pilgisiheomui hapgyeok jeomsureul hwaginhaessseupnida.

Questions & Answers about pilgisiheomui hapgyeok jeomsureul hwaginhaessseupnida.

What does 필기시험 mean here?

필기시험 means written exam or written test.

  • 필기 = writing by hand / written
  • 시험 = exam / test

So this contrasts with things like:

  • 면접시험 = interview test
  • 실기시험 = practical test

In this sentence, 필기시험 is one noun phrase meaning the type of exam.

What does 의 do in 필기시험의?

의 is a particle that shows a relationship similar to of or 's in English.

So:

  • 필기시험의 합격 점수 = the passing score of the written exam = the written exam's passing score

It connects 필기시험 to 합격 점수.

A natural way to think of it is:

  • 필기시험 modifies 합격 점수
  • 의 makes that relationship explicit

In many cases, Korean can also omit 의 in noun phrases, so 필기시험 합격 점수 may also be seen. With 의, it sounds a bit more explicit or formal.

What exactly does 합격 점수 mean?

합격 점수 means passing score—the score needed to pass.

Breakdown:

  • 합격 = passing, success on an exam
  • 점수 = score

So this usually refers to the required score threshold, not necessarily the score that a particular person received.

For example:

  • 합격 점수 = the minimum score needed to pass
  • 내 점수 = my score
  • 시험 점수 = exam score

So this sentence is about checking the score required for passing, not automatically my own score.

Why does 점수 get -를 in 점수를?

Because 점수 is the direct object of the verb 확인했습니다.

The sentence structure is:

  • 필기시험의 합격 점수 = the passing score for the written exam
  • 점수를 = marks that noun phrase as the object
  • 확인했습니다 = checked / confirmed

In Korean, the object marker is attached to the last noun in the object phrase.

So:

  • 점수 + 를 → 점수를

It uses 를 because 점수 ends in a vowel sound.

What does 확인했습니다 mean exactly?

확인했습니다 comes from 확인하다, which means:

  • to check
  • to confirm
  • to verify

In this sentence, it usually means something like:

  • I checked the passing score
  • I confirmed the passing score

It is a little stronger and more purposeful than just 보다 (to see/look at).

Compare:

  • 봤습니다 = saw/looked at
  • 확인했습니다 = checked/confirmed

So 확인했습니다 suggests the speaker looked it up or made sure of it.

What tense and politeness level is 확인했습니다?

It is past tense and formal polite style.

Breakdown:

  • 확인하- = verb stem
  • -였-/했- = past tense
  • -습니다 = formal polite ending

So 확인했습니다 means:

  • checked
  • confirmed

with a formal tone.

This style is common in:

  • reports
  • announcements
  • presentations
  • formal conversation
  • written statements

Less formal versions would be:

  • 확인했어요 = polite but less formal
  • 확인했다 = plain form
Where is the subject? Does this mean I checked it?

The subject is omitted, which is very common in Korean.

So the sentence does not explicitly say:

  • I
  • we
  • they

The subject is understood from context.

In many everyday situations, an English speaker would naturally interpret it as:

  • I checked the passing score for the written exam

But depending on context, it could also mean:

  • We checked...
  • He/She checked...

Korean often leaves out subjects when they are already obvious.

Could this sentence mean I checked whether I passed the written exam?

Not literally.

The sentence specifically says the speaker checked the passing score:

  • 필기시험의 합격 점수 = the passing score for the written exam

That is different from:

  • checking my score
  • checking whether I passed

If you wanted to say I checked whether I passed the written exam, Korean would usually be phrased differently, such as with expressions involving:

  • 합격 여부 = whether one passed
  • 합격했는지 = whether one passed

So this sentence is about the required passing score, not directly about the result of the speaker.

Could the wording be changed a little, like dropping 의?

Yes. A close alternative is:

  • 필기시험 합격 점수를 확인했습니다.

This is also understandable and natural.

Why? Because Korean often allows nouns to stack directly:

  • 필기시험
    • 합격 점수

Using 의 makes the relationship more explicit:

  • 필기시험의 합격 점수

Without 의, it can sound a bit more compact.

Both are possible, but the version with 의 may feel slightly more formal or more clearly structured in writing.

Why is the verb at the end of the sentence?

Because Korean is basically an SOV language:

  • Subject – Object – Verb

So the normal order is:

  • [subject] [object] [verb]

In this sentence:

  • subject = omitted
  • object = 필기시험의 합격 점수
  • verb = 확인했습니다

That is why the sentence ends with the action.

This is one of the biggest differences from English, where the verb usually comes earlier:

  • I checked the passing score...

In Korean:

  • ...passing score checked

That final-verb pattern is very normal.

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“How do speech levels work in Korean?”
Korean has multiple speech levels that indicate formality and politeness. The most common are the formal polite (‑습니다/‑ㅂ니다), informal polite (‑아요/‑어요), and casual (‑아/‑어) forms. Which level you use depends on who you're speaking to and the social context.

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