저는 재미있는데요.
I think it’s interesting.
민우 씨는 지금 자리에 없는데요.
Minu is not at his desk right now.
정말 높은데요!
We’re really high up!
Usage:
1. -(으)ㄴ/는데요 is used to express one’s disagreement with or opposition to what somebody says. It corresponds to ‘Well (in my case)’ in English. For adjectives, when the stem ends in a vowel, -ㄴ데요 is used, and when it ends in a consonant -은데요 is used. For verbs, -는데요 is added to the stem.
A: 오늘 날씨가 안 주워요. The weather’s not cold today.
B: 저는 주운데요. Well, I feel cold.
2. -(으)ㄴ/는데요 is also used to express the expectation of, or waiting for, a response from the other person and corresponds to ‘…and?’ or ‘…but?’ in English.
A: 여보세요,거기 하영 씨 댁이지요? Hello, is this the home of Hayeong?
B: 네. 맞는데요. (누구세요? / 무슨 일이세요?)
Yes. It is… (And you are? / What is the reason for your call?)
3. -(으)ㄴ/는데요 is also used to express the speaker’s surprise at discovering or feeling something unexpected when observing a situation. It corresponds to ‘(I’m surprised to learn that)… is so…’ in English.
• (여자 친구를 보면서) 여자 친구가 정말 예쁜데요!
(I’m surprised to see that) your girlfriend is really pretty! (said while observing someone’s girlfriend)
• (외국인을 보면서) 한국말을 아주 잘하시는데요.
(I’m surprised to see that) he (she) speaks Korean really well, (said while observing a foreigner)
Conversation:
A: 내일 저녁에 시간 있어요? Do you have time tomorrow evening?
B: 내일은 시간이 없는데요. Well, tomorrow, I don’t have any time.
A: 이 그림 어때요? What do you think of this painting?
B: 와. 멋있는데요. Wow, it’s really nice.
A: 와, 댄 씨, 공부 열심히 하는데요. Wow, Dane, you really are studying hard.
B: 아니에요. 그냥 책을 읽고 있어요. Not really. I’m just reading a book.
