inteonesi kkeunhgideoni hwamyeoni kkeojyeosseoyo.

Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Korean grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Korean now

Questions & Answers about inteonesi kkeunhgideoni hwamyeoni kkeojyeosseoyo.

What does -더니 mean in 끊기더니?

-더니 links two clauses and commonly means something like (I noticed that) A happened/was the case, and then B happened or A, and as a result/after that, B.
In this sentence, the speaker first observed the internet cutting out, and then the screen turning off happened next.


Does -더니 imply the speaker personally experienced or witnessed the first event?

Often, yes. -더니 typically implies the speaker has direct evidence for the first clause (they saw it happen, experienced it, or otherwise know it firsthand). That’s why it feels natural in a sentence like 인터넷이 끊기더니… (the speaker noticed the connection drop).


Why is it 인터넷이 (subject particle 이/가) instead of 인터넷을?

Because 끊기다 here is intransitive (it means to be cut off / to drop, not to cut something). The internet is the thing that undergoes the change, so it takes 이/가.
If you used a transitive verb like 끊다 (to cut), then you could have an object like 인터넷을 끊다 (to cut the internet), but that would usually imply someone intentionally cut it.


What exactly is 끊기다? Is it passive?

끊기다 can function like a passive/intransitive counterpart to 끊다. In everyday usage it often just means to cut out / to be disconnected / to drop (for internet, calls, signals, etc.).
So 인터넷이 끊기다 is a very common way to say the internet went out.


Could I also say 인터넷이 끊어지더니? Is there a difference?

Yes, 인터넷이 끊어지더니 is also natural.
A common nuance:

  • 끊기다: very common for services/signals (internet, phone) cutting out, often feels slightly more “service interruption” focused.
  • 끊어지다: more literally to get severed / snapped / broken, and is also used for connections, but can feel a bit more “it got disconnected” in a physical/logical sense.
    In practice, both can work for internet.

Why isn’t it 끊겼더니? What’s the difference between 끊기더니 and 끊겼더니?

They’re different grammar patterns:

  • V-더니 (as in 끊기더니): I noticed/experienced that V happened/was happening, and then…
  • V-았/었더니 (as in 끊겼더니): After I did V / When I had done V, I found that… or I did V and then (unexpectedly) …
    Because the internet “cutting out” is not something the speaker intentionally “did,” 끊기더니 fits better.

What is 화면이 꺼졌어요 literally?
  • 화면 = screen
  • 꺼지다 = to turn off / go out (lights, screens, power)
  • 꺼졌어요 = past polite (it turned off / went dark)
    So 화면이 꺼졌어요 literally means The screen turned off (or went black depending on context).

Is 꺼지다 different from 끄다?

Yes:

  • 끄다 = to turn off (something) intentionally (transitive): 제가 화면을 껐어요 = I turned off the screen.
  • 꺼지다 = to turn off/go out by itself (intransitive): 화면이 꺼졌어요 = The screen turned off (by itself).

Does -더니 always mean a strict sequence (A then B), or can it show contrast too?

It can do both: 1) Sequence/result: A happened, then B happened (like this sentence).
2) Contrast/change: It was A, but now it’s B (often used with time passing or situation change).
Context decides which meaning is strongest.


How is this different from using -고 나서 or -(으)니까?
  • -고 나서 focuses on after doing A, then B (more neutral, chronological; often implies completion of A).
  • -(으)니까 often implies cause/reason: because A, B.
  • -더니 commonly adds the nuance I observed A, and then B happened / the situation changed, often with a slightly “noticed/unexpected” feel.
    So 끊기더니 sounds like the speaker noticed the internet cut out, and then the screen went off.

Why is there no explicit word like then or suddenly? Does -더니 include that feeling?

Often, yes. -더니 can naturally carry a then/and next feeling, and depending on context it can also feel a bit like all of a sudden or and before I knew it, especially when the second event is unexpected (like the screen turning off right after the internet drops).


What level of politeness is 꺼졌어요, and could it be 꺼졌습니다?

-어요/아요 (here 꺼졌어요) is the common polite everyday style.
You can make it more formal with 꺼졌습니다. The rest of the sentence would stay the same:
인터넷이 끊기더니 화면이 꺼졌습니다.