Episode 25 — 동명사: 동사를 명사로 만드는 또 다른 방법

MisoEnglish Grammar Series

Episode 25 — 동명사

동사를 명사로 만드는 또 다른 방법

"문법을 외우지 말고, 느껴라" Don't memorize grammar. Feel it.

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🧭 들어가며 | Introduction

동명사는 동사 + -ing 형태로 명사 역할을 하는 것이다.

A gerund is a verb + -ing that functions as a noun.

Swimming is good exercise. 수영은 좋은 운동이다.
She enjoys reading. 그녀는 독서를 즐긴다.
I'm good at cooking. 나는 요리를 잘한다.

to부정사도 명사 역할을 한다고 배웠다. 그렇다면 둘은 같은가?

We learned that infinitives can also function as nouns. So are they the same?

아니다. 동명사와 to부정사는 느낌이 다르다. 그리고 어떤 동사들은 반드시 동명사만, 어떤 동사들은 반드시 to부정사만 받는다.

No. Gerunds and infinitives carry different feelings. And some verbs take only gerunds, others only infinitives.

이 차이를 느끼는 것이 이번 편의 핵심이다.

Feeling that difference is the core of this episode.

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1. 동명사의 역할 | Roles of the Gerund

① 주어로 | As Subject

Swimming is good exercise. 수영은 좋은 운동이다.
Eating late at night is bad for you. 밤늦게 먹는 것은 건강에 나쁘다.
Learning a language takes time. 언어를 배우는 것은 시간이 걸린다.

② 목적어로 | As Object

She enjoys reading. 그녀는 독서를 즐긴다.
I finished writing the report. 나는 보고서 작성을 끝냈다.
He avoids eating fast food. 그는 패스트푸드 먹는 것을 피한다.

③ 전치사의 목적어로 | After Prepositions

전치사 뒤에는 반드시 동명사가 온다. to부정사는 불가.

After a preposition, always use a gerund — never an infinitive.

She is good at cooking.
그녀는 요리를 잘한다.
I'm interested in learning Spanish.
나는 스페인어 배우는 것에 관심이 있다.
He is tired of waiting.
그는 기다리는 것이 지겹다.
Thank you for helping me.
나를 도와줘서 고마워.
She left without saying goodbye.
그녀는 작별 인사 없이 떠났다.
I'm looking forward to meeting you.
나는 당신을 만나는 것을 기대하고 있다.

⚠️ be used to + 동명사 vs used to + 동사원형

I am used to waking up early.
나는 일찍 일어나는 것에 익숙하다. (익숙하다)
I used to wake up early.
나는 일찍 일어나곤 했다. (과거 습관)

④ 보어로 | As Complement

My hobby is collecting stamps.
나의 취미는 우표 수집이다.
His job is teaching English.
그의 직업은 영어를 가르치는 것이다.

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2. 동명사만 받는 동사들 | Verbs Followed Only by Gerunds

이 동사들 뒤에는 반드시 **동명사(-ing)**가 온다.

These verbs must be followed by a gerund.

기억 방법: 이미 일어나고 있거나, 끝난 것, 부정적인 것과 관련된 동사들

Memory tip: verbs related to something already happening, finished, or negative

동사 예문

enjoy	She enjoys reading.
finish	He finished writing.
avoid	I avoid eating sugar.
consider	She considered leaving.
mind	Do you mind opening the window?
suggest	He suggested going out.
keep	She kept talking.
practice	I practice speaking English.
give up	He gave up smoking.
quit	She quit working there.
delay / postpone	They delayed making a decision.
deny	He denied stealing the money.
admit	She admitted making a mistake.
miss	I miss living in Seoul.
imagine	Can you imagine flying?
risk	Don't risk losing it.

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3. to부정사만 받는 동사들 | Verbs Followed Only by Infinitives

이 동사들 뒤에는 반드시 to부정사가 온다. (Episode 24 복습)

These verbs must be followed by an infinitive. (Review from Episode 24)

want, hope, wish, plan, decide, choose, agree, promise, refuse, expect, intend, manage, fail, afford, offer

I want to go. / She decided to quit. / He refused to answer.

