plays games.)
→ 주말에 집에서 쉬기만 했어요. (On the weekend, I only rested at home.)
→ 요즘 일하기만 해서 피곤해요. (These days I only work, so I'm tired.)
→ 너는 먹기만 하고 설거지는 안 해! (You only eat and don't do the dishes!)
→ 비가 오기만 하네요. (It's only raining / It does nothing but rain.)
The nuance matters! 🎭
While -기만 하다 literally means "only do," it usually has a slightly negative or critical tone 😕
It suggests:
- Someone does too much of something ⚠️
- Someone does only one thing when they should be doing other things too 🙃
- Surprise or frustration that something keeps happening 😤
→ 공부하기만 하면 건강이 안 좋아져요. (If you only study, your health will worsen.)
→ 그 사람은 불평하기만 해요. (That person only complains.)
However, in some contexts it can be neutral or even positive! 😊
→ 이 버튼을 누르기만 하면 돼요. (You only need to press this button / Just press this button.)
Exceptions ⚠️
There are no major exceptions to the formation of -기만 하다! 🎉
Just remember that the nuance changes based on context—sometimes it's critical, sometimes it's neutral 🤷
Quick tip! 💡
If you want to soften the criticism or make it sound less harsh, you can say:
-기만 하는 것 같아요 (It seems like you only...)
→ 요즘 자기만 하는 것 같아요. (It seems like you're only sleeping these days.)
This sounds more gentle and observational rather than accusatory! 🕊️
Try the following exercise.
Fill in the blanks using -기만 하다 to express "only doing" something. 📝
- 요즘 바빠서 집에서 _.
Answer
자기만 해요
- 동생은 숙제는 안 하고 _.
Answer
게임하기만 해요
- 회의 시간에 그 사람은 _.
Answer
듣기만 했어요
- 친구가 약속 시간에 늦어서 나는 _.
Answer
기다리기만 했어요
- 운동은 안 하고 _ 살이 쪘어요.
Answer
먹기만 해서
- 그 학생은 질문은 안 하고 _.
Answer
공부하기만 해요
- 주말에 밖에 안 나가고 집에서 _.
Answer
쉬기만 했어요
- 한국어 공부할 때 _ 말하기 연습을 안 해요.
Answer
읽기만 하고
- 아이가 아파서 어제 _.
Answer
울기만 했어요
- 시험 기간에 친구들은 _ 노는 시간이 없었어요.
Answer
공부하기만 해서
Vocabulary
자다 - to sleep
게임하다 - to play games
듣다 - to listen
기다리다 - to wait
살이 찌다 - to gain weight
질문 - question
밖 - outside
쉬다 - to rest
말하기 - speaking
울다 - to cry
시험 기간 - exam period
Common mistakes
- ❌ Don't forget the 만! Writing just -기 하다 without 만 completely changes the meaning
- 🔄 Remember that -기만 하다 often implies a negative tone (doing ONLY that and nothing else)
- ⚠️ Use -아/어서 after -기만 하다 when connecting to a result clause, not -고
- 📌 The verb stem before -기 should not include tense markers (하기만 했어요, not 했기만 했어요)