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Korean grammar - Verb nominalisation - *Verb stem* + 기

Verb nominalisation - *Verb stem* + 기

Pattern: Verb stem + 기

In English two verbs can be compounded by added a second verb in its infinitive form. For example 'He likes to eat' where 'to eat' is the second verb in its infinitive.

In Korean this is done by converting the object verb into a noun (nominalization) using the Verb stem + 기 pattern. So 'to like to eat' becomes a noun (to like eating).

-- So 먹기를 좋아해요 where 먹기 (먹 + 기) is the nominalised noun form.

Note that this is similar to the gerund (것) pattern of forming nouns from verbs. But gerunds are most commonly only used as the object of descriptive verbs.

In contrast the 기 form can be used form the object of both action verbs - like ~기 시작하다 (to start to) - and descriptive verbs - like ~기 싫다 (to not like to, to not want to).
Examples:
그녀는 오늘 아침에 학교에 가기 싫어해요.
She doesn't want to go to school every morning.

가기 (the going) is the thing she does not want
그는 아침 아주 일찍 먹기를 좋아해요.
He likes to eat very early in the morning.

먹기 (the eating) is the thing that he likes
저는 혼자 달리기를 할 거예요.
I'm going to run alone.

달리기 (the running) is the thing that he will do alone

달리다 means 'to run' or 'to move quickly'

혼자 means 'alone'
감기가 빨리 낫기를 바라요.
I hope (my) cold gets better soon.

낫기 (the recovery) is the thing that will happen soon

감기 means 'a cold' or 'influenza'

낫다 means 'to recover' or 'to get better'

바라다 means 'to hope'
우리 개는 목욕하기를 싫어해요.
Our dog hates to bathe.

목욕하기 (the bathing) is the thing that the dog hates

목욕하다 means 'to bathe'
한국어 말하기가 어려웠어요.
It was difficult to speak Korean.

말하기 (the speaking) is the thing that is difficult
여기서 택시 타기가 불편해요.
It is inconvenient to take a taxi from here.

타기 (the taking or the riding) is the thing that is inconvenient

불편하다 means 'to be inconvenient' or 'to be uncomfortable'
한글 쓰기가 전혀 어렵지 않아요.
It is not difficult at all to write HanGul.

쓰기 (the writing) is the thing that is not difficult

전혀 means '(not) at all' or 'absolutely' or 'completely'
취미는 음악 듣기예요.
(My) hobby is listening to the music.

듣기 (the listening) is the thing that is his hobby

Here 듣기 (listening) is followed by the verb 이다 (to be)
오늘은 밖에 나가기 너무 추워요.
It's too cold to go outside today.

나가기 (the going out) is the thing that is cold
여름에는 일찍 일어나기 쉬워요.
It's easy to get up early in summer.

일어나기 (the waking up) is the thing that is easy

일어나다 means 'to get up'

쉽다 means 'to be easy'
저는 밥을 벌써 먹기 시작했어요.
(I) already started eating.

먹기 (the eating) is the thing that he has already started
청소하기 싫어요.
I hate to clean.

청소하기 (the cleaning) is the thing he hates
러시아어를 배우기는 어려워요.
Learning Russian is difficult.

배우기 (the learning) is the thing that is difficult
여자 친구는 제가 사과를 가져오기를 원해요.
(My) girlfriend wants me to bring apples.

가져오기 (the bringing) is what she wants;원하다 means 'to want' or 'to hope for'
모두 무사하기를 바라요.
I hope everyone is safe.

무사하기 (the safety) is what (he) wishes

무사하다 means 'to be safe' or 'to be unharmed'

바라다 means 'to hope' or 'to wish'
다시 보기를 희망해요.
Hope to see you again.

다시 보기 (the seeing again) is what (he) hopes for

희망하다 means 'to hope'
참기가 정말 힘들어요.
It's really hard to bear.

참기 (the enduring) is what is hard

참다 means 'to bear' or 'to endure'
혼자 있기 싫어요.
(I) don't want to be alone.

혼자 있기 (the being alone) is what (he) doesn't like
집 찾기가 쉬웠어요.
It was easy to find the house.

찾기 (the finding) is what is easy