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oneul iljjik toegeunhaeyo.

오늘 일찍 퇴근해요.oneul iljjik toegeunhaeyo.
I leave work early today.
FromLesson 9inHardcore Korean

Questions & Answers about oneul iljjik toegeunhaeyo.

Why don’t we need any particle after 오늘?
Temporal nouns like 오늘 (“today”), 내일 (“tomorrow”), 어제 (“yesterday”) can act as adverbs without a particle. Saying 오늘 일찍… naturally means “today early….” If you add a topic marker (오늘은), it emphasizes “As for today…” rather than simply stating when. And using 에 (e.g. 오늘에) is unidiomatic in Korean for “today.”
Why is 일찍 placed before 퇴근해요?
일찍 is an adverb meaning “early,” and in Korean, adverbs generally precede the verb they modify. So 일찍 퇴근해요 literally “early leave-work” corresponds to “leave work early.”
What exactly is 퇴근해요? How is it formed?
퇴근해요 is the polite present tense of the verb 퇴근하다 (“to leave work”). It’s made by combining the Sino-Korean noun 퇴근 (退勤, “leaving work”) with 하다 (“to do”), then conjugating 하다 into the polite 해요 form.
Why is there no subject like 저는 or 제가 in the sentence?
Korean often drops subjects when they’re understood from context. Here, it’s clear you’re talking about yourself, so 오늘 일찍 퇴근해요 is sufficient. Adding 저는 (as for me) is possible (저는 오늘 일찍 퇴근해요) but not required.
What level of politeness is 퇴근해요?
The ending -해요 is the polite informal (or “해요체”) style you’d use with coworkers or acquaintances slightly older or of similar age. For more formal speech, you’d say 퇴근합니다; for casual speech, 퇴근해.
How would I change this to past or future tense?

– Past: 오늘 일찍 퇴근했어요 (“I left work early today.”)
– Future: 오늘 일찍 퇴근할 거예요 (“I will leave work early today.”)

What’s the difference between 퇴근 and 출근?

– 출근 (出勤): “going to work,” “arriving at the office.”
– 퇴근 (退勤): “leaving work,” “finishing your shift.”

If I want to say “I go home early today,” can I say 오늘 집에 일찍 퇴근해요?

No. 퇴근하다 already implies leaving work and doesn’t take a destination. To mention “home” you can say:
• 오늘 일찍 퇴근하고 집에 가요. (“I’ll leave work early today and go home.”)
• Or, if context makes “work” obvious, 오늘 집에 일찍 가요 (context: going home early).

How do I turn 오늘 일찍 퇴근해요 into a question?

Simply use rising intonation in speech:
• 오늘 일찍 퇴근해요? (“Are you leaving work early today?”)
Or for formal style:
• 오늘 일찍 퇴근합니까?
For casual friends:
• 오늘 일찍 퇴근해?

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“How do speech levels work in Korean?”
Korean has multiple speech levels that indicate formality and politeness. The most common are the formal polite (‑습니다/‑ㅂ니다), informal polite (‑아요/‑어요), and casual (‑아/‑어) forms. Which level you use depends on who you're speaking to and the social context.

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