Learn Hardcore Korean: doseogwaneseo chaegeul ilgeoyo.

에서 marks the place where an action occurs. In 도서관에서, it means at the library. It differs from 에, which indicates a static location (where something/someone exists rather than an action taking place).

Why does 책 have the particle 을 attached in 책을 읽어요?

을 is the object marker for nouns ending in a consonant. It shows that 책 is the direct object of 읽다 (to read). If a noun ends in a vowel, you would use 를 instead.

Why is the verb 읽어요 placed at the end of the sentence?

Korean follows Subject–Object–Verb (SOV) word order. Even when the subject is omitted, the object comes before the verb, and the verb finishes the sentence.

What does the ending -어요 signify in 읽어요?

-어요 is a polite, informal present-tense ending (the “요 form”). It makes your speech polite yet friendly, ideal for everyday conversation with people you’re not extremely close to or when you want to be courteous.

Why isn’t the subject stated in 도서관에서 책을 읽어요?

Korean often drops the subject when it’s clear from context. Here, the speaker likely means “I” (저는) or “we” (우리는). You can add 저는 or 우리는 at the beginning if you need to specify who’s doing the reading.

Can I change the word order to 책을 도서관에서 읽어요, and does it change the meaning?

Yes. Korean word order is flexible. 책을 도서관에서 읽어요 still means I read a book at the library. The nuance or emphasis might shift slightly, but the core meaning remains the same.

Why doesn’t Korean use articles like a or the with 책을?

Korean has no articles. Whether a noun is definite or indefinite is understood from context or clarified with demonstratives (e.g., 그 책 for that book).

What’s the difference between 읽어요 and 읽습니다, and when should I use each?

읽어요 is polite and informal, suited for everyday conversation.
읽습니다 is polite and formal, used in presentations, news, or when speaking to someone of higher status.
Choose 읽어요 for friendly/polite speech and 읽습니다 for more formal/polite situations.