i chinguga gwiyeowoyo.

friend

Breakdown of i chinguga gwiyeowoyo.

• 이: this
• ~가: subject particle
• 귀엽다: cute

Questions & Answers about i chinguga gwiyeowoyo.

Why do we use the subject marker -가 on 이 친구 instead of the topic marker -는?

In Korean, -가 marks the grammatical subject—what or who performs the action or possesses the property—while -는 marks the topic—what you’re talking about.

• 이 친구가 귀여워요 with -가 focuses on “this friend” as the one who is cute (e.g. among others, this one stands out).
• 이 친구는 귀여워요 with -는 would mean “As for this friend, (he/she) is cute,” often implying contrast or change of subject in the conversation.

What is the dictionary form of 귀여워요, and is it considered a verb or an adjective?

The dictionary form is 귀엽다, which is a descriptive verb (often called an adjective in English). In Korean grammar, adjectives behave like verbs: they conjugate and carry tense, mood, and politeness themselves.

Why does 귀여워요 end with -요, and what level of politeness does it convey?

The ending -요 is the polite informal declarative ending. It:

• Makes your statement polite enough for strangers or casual acquaintances.
• Is warmer and more conversational than the formal -습니다 ending.
• Is more polite than the plain ending (귀여워), which you’d use with very close friends or younger people.

How do we conjugate into , and why does the 받침 change to ?