naneun hakgyoeseo gongbuhaeyo.

I study at school.

Breakdown of naneun hakgyoeseo gongbuhaeyo.

• ~에서: location particle
• 학교: school
• ~는: topic particle
• 나: I
• 공부하다: to study

Questions & Answers about naneun hakgyoeseo gongbuhaeyo.

What does -에서 do in this sentence?

-에서 marks the location where an action takes place. So 학교에서 means “at school,” indicating where you study.

How is 에 different from 에서?

에 marks a static location (“to be at” or “go to”), while 에서 specifically marks the place where an action occurs or the starting point of movement.

• 집에 있어요 = “I am at home.”
• 집에서 일해요 = “I work at home.”

Why is 나는 used instead of 내가?

나는 uses the topic marker -는, setting “I” as the topic (“As for me…”). 내가 uses the subject marker -가, which emphasizes “I” as the subject in contrast or focus. When you just want to talk about what you do, 나는 is more natural.

Can we omit 나는 here?

Yes. Korean often drops the topic or subject when it’s clear from context. Saying 학교에서 공부해요 still means “I study at school.”

Why is the verb 공부해요 and not just 공부하다?

공부하다 is the dictionary (infinitive) form “to study.” 공부해요 is its polite present-tense conjugation, meaning “(I) study” or “(I) am studying.”

Is 공부해요 present simple or progressive?

In Korean, the present tense can cover both habitual (“I study”) and progressive (“I am studying”) meanings. If you want to emphasize the ongoing action right now, you use -고 있어요:
학교에서 공부하고 있어요 = “I am studying at school (right now).”

How do I change it to past tense (“studied at school”)?

Replace -해요 with the past form -했어요:
나는 학교에서 공부했어요. = “I studied at school.”

How would you ask “Do you study at school?” in Korean?

Drop the topic if obvious and use rising intonation:
학교에서 공부해요?
Or more formally: 학교에서 공부합니까?

How can I make the sentence more formal?

Use the formal polite form -합니다 instead of -해요:
나는 학교에서 공부합니다.