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Breakdown of dongari hwaldongeul hageona gongbureul haedo dwaeyo.
하다hada
to do
~을~eul
object particle
~를~reul
object particle
활동hwaldong
activity
공부gongbu
study
~거나~geona
or
되다doeda
to be allowed
동아리dongari
club
Questions & Answers about dongari hwaldongeul hageona gongbureul haedo dwaeyo.
What is the role of -거나 in 동아리 활동을 하거나 공부를 해도 돼요?
-거나 is a verb connective meaning “or.” You attach it to the present-tense stem of a verb (here 하 from 하다) to list alternative actions. So 하 + 거나 = 하거나, giving “do (club activities) or ….”
Why do we need 하다 after 동아리 활동? Can’t we just say 동아리 활동거나?
동아리 활동 is a noun (“club activities”). To turn it into an action, Korean uses the verb 하다 (“to do”). Since -거나 attaches to verb stems, you must say 동아리 활동 + 을 + 하 + 거나 = 동아리 활동을 하거나.
Why do we use the object particle 을/를 with 동아리 활동 and 공부?
In Korean, when a noun is the direct object of a verb, you mark it with 을 (after a consonant) or 를 (after a vowel). Both 동아리 활동 and 공부 are objects of 하다 here, so they become 동아리 활동을 and 공부를.
How do we form -아도 돼요, and what does it mean?
-아도/어도 돼요 attaches to a verb stem to express permission: “may do X” or “it’s OK to do X.” Drop -다 from the dictionary form, then add -아도 되다 (after bright vowels) or -어도 되다 (after dark vowels).
Example: 공부하다 → 공부하 + 어도 되다 = 공부해도 돼요 (“You may study.”)
Why isn’t 하다 (the first verb) also followed by -아도 돼요?
The structure A거나 B해도 돼요 means “You may do A or B.” Only the second verb takes -아도 돼요; the first is simply linked with -거나. You don’t repeat the permission ending after the first action.
Can I use 나 instead of 거나 for “or”?
No. To connect verbs as options, use -거나.
- -나 after nouns gives alternatives (e.g., 사과나 배 = “an apple or a pear”).
- -나 after verb stems can form rhetorical questions (e.g., 먹나 마시나? = “wonder if [they] eat or drink?”), but it doesn’t list simple choices.
Are there other ways to grant permission for two actions?
Yes. You can make each verb carry the permission ending:
- 동아리 활동을 해도 되고, 공부를 해도 돼요.
Or use a more formal ending: - 동아리 활동을 해도 되고, 공부를 해도 됩니다.
You can also use -든지 for “either… or…”: - 동아리 활동을 하든지, 공부를 하든지 괜찮아요.
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