Questions & Answers about halmeonineun yesnare i dosie jaju gasseo.
Why is it 할머니는 and not 할머니가?
는 marks 할머니 as the topic: as for grandmother...
So 할머니는 옛날에 이 도시에 자주 갔어 feels like:
- As for grandmother, she often went to this city in the old days.
If you used 할머니가, it would put more focus on who did the action, as if answering a question like:
- Who often went to this city?
→ 할머니가.
In many ordinary statements, 는 sounds more natural when you are talking about someone as the topic of the sentence.
What does 옛날에 mean exactly?
옛날에 means in the old days, a long time ago, or back then.
It gives a broad past-time setting, not a specific date. It often has a nostalgic or old-time feeling.
Examples of the nuance:
- 옛날에 = long ago / in earlier times
- 예전에 = before / previously / in the past
So 옛날에 can sound a little more like back in the old days, while 예전에 is often more neutral.
Why is there an 에 after 옛날?