chinguege pyeonjireul sseo.

Write a letter to a friend.

Breakdown of chinguege pyeonjireul sseo.

• 친구: friend
• ~를: object particle
• ~에게: dative particle
• 편지: letter
• 쓰다: to write

Questions & Answers about chinguege pyeonjireul sseo.

What does the particle 에게 indicate in 친구에게?

에게 marks the recipient or indirect object. Here, 친구에게 literally means “to a friend,” showing who will receive the letter.

Why do we use 에게 instead of 한테?

• Both 에게 and 한테 can mean “to/for someone.”
• 에게 is more neutral or formal, common in writing and standard speech.
• 한테 is more colloquial, often used in casual conversation.

What is the role of -를 in 편지를?

-를 is the direct object particle. It marks 편지 (“letter”) as the thing being written. Without it, the sentence might sound incomplete or ambiguous.

Why is the subject missing in this sentence?

Korean frequently omits the subject when it’s clear from context. In an imperative like this, the subject “you” (너 or 당신) is understood, so it’s left out.

What verb form is 써 and what is its dictionary form?

• 써 is the informal (반말) imperative form.
• The dictionary form is 쓰다 (to write).
• For a polite imperative, you would say 써요 or 쓰세요.

What politeness level is implied by 써?

• 써 is casual/informal imperative.
• Use it with close friends, younger people, or those you’re very familiar with.

Can I change the word order in this sentence?

Yes. Korean relies on case particles, so you could say:
• 친구에게 편지를 써. (original)
• 편지를 친구에게 써. (swapped)
The meaning stays the same; you’re just shifting emphasis.

Can I omit the object marker -를 here?

• In very casual speech you might hear 편지 써, dropping -를.
• However, keeping -를 makes the sentence clearer and is recommended, especially for learners.

Could I make this sentence more polite?

Certainly. Use a polite imperative:
• 친구에게 편지를 써요. (standard polite)
• 친구에게 편지를 쓰세요. (honorific polite, showing extra respect)