Breakdown of eoje achime neutge chulgeunhaesseoyo.
~에~e
destination particle
어제eoje
yesterday
아침achim
morning
출근하다chulgeunhada
to go to work
늦게neutge
late
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Questions & Answers about eoje achime neutge chulgeunhaesseoyo.
What does 어제 mean, and why doesn’t it take a particle like -에?
어제 means “yesterday.” As a standalone time adverb, it doesn’t require a particle. Time adverbs can appear without particles to set the temporal context.
Why is there -에 after 아침, forming 아침에?
아침 means “morning.” The particle -에 marks a specific point in time, so 아침에 means “in the morning” or “at morning.” Without -에, it would only be the noun “morning” without the time-marking.
How does 늦게 function in this sentence?
늦게 is the adverb form of 늦다 (“to be late”). By adding -게 to the adjective stem 늦-, it becomes an adverb that modifies the verb 출근했어요, indicating that the action was done “late.”
What is the dictionary form of 출근했어요, and how is its past tense formed?
The dictionary form is 출근하다 (“to go to work”). To make the past polite tense, 하다 becomes 했어요, so 출근하다 → 출근했어요.
Why is the subject omitted in this sentence?
Korean often drops the subject when it’s clear from context. Here, “I” is implied, so you don’t need to say 저는. Omitting known subjects makes speech more natural and concise.
What is the typical word order demonstrated here?
Korean follows Subject-Object-Verb (SOV). In this sentence:
- Subject (omitted)
- Time expressions (어제 아침에 늦게)
- Verb (출근했어요)
How would you say this sentence in a more formal polite style?
Change the verb ending 했어요 to 했습니다:
어제 아침에 늦게 출근했습니다.
How would you say “I will be late to work tomorrow morning”?
Use the future tense form 할 거예요 and replace 어제 with 내일:
내일 아침에 늦게 출근할 거예요.