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4. 둘 다 되는 동사 — 의미 차이 없음 | Both with No Difference in Meaning

이 동사들은 동명사와 to부정사 둘 다 올 수 있고, 의미 차이가 없다.

These verbs take either — with no difference in meaning.

begin, start, continue, like, love, hate, prefer

She started crying / She started to cry.
그녀가 울기 시작했다. (같은 의미)
I like swimming / I like to swim.
나는 수영을 좋아한다. (같은 의미)
He hates waiting / He hates to wait.
그는 기다리는 것을 싫어한다. (같은 의미)

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5. 둘 다 되지만 의미가 달라지는 동사 | Both but Meaning Changes

이것이 핵심이다. 일부 동사들은 동명사와 to부정사에 따라 의미가 완전히 달라진다.

This is the critical part. Some verbs change meaning completely depending on gerund or infinitive.

remember | 기억하다

I remember meeting her.
나는 그녀를 만났던 것을 기억한다. (과거 경험 기억)
I remembered to meet her.
나는 그녀를 만나는 것을 기억했다. (할 일을 잊지 않음)

forget | 잊다

I forgot meeting him.
나는 그를 만났다는 것을 잊었다. (과거 경험을 잊음)
I forgot to meet him.
나는 그를 만나는 것을 잊었다. (할 일을 잊어 못함)

stop | 멈추다

She stopped smoking.
그녀는 담배 피우는 것을 그만뒀다. (동명사 = 목적어, 그 행동을 멈춤)
She stopped to smoke.
그녀는 담배를 피우려고 멈췄다. (to부정사 = 부사, 목적)

try | 시도하다

I tried eating less.
나는 덜 먹으려고 시도해봤다. (시험 삼아 해봄)
I tried to eat less.
나는 덜 먹으려고 노력했다. (노력했지만 성공 여부 불명)

regret | 후회하다

I regret saying that.
나는 그 말을 한 것을 후회한다. (과거 행동 후회)
I regret to say that...
유감스럽게도 ~라고 말씀드려야겠습니다. (격식 표현)

핵심 패턴 | Key Pattern

동명사(-ing) → 이미 일어난 일, 과거, 실제 경험
Gerund(-ing) → already happened, past, actual experience

to부정사(to ~) → 앞으로 할 일, 미래, 의도
Infinitive(to ~) → yet to happen, future, intention

I remember locking the door.
문을 잠갔던 것을 기억한다. (이미 잠근 과거)

I remembered to lock the door.
문을 잠가야 한다는 것을 기억했다. (앞으로 할 일)

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6. 동명사의 의미상 주어 | Possessive + Gerund

동명사의 행위자가 다를 때, 소유격으로 표시한다.

When the doer of the gerund is different, use the possessive.

I appreciate your helping me.
나를 도와준 것에 감사하다. (격식)

I appreciate you helping me.
나를 도와준 것에 감사하다. (구어)

He doesn't like my singing.
그는 내가 노래하는 것을 좋아하지 않는다.

She was surprised at his leaving so early.
그가 그렇게 일찍 떠난 것에 놀랐다.

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📌 이번 편 요약 | Episode Summary

1. 동명사 = 동사 + -ing → 명사 역할 — 주어·목적어·전치사 뒤·보어 Gerund = verb + -ing → noun role — subject, object, after prepositions, complement.
2. 전치사 뒤에는 반드시 동명사 — to부정사 불가 After prepositions, always gerund — never infinitive.
3. 동명사만 받는 동사 — enjoy, finish, avoid, consider, mind, keep, give up 등 Gerund-only verbs — enjoy, finish, avoid, consider, mind, keep, give up.
4. 둘 다 되지만 의미 다른 동사 — remember, forget, stop, try, regret Both but different meaning — remember, forget, stop, try, regret.
5. 핵심 감각 — 동명사 = 이미 일어난 것 / to부정사 = 앞으로 할 것 Core feeling — gerund = already happened / infinitive = yet to happen.

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🔜 다음 편 예고 | Coming Up Next

Episode 26 — 관계사 : 두 문장을 하나로 잇는 다리 Relative Clauses: The Bridge That Joins Two Sentences

who, which, that, where, when, whose — 이 단어들이 두 개의 문장을 하나로 연결한다. 영어 문장이 길고 정밀해지는 바로 그 순간이다.

who, which, that, where, when, whose — these words join two sentences into one. This is the moment English sentences become long and precise.

