Formal Sole Purpose: -ㄹ/을 뿐이다 (Only, Nothing But)

This pattern is what we call a sentence-ending structure. You attach it directly to the stem of a verb or an adjective. If you’re talking about a person or a thing (a noun), you use a slightly different version: 일 뿐이다. The "이다" part at the end means it functions like a verb, so you can conjugate it into different politeness levels. For example, if you're talking to a friend, you might say 뿐이야. If you're in a job interview, you'd say 뿐입니다. It’s like a Lego set—you have the base (뿐), and you just snap on the ending that fits the situation.

1. 1Getting the formation right is key to sounding like a pro. Follow these three simple steps:
2. 2Identify the Stem: Take your verb or adjective and drop the 다. For 먹다 (to eat), your stem is 먹. For 가다 (to go), it's 가.
3. 3Check for the Patchim: Look at the last letter of your stem.
4. 4No Patchim (ends in a vowel): Attach -ㄹ 뿐이다. So, 가다 becomes 갈 뿐이다.
5. 5With Patchim (ends in a consonant): Attach -을 뿐이다. So, 먹다 becomes 먹을 뿐이다.
6. 6Noun Exception: If you want to say "I am just a [Noun]," ignore the patchim rules and just add 일 뿐이다. For example, 학생 (student) becomes 학생일 뿐이다.
7. 7*Pro Tip:* If your stem ends in ㄹ already (like 살다), just add 뿐이다 to get 살 뿐이다. No need to double up on the ㄹ!

You'll want to pull this grammar out in a few specific scenarios.

• Limiting a Reason: When someone asks why you did something and the answer is simple. "I just did it because I was bored." -> 심심했을 뿐이에요.
• Describing a State: When you want to clarify a situation. "It's just a rumor." -> 소문일 뿐이에요.
• Expressing Modesty: If someone praises you, you can say, "I just did what I had to do." -> 할 일을 했을 뿐입니다.
• Everyday Life: Ordering food? "I just want one water." Asking directions? "I'm just passing by." It fits everywhere!

There are a couple of "no-go" zones for this grammar.

• Don't use it for commands: You can't say "Just go!" using this pattern. For that, you'd use 그냥 가!.
• Don't use it for suggestions: "Let's just eat" doesn't work here. Stick to -자 or -(으)ㅂ시다 endings for that.
• Only for facts: This grammar is for stating a limited reality. It’s not for asking someone else to limit their actions.

Yes, even the best of us trip up sometimes. Here are the big ones to watch out for:

• Forgetting the '이다': Don't just say 할 뿐. You need that 이다 (or 이에요, 입니다) to finish the sentence. Stopping early is like leaving a sandwich without the top bread—it's just messy.
• Noun Confusion: Beginners often try to attach -을 to nouns. Remember, nouns always take 일 뿐이다. 친구을 뿐이다 (✗) → 친구일 뿐이다 (✓).
• Double Spacing: In writing, make sure there's a space before 뿐. It’s 할 뿐이다, not 할뿐이다.

You might be thinking, "Wait, isn't this just the same as -만?" Not exactly!

• -만 is like a sticker. You put it on a single word. 나만 (Only me), 커피만 (Only coffee).
• -ㄹ 뿐이다 is like a blanket. It covers the whole action or sentence. It feels a bit more formal and definitive.

Think of -만 as saying "this one thing" and -ㄹ 뿐이다 as saying "nothing more than this."