Usage
i) ‘Calculate’
그는 셈이 빠르다.
He is quick at doing figures.
ii) ‘Judgement’
그는 셈을 할 줄을 안다.
He knows how to have good sense.
iii) Calculated as
이는 김연아가 금메달을 9개 획득한 셈이다.
This means 김연아 has won a total of nine gold medals.
iv) Considered as
아침을 늦게 먹어서 점심은 먹은셈이야.
I ate breakfast late so I’ve practically had lunch.
v) Intentions
가을에 한국에 올 셈이다.
I intend to come to Korea in autumn.
Conjugation
| Type | Example | Past | Present (processive) |
Future (prospective) |
Retrospective |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AV (vowel) | 하다 | 한 셈이다 | 하는 셈이다 | 할 셈이다 | 하던 셈이다 |
| AV (cons.) | 듣다 | 들은 셈이다 | 듣는 셈이다 | 들을 셈이다 | 듣던 셈이다 |
| DV (vowel) | 빠르다 | 빠른 셈이다 | 빠른 셈이다 | 빠를 셈이다 | 빠르던 셈이다 |
| DV (cons.) | 어둡다 | 어두운 셈이다 | 어두운 셈이다 | 어어두울 셈이다 | 어둡던 셈이다 |
| Noun (vowel) | 남자 | 남자였던 셈이다 | 남자인 셈이다 | 남자일 셈이다 | 남자였던 셈이다 |
| Noun (cons.) | 사람 | 사람이었던 셈이다 | 사람인 셈이다 | 사람일 셈이다 | 사람이던 셈이다 |
Where:
AV = action verb / processive verb.
DV = descriptive verb / ‘adjective’.
Nouns take the copula (이다) and this becomes a DV.
Contents
Introduction
i) ‘Calculate’
ii) ‘Judgement’
iii) Calculated as
iv) Considered as
v) Intentions
Expanded forms
Additional details
Associated grammar
See also
Bibliography
User examples
Introduction
셈 comes from the verb 세다 (to count) + nominaliser (으)ㅁ and originally only meant ‘calculation’. From this, 셈 is now used when expressing considerations, suppositions, assumptions and intention
i) ‘Calculate’
In its most basic form, the noun 셈 simply means ‘calculate’.
그는 셈이 빠르다.
He is quick at doing figures.
셈이 틀리다
miscalculate
셈을 속이다
cook the books
ii) ‘Judgement’
Developing from ‘calculation’ (of a physical process) comes the meaning of ‘psychological calculation’. Here 셈 means ‘judgement’ or ‘maturity’.
그는 셈을 할 줄을 안다.
He knows how to have good sense.
셈도 모르면서 함부로 말하지 마세요.
Don’t speak so recklessly when you don’t even understand.
(now dated language)
셈 is sometimes combined with 속 (inside) to mean ‘mental calculation’. However, it is mostly used to mean ‘hidden intentions’ or to describe someone who is ‘calculative’.
속셈이 있다
have an ulterior motive
그의 속셈은 뻔해.
His intentions are obvious
속셈을 모르겠어.
I don’t know what he has in mind.
iii) Calculated as
The ending ㄴ/는 셈이다 can be used to mean ‘calculated as’, where facts and figures are calculated.
Figure example:
이는 김연아가 금메달을 9개 획득한 셈이다.
This means 김연아 has won a total of nine gold medals.
Here the speaker gives the final calculation of the figures. In this case, the number of gold medals won at different championships are added together.
Fact example:
이로 인해 한국 최초의 여성 대통령이 되는 셈이다.
This makes her Korea’s first female president.
Here the speaker states a conclusion based on some facts and deductive reasoning.
마라톤 선수 50명 중에 10명이 낙오한 셈이에요.
Of the 50 marathon runners, 10 are yet to finish.
달러화의 가치가 올라가면 비용은 덜 드는 셈이에요.
If the value of the dollar goes up, your payments will be less.
매일 기름진 음식을 먹는다면 비만이 될 확률이 높은 셈이다.
Eating greasy food every day increases the likelihood of obesity.
케익, 초, 폭죽, 꼬깔모자, 음악이 있다면 생일파티는 다 준비된 셈이야.
If there is cake, candles, party hats and music, then we’re good to go.
그 학생은 너에 비해 열심히 공부한 셈이지.
I guess that student studies harder than you.
iv) Considered as
From ‘judgement’, the ending ㄴ/는 셈이다 can also be used to indicate that “X should be considered in some way”.
아침을 늦게 먹어서 점심은 먹은 셈이야.
I ate breakfast late so I’ve practically had lunch.
Different nuances are possible with these sentences. The speaker could be saying:
– “X is practically Y,”
– “It’s almost as if,”
– “It’s like…”
– “As far as I’m concerned,”
– “Consider it as…”
비싸게 산 셈이지.
It’s almost as though we paid too much.
다음 주는 추수감사절이니, 올해가 다 끝난 셈이에요.
