mullo soneul ssiseoyo.

물로 손을 씻어요.mullo soneul ssiseoyo.
I wash my hands with water.
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Questions & Answers about mullo soneul ssiseoyo.

Why isn't 물 marked as the direct object in this sentence? Why is 손을 the object instead?
You wash your hands, not the water. The verb 씻다 (“to wash”) takes 손 as its direct object, so you attach the object marker -을: 손을. Here, 물 indicates the means (“with water”) and is therefore not treated as the direct object.
What does the particle -로 do in 물로? When should I use -로 versus -으로?

The particle -로 marks the instrument or means (“with/by”).
• Attach -으로 after a noun ending in a consonant (except ㄹ).
• Attach -로 after a noun ending in a vowel or the consonant ㄹ.
Since 물 ends in the vowel ㅡ, it takes -로 → 물로 (“with water”).

Why is the verb 씻다 conjugated as 씻어요 and not 씻아요?

Korean verbs use either -아요 or -어요 based on the final vowel of the stem:
• If the stem ends in ㅏ or ㅗ, add -아요.
• Otherwise, add -어요.
The stem 씻- contains ㅣ, so you attach -어요 → 씻어요.

Is 씻다 an irregular verb? I’ve seen some verbs drop letters when conjugated.
No, 씻다 is a regular verb for conjugation purposes. Although it ends in ㅅ, it does not follow the “ㅅ-irregular” pattern (like 짓다 → 지어요). You simply apply the normal rules, resulting in 씻어요. Any odd pronunciation (e.g. sounding like “씨써요”) is due to assimilation, but you still spell it 씻어요.
I don’t see a subject in the sentence. Who is doing the washing?
Korean often omits subjects when they’re clear from context. Depending on the situation, it could mean “I wash my hands,” “You wash your hands,” “We wash our hands,” etc. If you need to specify, you can add 제가, 당신이, 우리가, and so on.
How can I change this sentence to different levels of politeness or formality?

You can swap the verb ending:

  • Casual informal (friends, very close): 물로 손을 씻어
  • Polite informal (everyday polite): 물로 손을 씻어요
  • Polite formal (written announcements etc.): 물로 손을 씻습니다
  • Polite imperative (telling someone politely): 물로 손을 씻으세요
  • Formal imperative (very polite request): 물로 손을 씻으십시오
Can I change the word order? For example, 손을 물로 씻어요?
Yes. Korean is generally SOV, but adverbial phrases and objects can move around for emphasis. Both 물로 손을 씻어요 and 손을 물로 씻어요 are correct; the verb still stays at the end.
What’s the difference between 물에 손을 씻어요 and 물로 손을 씻어요?
  • 물에 indicates a location or place (“in water”). Saying 물에 손을 씻어요 often sounds like you’re immersing your hands in water to wash them.
  • 물로 indicates the instrument or means (“with water”). To express “wash your hands using water,” you need 물로.