-기는요

Gentle refutation

Explanation

This expression is used to politely refute or disagree with the other person's statement.

When used in response to a compliment, it expresses the speaker's modesty.

This expression can also be shortened to -긴요.

Details

This expression cannot be used together with expressions that denote tense, such as -았/었- and -겠-.

가: 외국에서 살 때 힘들었어요?
나: 힘들었기는요. ✕
→나: 힘들기는요. ✓
가: 내일 시험이 어렵겠죠?
나: 어렵겠기는요. ✕
→나: 어렵기는요. ✓

Kimchi Reader

Expression is used to politely refute or disagree with the other person's statement. Used in response to a compliment to show modesty. Can also be used lightly criticize or scold someone.

Details

Shortened form

Instead of the full version 기는(요) (Gentle refutation) can be shortened to 긴(요).

Other uses of 긴

긴 can also be used in reduplicative expressions such as -긴 -구나 (좋긴 좋구나) or -긴 -ㄴ가/나 보다 (힘들긴 힘든가 보다). The former adds emphasis to a -구나 expression, and the latter adds emphasis to a -ㄴ가/나 보다 expression, with the added nuance that the speaker has experienced or noticed several things that have confirmed their impression of a situation being a certain way.

Examples
잘하<span class='focus'>기는요</span>. 저보다 잘하는 사람이 많아요.
I'm not that good. There are many people who are better than me.
<span class="speaker-a">가:</span> 한국말을 정말 잘하시네요!<br><br><br><br><span class="speaker-b">나:</span> 잘<span class='focus'>하기는요.</span> 아직도 더 많이 배워야 해요.
가: Your Korean is really good! 나: No, it's not really that good. I've still got so much more to learn.
<span class="speaker-a">가:</span> 어제영화 재미있었어요?<br><br><br><br><span class="speaker-b">나:</span> 재미<span class='focus'>있기는요</span>. 보다가 졸았어요.
가: Was the movie interesting yesterday? 나: Not really that interesting, I fell asleep watching it.

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