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Questions & Answers about chinguege jeonhwahae.
What role does 에게 play in 친구에게 전화해?
에게 is the dative case marker, showing the recipient of the action. In this sentence, 친구에게 literally means “to (your) friend,” so the phrase reads “call to your friend,” which in English we render simply as “call your friend.”
Why don’t we use the object marker 을/를 with 친구?
In Korean, the person you call isn’t treated as a direct object, but as an indirect one. That’s why you use the dative marker 에게 (or colloquially 한테) instead of the accusative 을/를.
Can I swap 에게 for 한테 here?
Yes. 친구한테 전화해 is a more conversational alternative. 에게 is slightly more formal or common in writing, while 한테 is very casual, often in spoken Korean.
What speech level is 전화해, and when is it appropriate?
전화해 is the plain informal imperative. You’d use it with close friends, younger people, or when you want to sound very casual. It’s not suitable for strangers, elders, or in formal settings.
How would I make 친구에게 전화해 polite or honorific?
– Polite but neutral: 친구에게 전화해요.
– Polite honorific/request: 친구에게 전화하세요.
– Soft request: 친구에게 전화해 주세요.
– Honorific humble (to an elder about “my friend”): 친구분에게 전화를 드리세요.
Where’s the subject in 친구에게 전화해?
It’s omitted—Korean often drops the subject when it’s understood. Here the implied subject is “you.” So it literally means “(You) call your friend.”
Why is the verb 전화해 at the end?
Korean follows a subject–object–verb (SOV) word order. Even though 친구에게 (recipient) comes before, the verb must come last. All modifiers and objects precede the main verb.
What’s the difference between 전화해 and 전화를 걸어?
Both mean “call someone.”
– 전화해(요) comes from the verb 전화하다 (“to do a call”).
– 전화를 걸어(요) uses 걸다 (“to hang/throw”), literally “to throw a call.”
They’re interchangeable in most contexts, though 전화를 걸다 can sound a bit more neutral or technical.
How do I say “Call me” using the same structure?
Replace 친구에게 with 저에게 (to me) or 내게 (colloquial):
- 저에게 전화해.
- 내게 전화해.
Or, more politely: 저에게 전화해 주세요.