Easy Korean - Level 6, Unit 7: I'm not sure if... (-(으)ㄴ/는지 잘 모르겠어요)

To say "I don't know if..." or "I'm not sure if...", we use the clause connector -는지 (neun-ji) combined with the phrase 잘 모르겠어요 (I don't really know).

Structure: Verb/Adjective + -는지 잘 모르겠어요

The way you attach -는지 depends on the type of word and the tense. (This is the exact same rule you learned for making noun modifiers!)

1. Action Verbs (Present Tense): Add -는지

• 가다 (to go) -> 가는지 잘 모르겠어요 (I don't know if he is going)
• 비가 오다 (to rain) -> 비가 오는지 잘 모르겠어요 (I'm not sure if it is raining)

2. Descriptive Verbs / Adjectives (Present Tense): Add -(으)ㄴ지

• 크다 (big) -> 큰지 잘 모르겠어요 (I don't know if it is big)
• 좋다 (good) -> 좋은지 잘 모르겠어요 (I'm not sure if it's good)

3. Nouns (이다): Add -인지

• 진짜 (real) -> 진짜인지 잘 모르겠어요 (I'm not sure if it's real)

4. Past Tense (All Verbs & Adjectives): Add -았/었/였는지

• 가다 (went) -> 갔는지 잘 모르겠어요 (I don't know if he went)
• 비싸다 (was expensive) -> 비쌌는지 잘 모르겠어요 (I don't know if it was expensive)

Question Words + -는지 모르겠어요

You can also use this structure with question words (누구, 어디, 언제, 뭐, 왜, 어떻게) to say things like "I don't know where..." or "I don't know what..."

• 어디에 가는지 잘 모르겠어요. (I don't know where they are going.)
• 이게 뭐인지 잘 모르겠어요. (I'm not sure what this is.)

Example Sentences

1. 이 식당이 맛있는지 잘 모르겠어요. (I'm not sure if this restaurant is delicious.)
2. 친구들이 언제 오는지 잘 모르겠어요. (I don't know when my friends are coming.)
3. 이거 어떻게 하는지 잘 모르겠어요. (I don't really know how to do this.)