I didn’t think he would think that in Korean 🇰🇷

Sentence info.

Breakdown of the sentence:

1. 나는 (na-neun) – “I” with the topic marker 는 attached to 나. It establishes the sentence’s subject.

2. 그가 (geu-ga) – “he” with the subject marker 가 attached to 그. This introduces the subordinate clause’s subject.

3. 그것을 (geu-geos-eul) – “that” functioning as the object with the object particle 을 attached.

4. 생각할 (saeng-gaghalk) – The future/intended form of the verb 생각하다 (“to think”). By dropping 다 and attaching the future/planned marker 할, it turns the verb into a modifier for the noun that follows.

5. 것이라고 (geos-irago) – “that thing” or “that” used to quote the thought. 것 means “thing” here and -이라고 works as a quoting expression that connects the clause “그가 그것을 생각할 것” with the main verb 믿지 않았다.

6. 믿지 않았습니다 (midji anasseumnida) – The negative past form of 믿다 (“to believe”). The phrase 믿지 않았습니다 means “did not believe.”

Tips to remember:
• Korean often uses quoting forms (like -이라고) to connect a subordinate clause (what he would think) to a main verb (believe).
• Notice that the future tense form 생각할 acts as an adjective modifying 것, turning an entire clause (“he would think that”) into a noun phrase.
• Particles (는, 가, 을) clarify the roles of the words in the sentence.

Alternate ways to express “I didn't think he would think that”:
• 나는 그가 그렇게 생각할 거라고 믿지 않았습니다.
 Romanized: “Na-neun geu-ga geu-reo-ke saeng-gahl geo-ra-go midji anasseumnida.”
• 나는 그가 그렇게 생각하리라고 믿지 않았습니다.
 Romanized: “Na-neun geu-ga geu-reo-ke saeng-gahri-ra-go midji anasseumnida.”

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