Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
This makes it suitable for speaking with friends or as a self-confident monologue. To make the phrase polite, change 나 to the polite pronoun 저 and add the polite ending 요 to the end of the sentence, resulting in 저 예쁜 척하는 게 아니라 그냥 예쁘게 태어난 건데요. A formal version can also be used, such as 제가 예쁜 척하고 있는 게 아니에요, 제가 태어날 때부터 예쁘게 태어났어요.
How does it change in a sentence?
The structure 게 아니라 is used to negate the preceding clause in order to introduce a correction or a true reason, essentially meaning "not that [X], but…". The sentence ending 건데 (a contraction of 것인데) provides a nuance of explaining a background situation or providing a reason that might contradict a previous assumption, translating to "it is that I was born (but/and)".
How do you pronounce it?
na yeppeun cheokhaneun ge anira geunyang yeppeuge taeeonan geonde
Did you know?
- The word 나 (I) is possibly a cognate of the Old Japanese word for 'I' na, though some scholars believe it was actually a Korean loanword that entered Japanese.
- In the word 나 (I), the pronunciation of the first letter can change depending on its position. When it appears at the start of a word, it is pronounced as 'n', but inside a word, it is often pronounced as 'r' when reading certain Chinese characters.
Example conversation
Jieun and Dohyun are joking around during a hangout.
- 지은 Ji-eun오늘따라 왜 이렇게 예쁜 척해?oneulttara wae ireoke yeppeun cheokhae?Why are you acting so pretty today?
- 도현 Do-hyeon뭐라고? 나 예쁜 척하는 게 아니라 그냥 예쁘게 태어난 건데.mworago? na yeppeun cheokhaneun ge anira geunyang yeppeuge taeonan geonde.What? I'm not acting pretty, I was just born pretty.
- 지은 Ji-eun와, 진짜 자신감 넘치네!wa, jinjja jasingam neomchine!Wow, you're really full of confidence!
- 도현 Do-hyeon당연하지, 이건 사실이니까.dangyeonhaji, igeon sasiginikka.Of course, because it's a fact.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 게, 그냥, 나, CC BY-SA 4.0.
