Learn Hardcore Korean: maeil achim beoseuro chulgeunhaeyo.

매일 means “every day” and functions as an adverb of frequency. Adverbs don’t need case particles, so you can place 매일 directly before another time expression or verb to modify it.

Why isn’t there an 에 after 아침 (i.e., why 매일 아침 instead of 매일 아침에)?

매일 아침 is a compound adverbial phrase (“every morning”) and can stand alone without 에. In daily speech Koreans often drop the time particle. You could say 매일 아침에 버스로 출근해요 and it would still be correct, but the shorter 매일 아침 버스로 출근해요 sounds more natural.

What does the -로 in 버스로 indicate?

The particle -로 here marks the means or instrument (“by bus”). When you indicate how you go somewhere, you attach -으로/로 to the mode of transportation or tool.

Why is it 버스로 and not 버스로요 or 버스를?

You use -로 (not -를) because you’re indicating the means, not the object of a verb. 버스로 = “by bus.” Adding -요 to 버스로 would be ungrammatical—-요 goes on the verb to show politeness, not on particles.

Why 버스로 and not 버스로 with -으로?

The rule is: if a noun ends in a vowel or the consonant ㄹ, you use -로; if it ends in another consonant, you use -으로. 버스 ends in the vowel sound ㅡ (no final consonant), so you drop the 으 and just say 로.

Could I say 버스를 타고 출근해요 instead? What’s the difference?

Yes, 버스를 타고 출근해요 (“I ride the bus and commute”) is perfectly fine. It emphasizes the action of boarding and riding the bus. 버스로 출근해요 is more concise and simply states the means of commuting without focusing on the act of riding.

Why is there no subject like 저는 or 나는 at the beginning?

In Korean, subjects are often dropped when they’re clear from context. Here it’s obviously “I” who commutes, so Koreans omit 저는 to sound more natural and avoid redundancy.

Why use 출근해요 instead of just 가요?

출근하다 specifically means “to go to work,” while 가다 just means “to go.” Using 출근해요 makes it clear you’re talking about going to your workplace rather than any generic destination.

Can I reorder the adverbs and say 버스로 매일 아침 출근해요?

Although Koreans understand variations, the natural order is Time (매일 아침) → Manner/Means (버스로) → Verb (출근해요). Putting 버스로 first sounds awkward because Koreans expect the time phrase to come before how something is done.

What’s the difference between 매일 아침 and 아침마다?

Both mean “every morning.” 아침마다 uses the particle 마다 to stress repetition (“each and every morning”), while 매일 아침 simply states the routine. In most contexts they’re interchangeable, but 아침마다 can feel a bit more emphatic about the repeated nature.