~에 관한 것이었다
~e gwanhan geosieotda
The English phrase "was about" is expressed in Korean as ~에 관한 것이었다 (~e gwanhan geosieotda).
This phrase is used to describe the subject or main topic of something in the past.
What does it mean word for word?
The expression is composed of ~에 관한 (about/concerning), 것 (thing/fact) and 이었다 (was).
Which one should you use?
The phrase ~에 대한 것이었다 can be used as a synonym, replacing 관한 with 대한.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form ~에 관한 것이었다 is the plain/literary past tense form used in writing or narration. The polite spoken version of this phrase is ~에 관한 것이었어요.
How do you pronounce it?
~e gwanhan geosieotda
Did you know?
- The particle ~에 used here to mean 'about' is the same tool Koreans use to express 'to', 'at', and 'in'.
- The word 것 in this phrase is a 'dependent noun', meaning it is a grammatical placeholder that cannot stand alone as a subject of a sentence.
- In spoken Korean, the phrase 것이었어요 is almost always shortened to 거였어요. Using the full version in a conversation can make you sound like a textbook or unnaturally stiff.
Examples in context
- 어제 친구랑 영화에 대해 말했어.I talked with my friend about the movie yesterday.
- 우리 오늘 뭘 이야기하고 있었지?What were we talking about today?
