Learn Hardcore Korean: gakkeum chinguwa gireul geonneoyo. - Sometimes I cross the street with my friend.

가끔 is an adverb meaning sometimes or occasionally. As an adverb, it modifies the verb and typically appears just before the verb or at the beginning of a sentence in Korean.

Why is there no subject in this sentence? Who crosses the street?

Korean often omits the subject when context makes it clear. The polite ending -요 implies that the speaker (I/저 or 나) is the one doing the action. So it means “I occasionally cross the street with a friend.”

What does 친구와 mean, and why is -와 used here?

친구와 means with a friend. The particle -와 attaches to a noun ending in a vowel to indicate “and” or “with.” Use -과 after a consonant. Here, 친구 ends in ㅜ (a vowel), so you use 와.

Could I use -하고 or -랑 instead of -와, like 친구하고 or 친구랑?

Yes. All three can mean with a friend, but they differ in formality and tone:
• 친구와 – more formal/written
• 친구하고 – neutral, everyday speech
• 친구랑 – informal, conversational

Why is 길 followed by -을 (길을)?

-을/를 is the object marker in Korean, showing what is being acted upon. Since 길 ends in a consonant (ㄹ), you attach -을. If it ended in a vowel, you’d use -를.

What’s the dictionary form of 건너요, and how did it get conjugated?

The base form is 건너다 (to cross). To make the polite present tense, drop 다 and add -어요:
건너 + 어요 → 건너어요, which contracts in speech to 건너요.

What level of politeness is the -요 ending in 건너요, and are there other endings?

The -요 ending is polite (존댓말) and common in everyday conversation with strangers or acquaintances. Alternatives:
• Casual: 건너 (for close friends/family)
• Formal: 건넙니다 (for official/written contexts)

Can I change the order of 가끔, 친구와, and 길을 in the sentence?

Because particles mark each word’s role, you have some flexibility. The typical order is [Time] [Companion] [Object] [Verb], but you could also say 친구와 가끔 길을 건너요 without changing the meaning. However, random orders like 길을 가끔 친구와 건너요 sound awkward.

Why don’t we use a location marker like -에서 (e.g., 길에서 건너요) to say “cross the street”?

-에서 marks the location where an action occurs, but when you’re “crossing” something, Korean treats that thing as a direct object. So you use 길을 건너다 (“to cross the street”), not 길에서 건너다. If you wanted to say “cross at the crosswalk,” you could say 횡단보도에서 건너요.