Korean Education & Society: -기 나름이다, -기에 따라
Korean says outcomes hinge on the doer with -기 나름이다 (결과는 생각하기 나름이에요 — the result depends on how you think about it), and frames a variable that decides everything with -기에 따라 (마음먹기에 따라 달라져요 — it changes depending on how you set your mind), the two patterns Koreans reach for when debating exams and private education.
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Written by Alvin Lim Certified Korean Language Teacher (Level 2)
Korean frames “it depends” two ways, and both put the outcome on a variable: -기 나름이다 says the result hinges on how the doer acts (결과는 생각하기 나름이에요 — the result depends on how you think about it), and -기에 따라 names the deciding factor, usually paired with 달라지다 (마음먹기에 따라 달라져요 — it changes depending on how you set your mind). These are the patterns Koreans reach for the moment a conversation turns to grades, exams, and whether success is earned or given.
This is the language of Korea’s never-ending education debate — 입시 (entrance exams) and 사교육 (private tutoring) are dinner-table topics here. You’ve already learned to build an argument in writing; now you’ll learn the spoken patterns for staking out a position. Start with the vocabulary of school and competition.
Ten words for education and competition
The nouns and verbs behind every conversation about Korean schooling.
It depends on how you do it — -기 나름이다
To say an outcome hinges entirely on how the action is carried out, attach -기 나름이다 to a verb stem. The word 나름 means “one’s own way,” so the pattern literally says “it’s a matter of how you do X” — a tone full of agency.
결과는 생각하기 나름이에요 = the result depends on how you think about it 성적은 공부하기 나름이에요 = grades depend on how you study 아이는 가르치기 나름이에요 = kids turn out according to how you teach them 인생은 마음먹기 나름이에요 = life is a matter of how you set your mind
The nuance is encouraging: outcomes aren’t fixed — they bend to your approach. It’s a favorite of parents, teachers, and motivational speakers alike.
Depending on how/whether — -기에 따라
-기에 따라 names the variable that decides the outcome. It almost always pairs with 달라지다 (changes) or 다르다 (differs).
마음먹기에 따라 달라져요 = it changes depending on how you set your mind 준비하기에 따라 결과가 달라져요 = the result differs depending on how you prepare 어떻게 활용하기에 따라 효과가 달라요 = the effect differs by how you use it 노력하기에 따라 충분히 바뀔 수 있어요 = it can fully change depending on your effort
For a plain noun, drop the -기 and use 에 따라 directly: 사람에 따라 다르다 (it differs by person), 상황에 따라 (depending on the situation). So “depending on the teacher” (noun) is 선생님에 따라, but “depending on how you teach” (action) is 가르치기에 따라.
Debating private education
Two parents weighing whether to send their kid to a cram school:
Notice how both speakers keep returning the outcome to the doer: 공부하기 나름, 마음먹기 나름, 해 보기 나름 all say “it’s up to how you do it,” while 활용하기에 따라 names the variable. That’s the heart of Korea’s effort-versus-circumstance debate.
FAQ
How is -기 나름이다 different from just saying ‘~에 달려 있다’ (depends on)? They overlap, but the nuance differs. ~에 달려 있다 means ‘depends on (a factor)’ and takes a noun: 성공은 노력에 달려 있다 (success depends on effort). -기 나름이다 zooms in on how the action is carried out and puts the result squarely in the doer’s hands: 성공은 노력하기 나름이다 (success depends on how you work at it / it’s up to how you do it). The 나름 word itself means ‘one’s own way/manner,’ so -기 나름이다 literally says ‘it’s a matter of one’s own way of doing X.’ It carries an encouraging, you-have-agency tone — Koreans use it to say outcomes aren’t fixed, they hinge on your approach. That’s why it shows up so much in education debates: 아이는 가르치기 나름이에요 (kids turn out according to how you teach them).
Can -기에 따라 attach to nouns too, or only verbs? The -기에 따라 form attaches to a verb (the -기 nominalizes the action): 마음먹기에 따라 (depending on how you make up your mind), 노력하기에 따라 (depending on how you try). For a plain noun, drop the -기 and use 에 따라 directly: 사람에 따라 다르다 (it differs from person to person), 상황에 따라 (depending on the situation), 환경에 따라 (depending on the environment). So ‘depending on the teacher’ as a noun is 선생님에 따라, but ‘depending on how you teach’ as an action is 가르치기에 따라. Both are extremely common in society and education writing, where you constantly say ‘X varies depending on Y.’
Why do these two patterns come up so often in talk about Korean education? Korean education discourse revolves around a tension: how much of a student’s outcome is fixed (talent, family wealth for 사교육) versus how much depends on effort and approach. -기 나름이다 and -기에 따라 are the grammar of that ‘it depends’ debate. People defending effort say 성적은 공부하기 나름이다 (grades depend on how you study) or 결과는 마음먹기에 따라 달라진다 (the result changes depending on your mindset). People stressing circumstances counter that 환경에 따라 기회가 다르다 (opportunities differ by environment). Mastering these two patterns lets you take a position in the 입시 (entrance-exam) and 사교육 (private-education) conversation that dominates Korean society.
Next: nunchi & saving face — -는 척하다, -은 채로. Previous: demographic trends — -을뿐더러, -는 데다가. Full path: curriculum hub.