Breakdown of naneun achime keopireul masyeoyo.
~에~e
destination particle
마시다masida
to drink
~를~reul
object particle
~는~neun
topic particle
나na
I
아침achim
morning
커피keopi
coffee
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Questions & Answers about naneun achime keopireul masyeoyo.
Why is 나는 at the beginning of the sentence, and what does -는 do?
In Korean, 나는 = 나 (I) + -는 (topic marker). It highlights “I” as the topic of the sentence—think “as for me, ….” It can show contrast or emphasis. In casual conversation, you can often drop 나는 if “I” is already clear from context.
What does the particle -에 do in 아침에, and why is it needed?
-에 marks 아침 (morning) as a time expression, meaning “in/at the morning.” Without -에, 아침 is just a noun. You need -에 whenever you specify when something happens. (Remember that -에서 marks location, not time.)
Why is 커피를 used instead of just 커피, and what does -를 signify?
-를 is the direct object marker for nouns ending in a vowel (use -을 after a consonant). It tells you that 커피 (coffee) is what you’re drinking. In casual speech, Koreans sometimes drop -를 (e.g. 커피 마셔요), but including it makes the sentence grammatically clear.
Why does 마시다 become 마셔요, and why not 마시어요?
When you attach -어요 to the stem 마시-, the vowels ㅣ(시) + ㅓ(어요) contract into ㅕ, turning 마시 + 어요 into 마셔요. This is a standard vowel contraction in Korean conjugation.
Why is the verb placed at the end of the sentence instead of following the subject and object like in English?
Korean follows a Subject–Object–Verb (SOV) order. Time and place markers (like 아침에) usually come after the topic/subject and before the verb. So the structure is:
나는 (topic) → 아침에 (time) → 커피를 (object) → 마셔요 (verb).
What level of politeness does 마셔요 convey, and how would I change it to sound more formal or more casual?
마셔요 is the standard polite style (해요체), used with people you’re not extremely close to.
- More formal (하십시오체): 마십니다
- More casual (반말): 마셔
Can I omit some words or particles in this sentence and still be understood?
Yes. In spoken Korean, speakers often drop 나는 when the subject is clear, and sometimes even -를 or -에. You might hear 아침에 커피 마셔요 or, in very casual speech, 아침에 커피 마셔. However, including particles makes your speech clearer and more natural in writing or polite contexts.
If I want to say “I don’t drink coffee in the morning,” how do I change the sentence?
You can negate the verb either by placing 안 before it or using -지 않아요:
1) 나는 아침에 커피를 안 마셔요.
2) 나는 아침에 커피를 마시지 않아요.
Both mean “I don’t drink coffee in the morning.”