Indefinite Pronouns - Someone, Somehow, Something, Somewhere, Someday, Anyone,…

Category
Basic Grammar
Premium
Keyword #
누군가, 어떻게든, 무언가, 어디든, 언젠가, 부정대명사
Lesson
42

TL;DR

  • Korean indefinite pronouns are formed by combining question words (누구, 무엇, 어디, etc.) with particles like -ㄴ가, -든지, or -ㄴ지 to mean "someone," "anything," "somewhere," etc. 🎯
  • The most common patterns are: 누군가 (someone), 무언가 (something), 어디든 (anywhere), 언젠가 (someday), and 어떻게든 (somehow) ✨
  • These pronouns help you express uncertainty, possibility, or generalization without specifying exact details 💫

What Are Indefinite Pronouns? 🤔

Indefinite pronouns are words like "someone," "something," "anywhere," or "somehow" that refer to unspecified people, things, places, or ways 🎈
In Korean, you create these by adding special endings to question words! It's like magic 🪄

Common Indefinite Pronouns 🌈

Someone / Anyone 👤

누군가 = someone, anyone
→ 누군가 문을 두드렸어요.
→ 누군가 나를 도와줄 수 있어요?

Something / Anything 📦

무언가 = something, anything (contracted from 무엇인가)
→ 무언가 이상해요.
→ 무언가 먹고 싶어요.

Somewhere / Anywhere 📍

어딘가 = somewhere, anywhere
→ 어딘가 조용한 곳에 가고 싶어요.
→ 내 핸드폰이 어딘가 있을 거예요.

Someday 📅

언젠가 = someday, sometime
→ 언젠가 한국에 갈 거예요.
→ 언젠가 꼭 만나요!

Somehow 💪

어떻게든 = somehow, by any means
→ 어떻게든 해결할 거예요.
→ 어떻게든 시간을 찾아야 해요.

The -든(지) Pattern 🔄

Adding -든 or -든지 creates a "whatever/wherever/whenever" meaning, emphasizing that any option is okay! 🆗
누구든(지) = anyone, whoever
→ 누구든지 참여할 수 있어요.
뭐든(지) / 무엇이든(지) = anything, whatever
→ 뭐든지 괜찮아요.
어디든(지) = anywhere, wherever
→ 어디든지 좋아요.
언제든(지) = anytime, whenever
→ 언제든지 연락하세요!
어떻든(지) = however, anyway
→ 어떻든지 끝내야 해요.

Quick Comparison Chart 📊

Question Word
-ㄴ가 (some-)
-든(지) (any-/whatever)
누구 (who)
누군가 (someone)
누구든(지) (anyone)
무엇/뭐 (what)
무언가 (something)
뭐든(지) (anything)
어디 (where)
어딘가 (somewhere)
어디든(지) (anywhere)
언제 (when)
언젠가 (someday)
언제든(지) (anytime)
어떻게 (how)
❌
어떻게든 (somehow)

Nuance Alert! 💡

-ㄴ가 forms feel more uncertain and vague 🌫️
→ 누군가 있는 것 같아요. (I think someone is there... not sure though)
-든(지) forms emphasize openness to any option ✅
→ 누구든지 오세요! (Anyone can come! All are welcome!)

Exceptions & Special Notes ⚠️

무언가 vs 뭔가

무언가 is the full form, but 뭔가 is super common in casual speech! 🗣️
→ 뭔가 이상해... (Something's weird...)

어떻게든 has no -ㄴ가 form

You can't say "어떻게ㄴ가" ❌
Only 어떻게든 exists for "somehow" ✅

Double meanings

These pronouns can mean both "some-" and "any-" depending on context! 🎭
→ 누군가 있어요? (Is anyone there? / Is someone there?)

Bonus: Why -ㄴ가? 🧐

The -ㄴ가 comes from the question ending -ㄴ가요/은가요, which adds that feeling of uncertainty or wonder to the pronoun! 🤷‍♀️ Pretty clever, right?
That's it! You now know how to talk about mysterious someones, magical somewheres, and hopeful somedays in Korean! 🎉✨
 
Try the following exercise.
Fill in the blanks using the appropriate indefinite pronoun (누군가, 어떻게든, 무언가, 어디든, 언젠가, etc.). 💭
 
  • _ 이 문을 열었어요.
      • Answer
      누군가
 
 
  • 시험이 어려웠지만 _ 통과했어요.
      • Answer
      어떻게든
 
 
  • 냉장고에 _ 있을 거예요.
      • Answer
      무언가
 
 
  • 주말에 _ 가고 싶어요.
      • Answer
      어디든
 
 
  • _ 다시 만날 수 있을 거예요.
      • Answer
      언젠가
 
 
  • _ 이 질문에 대답할 수 있어요?
      • Answer
      누구든
 
 
  • 그는 _ 말하고 싶어 했어요.
      • Answer
      무언가
 
 
  • _ 도와줄 사람이 필요해요.
      • Answer
      누군가
 
 
  • 이 문제를 _ 해결할 거예요.
      • Answer
      어떻게든
 
 
  • _ 좋은 소식이 올 거예요.
      • Answer
      언젠가
 
Vocabulary
누군가 - someone
어떻게든 - somehow
무언가 - something
어디든 - anywhere
언젠가 - someday
누구든 - anyone
문 - door
열다 - to open
시험 - exam/test
통과하다 - to pass
냉장고 - refrigerator
주말 - weekend
다시 - again
만나다 - to meet
질문 - question
대답하다 - to answer
말하다 - to speak/say
돕다 - to help
문제 - problem
해결하다 - to solve
소식 - news
Common mistakes
  • 🚫 Confusing 누군가 (someone, specific but unknown) with 누구든 (anyone at all, no preference)
  • 🚫 Using 어디든 when you mean 어딘가 (somewhere specific but unknown location)
  • 🚫 Forgetting that these pronouns don't need particles like 을/를 when used with certain verbs
  • 🚫 Mixing up 언젠가 (someday, indefinite future) with 언제든 (anytime, at your convenience)