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© MisoEnglish Grammar Series | Level 4 — Episode 25 "문법을 외우지 말고, 느껴라" | "Don't memorize grammar. Feel it."

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Gerunds: Another Way to Turn a Verb into a Noun

When -ing Means Something Has Already Happened

MisoEnglish Grammar Series — Episode 25

"Don't memorize grammar. Feel it."

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Introduction

A gerund is simple in form: verb + -ing, functioning as a noun. But the reason English has both gerunds and infinitives for this purpose — and why certain verbs demand one and not the other — is where things get interesting.

The key insight: gerunds lean toward the past, the actual, the already-experienced. Infinitives lean toward the future, the intended, the yet-to-happen. Hold onto that feeling, and the choices start to make sense.

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1. Roles of the Gerund

As subject:

Swimming is good exercise.
Eating late at night is bad for you.
Learning a language takes time.

As object (after certain verbs):

She enjoys reading.
He finished writing the report.
I avoid eating fast food.

After prepositions — always gerund, never infinitive:

She is good at cooking.
I'm interested in learning Spanish.
He is tired of waiting.
Thank you for helping me.
She left without saying goodbye.
I'm looking forward to meeting you.

⚠️ be used to + gerund vs used to + base verb:

I am used to waking up early. (I'm accustomed to it)
I used to wake up early. (I did this in the past)

As complement:

My hobby is collecting stamps.
His job is teaching English.

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2. Verbs Followed Only by Gerunds

enjoy, finish, avoid, consider, mind, suggest, keep, practice, give up, quit, delay, postpone, deny, admit, miss, imagine, risk

She enjoys reading. He finished writing. I avoid eating sugar. He gave up smoking. She admitted making a mistake. I miss living in Seoul.

Memory tip: These verbs tend to relate to something already happening, completed, or negative — all pointing to the actual, the real, the experienced.

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3. Verbs That Take Both — No Difference in Meaning

begin, start, continue, like, love, hate, prefer

She started crying / She started to cry. (same meaning)
I like swimming / I like to swim. (same meaning)
He hates waiting / He hates to wait. (same meaning)

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4. Both — But Meaning Changes

This is the critical section. Some verbs shift meaning completely depending on whether a gerund or infinitive follows.

remember

I remember meeting her. → I have a memory of meeting her. (past experience) I remembered to meet her. → I didn't forget to do it. (future task)

forget

I forgot meeting him. → I have no memory of it. (past experience forgotten) I forgot to meet him. → I failed to do it. (future task forgotten)

stop

She stopped smoking. → She quit. Smoking is over. (gerund = the thing stopped) She stopped to smoke. → She paused in order to smoke. (infinitive = purpose)

try

I tried eating less. → I experimented with it. (tried as an experiment) I tried to eat less. → I made an effort. (tried but outcome uncertain)

regret

I regret saying that. → I wish I hadn't said it. (past action regretted) I regret to say that... → I'm sorry to inform you. (formal announcement)

The Core Pattern

Gerund (-ing)    → already happened / past / actual experience
Infinitive (to~) → yet to happen / future / intention

I remember locking the door. → I locked it.
I have that memory.
I remembered to lock the door.
→ I kept it in mind and did it.

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5. Possessive + Gerund

When the doer of the gerund is different from the main subject:

I appreciate your helping me. (formal)
I appreciate you helping me. (informal — both acceptable)
He doesn't like my singing.
She was surprised at his leaving so early.

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Episode Summary

1. Gerund = verb + -ing → noun — subject, object, after prepositions, complement.
2. After prepositions = always gerund — never infinitive.
3. Gerund-only verbs — enjoy, finish, avoid, mind, keep, give up, admit.
4. Both but different meaning — remember, forget, stop, try, regret.
5. Core feeling — gerund = already happened / infinitive = yet to happen.

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Coming Up Next

Episode 26 — Relative Clauses: The Bridge That Joins Two Sentences

who, which, that, where, when, whose — these words join two sentences into one. This is the moment English sentences become long, precise, and layered.

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© MisoEnglish Grammar Series | Level 4 — Episode 25 "Don't memorize grammar. Feel it."

 

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