jadongcharo baekhwajeome gayo.

I go to the department store by car.

Breakdown of jadongcharo baekhwajeome gayo.

• 가다: to go
• ~에: destination particle
• ~로: instrumental particle
• 백화점: department store
• 자동차: car

Questions & Answers about jadongcharo baekhwajeome gayo.

What does -로 indicate in 자동차로?

The particle -로 after 자동차 shows the means or method (“by car”). Since 자동차 ends in a vowel, it takes -로 (instead of -으로).

Why is the particle -에 used in 백화점에 가요?

With motion verbs like 가요, -에 marks the destination (“to the department store”). Without it the sentence wouldn’t clearly show where you’re going.

Can I say 자동차에 가요 to mean “go by car”?

No. 자동차에 would mean “to the car” or “into the car.” To express travel by car you need -로. If you want “enter the car,” you’d say 자동차에 타요 (“get in the car”).

What’s the difference between 자동차로 가요 and 자동차를 타고 가요?

Both mean “I go by car,” but:

• 자동차로 가요 uses the instrumental particle on the vehicle noun.
• 자동차를 타고 가요 uses the verb 타다 (“to ride”) plus -고, literally “ride the car and go.” It’s slightly more descriptive but equivalent.

Why is the verb 가요 used instead of 갑니다 or 간다?

• 가요 is the polite informal present tense (conversational 존댓말).
• 갑니다 is the formal polite form (formal 존댓말).
• 간다 is the plain form (used in writing or very casual speech).

Is it okay to shorten 자동차 to 차 as in 차로 백화점에 가요?

Absolutely. 차로 백화점에 가요 is more colloquial and common in spoken Korean.

Why do we place 자동차로, 백화점에, then 가요, instead of English word order?

Korean follows a subject–object–verb structure. Adverbial phrases (like means and destination) come before the verb, so you list the method (자동차로), then the location (백화점에), and end with the verb (가요).