User blog:Mgf60/Vol.1 Ch.64 Naver Endnote translation explanation

Original Korean = 올해 추석에 먹은 한과가 살아있다니. 제가 지금 유령이라도 보고 있는 건가요.

Frist sentence:
올해 = this year

'올해' means 'this year'.

추석에 = on Chuseok

'추석' means 'Chuseok', while '~에' means 'on', so 'on Chuseok'.

먹은 = [Noun] I ate (Topic)

'먹은' is a conjugation of '먹다', meaning 'to eat', where only the stem '먹' remains. The topic particle '은' is added to the stem of 'to eat', which means that the topic of the sentence is that something is eaten. Given the second sentence is written in first person, it can be assumed the first is also meant to be in first person, so '[Noun] I ate' is the topic of the sentence.

한과가 = hangwa (Subject)

'한과' is a general term for traditional Korean sweets, while '가' indicates it is the subject of the sentence.

살아있다니 = am I living?

'살아' is a present conjugation of '살다', which means 'to live', so 'live'. '~있다' means 'be', so added to '살아' means 'be living'. '니' turns it into a question, so 'be living?'. First person is again assumed, so 'am I living?'. This can be changed to 'Am I still alive?' to make the sentence a bit more coherent.

Additional notes

The 'Am I still alive?' remark is most likely not due to SIU accusing anyone of poisoning his sweets, but rather a reference to overindulging on sweets. We can then add 'amount of' to clarify the sentence.

The amount of Hangwa I ate on this year's Chuseok, Am I still alive?

Second sentence:
제가 = I (Subject)

'제' means 'I', while '가' indicates that this is the subject of this sentence.

지금 = now

'지금' means 'now', 'at this moment', 'immediately', or 'the time being'.

유령이라도 = ghost (slight dissatisfaction)

'유령' means 'ghost', while '이라도' indicates slight dissatisfaction with the noun, as the speaker/writer were hoping for something else.

보고 = see

'보고' is a connective and conjugation of '보다', meaning 'to see'

있는 = am

'있는' is the declarative present conjugation of '있다', meaning 'to be', so given that it is in first person it would be 'am' in English.

Additional notes

When the declarative and conjugation is paired up with '있다' (or its conjugations) it changes the base verb into this form 'I am [...]ing', so in this instance it would be 'I am seeing'.

'''건가요 = this? (Formal ending)'''

'건가' is used at the end of sentences when asking rhetorical questions, the '요' is added for a more formal sentence.

Am I really seeing this ghost right now?