📈 Understanding Korean Proficiency Levels & TOPIK Alignment

✅ Updated 2025-09-23

💬 Say It Right #5 — Discourse Markers (담화표현)

Do your Korean talks feel too stiff? Learn discourse markers and filler words to sound natural and connected.

한국어 대화에는 담화표현과 말버릇이 꼭 필요해요. 없으면 기계처럼 들릴 수 있어요.

🎯 Goals

• Learn 4 key discourse markers + 4 natural fillers.
• Make your speech flow smoother in daily life.
• Boost your TOPIK speaking score with natural connectors.
• 시험과 일상 모두에서 더 진짜 같은 한국어를 말할 수 있어요.

📘 Core — Key markers & fillers

1. 하긴: Agree softly.
   “하긴, 네 말이 맞아.” → Yeah, true.
2. 그러고 보니: Recall something new.
   “그러고 보니 어제 그 사람을 봤어.” → Now that you mention it, I saw him yesterday.
3. 아무래도: Show uncertainty or guess.
   “아무래도 내일 비 올 것 같아.” → I think it might rain tomorrow.
4. 어쩐지: Realize a reason.
   “어쩐지 오늘 조용하더라.” → No wonder it was quiet today.
5. 아니 / 있잖아 / 봐봐 / 그니까: Everyday fillers.
   These don’t change meaning, but make you sound native—like English “You know,” “Like,” “I mean.”
   예) “아니, 그게 아니라…” → “No, I mean…”
   예) “있잖아, 어제 말이야.” → “You know, yesterday…”
   예) “봐봐, 이렇게 하면 돼.” → “Look, do it like this.”
   예) “그니까, 내 말은…” → “So, what I mean is…”
   문법적으로 필요 없지만 실제 대화에서는 네이티브처럼 들리게 해 줘요.

✍️ Examples

• ✅ “하긴, 네 말이 맞아.” → More natural than just “맞아.”
• ✅ “그러고 보니 생각났다.” → Adds flow, like “Now that you mention it.”
• ✅ “아무래도 비 올 것 같아.” → Softer, shows uncertainty.
• ✅ “어쩐지 그렇더라.” → Sounds like “No wonder.”
• ✅ “아니, 있잖아… 어제 걔를 봤어.” → “You know what, I saw him yesterday.”

📝 Mini-Quiz — click to reveal

1) Which marker shows agreement?

하긴

2) Which marker recalls something new?

그러고 보니

3) Which marker expresses uncertainty?

아무래도

4) Which marker means ‘no wonder’?

어쩐지

5) Which filler is like English “You know”?

있잖아

🧪 TOPIK checkpoints

• Discourse markers add flow → better speaking score.
• Fillers are not for writing, but in speaking test they show naturalness.
• TOPIK 말하기: 담화표현은 점수 Plus, filler는 자연스러움을 보여 줘요.

🧩 Practice — 2 minutes

1. Start with 아니 or 있잖아 in a story.
2. Make a guess using 아무래도.
3. Explain with 그니까.
4. Recall with 그러고 보니.

👩‍🏫 Teacher’s Tips

• Listen to dramas: notice how often “아니, 있잖아” appears.
• Record yourself: add one filler per sentence to feel rhythm.
• 댓글에 연습문장을 남겨주시면, 제가 자연스러운 버전으로 고쳐드릴게요!

🌏 Culture Note

In Korean, fillers like “아니, 있잖아” signal friendliness and buy thinking time. Without them, speech can feel robotic.

“아니, 있잖아” 같은 filler는 친근함과 생각할 시간을 줘요. 없으면 말이 기계처럼 들려요.

⏭️ Next / Wrap-up

Say It Right series completed! We covered:

• #1 Passive & Causative (피동·사동)
• #2 Indirect Speech & Tense (간접화법 시제)
• #3 Advanced Honorifics (주다/드리다/주시다/올리다)
• #4 Word Register (격식 vs 구어)
• #5 Discourse Markers (담화표현 + fillers)

🔗 Explore more series

📘 TOPIK Starter Series 🔉 Pronunciation Essentials 💡 Speak Like Real Korean 📝 Study Planner & Overview

📅 italki mini-session

Bring 3 sentences from your day. We’ll polish them with discourse markers so you sound more fluent.

Get coaching on italki

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