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Questions & Answers about jibeseo gongbuhaeyo.
What does 집에서 mean? Why is 에서 attached to 집?
집 means “home,” and 에서 is the location particle that indicates “at” (where the action takes place). Together, 집에서 means “at home.”
When should I use 에서 vs 에?
Use 에 to mark a point in space or time, or the destination of movement (e.g., 집에 가요 “I go home”). Use 에서 to mark where an action happens (e.g., 집에서 공부해요 “I study at home”).
Why is there no subject like 저는 in 집에서 공부해요?
Korean often drops the subject when it’s clear from context. If you want to include it for emphasis or clarity, you can say 저는 집에서 공부해요 (“As for me, I study at home”).
What part of speech is 공부해요? How is this verb formed?
공부해요 comes from the verb 공부하다 (“to study”). Here 공부 is a noun (“study”), and 하다 is “to do.” With the polite informal ending -해요, 공부하다 becomes 공부해요.
What politeness level is -해요 and what are other common endings?
The ending -해요 is polite informal (used in everyday conversation with people you’re not super close to). Other levels include:
• Formal polite: 공부합니다
• Casual: 공부해 (to close friends or younger people)
• Honorific: 공부하세요 (showing respect)
Is word order flexible? Why is 집에서 before 공부해요?
Korean generally follows Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) order, and location phrases typically appear before the verb. Placing 집에서 first clearly marks where the action happens. Swapping to 공부해요 집에서 sounds odd in normal speech.
How do I make this sentence past tense?
Change the verb ending to past tense: 공부했어요.
So “I studied at home” becomes 집에서 공부했어요.
How do I say “I will study at home”?
Use a future construction like -을 거예요 or the formal -겠습니다:
• 집에서 공부할 거예요 (polite informal “I will study at home”)
• 집에서 공부하겠습니다 (formal polite “I will study at home”)
How can I add contrast like “I study at home, not elsewhere”?
Use the topic particle 은/는 after the location: 집에서는 공부해요. This contrasts “at home” with other places (e.g., 학교에서는 공부해요 “I study at school”).