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Questions & Answers about seonsaengnimeul mannayo.
What is the role of the particle 을 in 선생님을 만나요?
을 is the direct‐object marker in Korean. It attaches to a noun ending in a consonant to show that the noun (here, 선생님) is the object of the verb 만나요.
Why is it 을 and not 를 after 선생님?
Korean has two object markers: 을 after a consonant and 를 after a vowel. Since 선생님 ends with the consonant ㅁ, we use 을, not 를.
How do you get 만나요 from 만나다?
To conjugate 만나다 (to meet) into the present polite form:
- Drop -다 → 만나
- Because the last vowel is ㅏ, add -아요 → 만나아요
- In speech/writing, the double ㅏ contracts → 만나요
What tense and politeness level is 만나요?
만나요 is present tense and uses the polite informal style (the -요 ending). It’s suitable for everyday polite conversation without being overly formal.
Does 만나요 ever mean will meet?
Literally, 만나요 is present tense (“meet(s)”). However, in Korean you can use the present tense for scheduled future events (like an appointment). If you want to be explicit about the future, use 선생님을 만날 거예요 (“I will meet the teacher”).
Who is the subject of 선생님을 만나요?
Korean often omits subjects when context is clear. Here, the default assumption is “I” (저/제가). Depending on context it could be “we” or another person, but most likely “I meet the teacher.”
How would you make this sentence negative?
Two common ways:
1) Place 안 before the verb: 선생님을 안 만나요.
2) Use -지 않아요 after the stem: 선생님을 만나지 않아요.
How would you say I met the teacher in Korean?
Change to past tense:
- Polite informal: 선생님을 만났어요.
- Formal polite: 선생님을 만났습니다.
How do you say Let’s meet the teacher?
Depending on style:
- Casual: 선생님을 만나자.
- Polite suggestion (“Shall we?”): 선생님을 만날까요?
- Polite imperative (telling someone else): 선생님을 만나세요.
How can you show more respect when talking about meeting a teacher?
Use the honorific verb form 뵙다 instead of 만나다, and add honorific endings:
- Polite informal honorific: 선생님을 뵈어요.
- Formal polite honorific: 선생님을 뵙겠습니다.