-느니

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):
• Phonetic hangul:

느니 • (-neuni)

1. rather; marks the following clause as a preferable choice.

   치욕스레 사느니 차라리 죽겠다.

   Chiyokseure sa-neuni charari juk-get-da.

   Rather than live in shame, I would rather die.

• 느니 (-neuni) causes stem-final ㄹ (l) to drop out.
• Only used for verbs without tense marking, and for the existential adjectives 있다 (itda), 없다 (eopda), and 계시다 (gyesida).

느니... 느니 • (-neuni... -neuni)

1. saying... and saying...; conveys a dispute between opposing viewpoints.

   돈을 쓰느니 아끼느니 갑론을박이 계속된다.

   Don-eul sseu-neuni akki-neuni gamnoneulbag-i gyesokdoenda.

   The dispute continues, with some arguing to spend the money, some to save it.

• Colloquially, 니... 니 (-ni... -ni) is used instead.
• 느니 (-neuni) causes stem-final ㄹ (l) to drop out.
• 느니 (-neuni) is used for all verbs, for the existential adjectives 있다 (itda), 없다 (eopda), and 계시다 (gyesida), and for adjectives with tense marking with 었 (-eot-) and 겠 (-get-).
• 으니 (-euni) is used for adjectives without tense marking.

• 으니 (-euni), 니 (-ni) — See Usage notes

First attested in the Worin seokbo (月印釋譜 / 월인석보), 1459, as Middle Korean 으〮니〮/ᄋᆞ〮니 (Yale: -úní/óní), a general-purpose declarative and interrogative suffix of a middling level of deference.

In Middle Korean, this suffix is formally identical to 으〮니〮/ᄋᆞ〮니 (Yale: -úní-/óní-), a "durative" aspect-marking suffix indicating continuous action or timeless fact. Said suffix is etymologically from Old Korean 隱 (*-un, realis gerundive suffix) + 是 (*i-, “to be”, copula): "to be that..." (Lee and Ramsey 2011, p. 211).

The traditional analysis is that this suffix is in fact fully identical to the durative suffix, with the expected formality- and mood-marking suffixes that should follow it being omitted due to the reduced degree of formality. However, it has been argued that this analysis is strange from the perspective of Korean grammar, and that there is in fact a formality-marking suffix 이〮 (Yale: -i) which merges with 니〮 (Yale: -ní-) due to the shared vowel.^[1]

Before verbs, the suffix now takes 느 (neu), from Middle Korean ᄂᆞ (Yale: -no-), originally a Middle Korean present-tense suffix now attached generally to verbs (or tense-marking suffixes derived from verbs) in many grammaticalized suffixes. See Usage notes below.

느니 • (-neuni)

1. (dated, now poetic) In the familiar style, a declarative suffix introducing a general truth or maxim.

   Synonym: (more common) 느니라 (-neunira)

   사람이 효를 모르거든 금수와 다름이 없느니.

   Saram-i hyo-reul moreu-geodeun geumsu-wa dareum-i eom-neuni.

   If a man knows no respect for his parents, he is no different from a beast.

• 느니 (-neuni) causes stem-final ㄹ (l) to drop out.
• 느니 (-neuni) is used for all verbs, for the existential adjectives 있다 (itda), 없다 (eopda), and 계시다 (gyesida), and for adjectives with tense marking with 었 (-eot-) and 겠 (-get-).
• 으니 (-euni) is used for adjectives without tense marking.

• 으니 (-euni), 니 (-ni) — See Usage notes