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jeoneun yeongeoreul gongbuhaeyo.

저는 영어를 공부해요.jeoneun yeongeoreul gongbuhaeyo.
I study English.
FromLesson 6inHardcore Korean
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Questions & Answers about jeoneun yeongeoreul gongbuhaeyo.

Why is 저는 used rather than just 저?
  • 저 is the pronoun “I/me.”
  • -는 is the topic particle. Together, 저는 literally means “as for me,” marking the topic of the sentence.
  • Without -는, you’d just have the word for “I,” but it wouldn’t show its grammatical role.
What’s the difference between 저는 and 제가?
  • 저는 = “I” + topic marker -는 (as for me…).
  • 제가 = “I” + subject marker -가 (emphasizing the subject or introducing a new subject).
  • Use 저는 when you want to set or contrast a topic; use 제가 when you’re highlighting who is doing something or answering “who?”
Why is 영어를 used here, and what does -를 do?
  • 영어 means “English.”
  • -를 is the object marker (used after a vowel-ending noun).
  • 영어를 tells us that English is the direct object of the verb “study.”
Can you omit 저는 and just say 영어를 공부해요?
  • Yes. Korean often drops topic/subject pronouns when they’re clear from context.
  • 영어를 공부해요 still means “(I) study English.”
  • Including 저는 adds clarity or contrast (e.g. “As for me, I study English,” especially if someone else studies something else).
What is the dictionary form of 공부해요, and how does the polite form work?
  • Dictionary (base) form: 공부하다 (gong-bu-ha-da) = “to study.”
  • Remove -다 → stem 공부하-.
  • 하-verbs take 해요 (an irregular of -아요/어요) in polite present.
  • So 공부하-
    • -요 → 공부해요 (“study” politely).
How do you change 공부해요 to past or future tense?
  • Past tense → 공부했어요 (stem 하- goes to 했-
    • -어요).
  • Future tense → 공부할 거예요 (stem 공부할
    • 거예요) means “will study.”
Why does the verb come at the end of the sentence?
  • Korean follows an SOV (Subject-Object-Verb) word order.
  • The verb always appears last in a clause, after any subjects and objects.
What’s the nuance between 공부해요 and 배워요 when talking about studying English?
  • 공부해요 focuses on “studying” in general (reading, writing, grammar, etc.).
  • 배워요 comes from 배우다 (“to learn”), focusing on the process of acquiring knowledge or skills.
  • If you say 영어를 배워요, it implies you’re in the process of learning English (e.g., taking classes). Both are correct but highlight slightly different perspectives.

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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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