Since next week is Thanksgiving, the year is practically over.
담벼락하고 말하는 셈이야.
It’s like talking to a brick wall.
우린 거의 같이 자라왔던 셈이에요.
We kind of grew up together.
품질을 생각하면 비싸지 않은 셈이에요.
When you consider the quality it isn’t expensive.
담배를 한 개비씩 피울 때마다 그만큼 수명이 줄어드는 셈이야.
Every cigarette you smoke is a nail in your coffin.
자기 발등을 자기가 찍은 셈이다.
That’s cutting off the nose to spite the face. (proverb)
v) Intentions
The ending ㄹ 셈이다 is simply used to express intentions. It consists of: the processive modifier (으)ㄹ, 셈 meaning ‘intent’ and the copula 이다.
가을에 한국에 올 셈이다.
I intend to come to Korea in autumn.
농담을 할 셈이었어요.
I meant it as a joke.
내년에 일본어를 배워볼 셈이야.
I’m thinking of learning Japanese next year.
앞으로 어떻게 할 셈이야?
What do you plan on doing?
나를 바보 만들 셈이냐?
Are you going to make a fool of me?
Expanded forms
M 셈이다 is sometimes expanded with the following forms:
M 셈으로
셈 can combine with particle (으)로 (with/by way of) to mean:
– “with the judgement”
– “with the idea”
– “with the intention”
(으)로 example:
연필로 쓰다
write with a pencil
셈으로 examples:
문제를 해결해 볼 셈으로
with the intent to solve the problem
도대체 어쩔 셈으로 그러느냐?
What the hell were you doing?
사과하는 셈으로 뭐라고 했다.
He said something by way of an apology.
M 셈인지
셈 can combine with the question leading form ㄴ/는지 to ask about someone’s judgement or intention.
ㄴ/는지 example:
시간이 있는지
if there is time
ㄴ/는지 examples:
무슨 셈인지 모르겠다.
I don’t know how the matter stands.
어쩔 셈인지 도대체 알 수가 없어요.
I cannot understand his motive.
어떻게 된 셈인지 그에게서 전혀 소식이 없어.
I haven’t heard anything about how (he thinks) it happened.
날 언제까지 놀라게 할 셈인지?
When are you going to surprise me?
M 셈치(다)
셈 can combine with 치다 (consider/assume) to create a supposition.
치다 example:
지금 한국에 산다고 치고 한국말을 열심히 공부하세요.
Study Korean as if you are living in Korea right now.
M 셈치(다) examples:
네가 오는 셈치고 준비하겠다. I am preparing as if you’ll come.
그것을 잃어버린 셈치자. Let’s assume that we lost it.
죽은 셈치자. Let’s suppose that he was dead.
실직을 당하는 셈치고 월세는 어떻게 낼거야? How will we pay the rent if you lose your job?
지금 한국에 산 셈치고 한국말을 열심히 공부하세요. Study Korean as if you are living in Korea right now.
This form is very similar to 다 치고 and without a discernible difference. Unlike 다고 치다, 셈치다 is only used with verbs
Additional details
General
• The grammaticalisation of 셈 is as follows:
1. The verb 세다 (count) becomes nominalised with ㅁ to mean (physical) ‘calculation’.
그는 셈이 아주 빠르다.
He is very quick at figures.
2. 셈 becomes associated with (mental) judgements and considerations.
그는 셈을 할줄을 안다.
He knows how to have good sense.
3. 셈 is used for expressing supposition and assumptions.
어떻게 된 셈인지 모르겠다.
I don’t know how the matter stood.
지금 한국에 산다는 셈 치고 한국말을 열심히 공부하세요.
Study Korean as if you are living in Korea right now.
4. 셈 is used for expressing intentions.
가을에 한국에 올 셈이다.
I intend to come to Korea in autumn.
Associated grammar
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See also
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Bibliography
Affiliate links help support uK.
— Ahn, J., & Sun, E. (2014). Korean Grammar in Use: Advanced. Paju-si: Darakwon.
— Baik, J. On the Nominalizer-to-Stance Development: A Case of Seym ‘calculation’ in Korean. (2017). Language and Linguistics, 76, 69–98.
— Cho, H., Kim, U., Kwon, J., Jeong, H., Lee, S., Son, J., & Kim, K. (2008). Master Korean 4-2 Intermediate. Paju-si: Darakwon
— Ihm, H.B., Hong, K.P., & Chang, S.I. (2001). Korean Grammar for International Learners. Seoul: Yonsei University Press.
— Kingdom, L. (2015). Essential Korean Grammar: Your Essential Guide to Speaking and Writing Korean Fluently!. Singapore: Tuttle Publishing.
— Min, J., & Ahn, J. (2011). Korean Grammar in Use: Intermediate. Paju-si: Darakwon.
— You, C., & Cho, E. (2002). Intermediate College Korean. Berkeley: University of California Press.