taeksiga jeil bissayo.

The taxi is the most expensive.

Breakdown of taeksiga jeil bissayo.

• ~가: subject particle
• 비싸다: expensive
• 택시: taxi
• 제일: the most

Questions & Answers about taeksiga jeil bissayo.

What does the particle 가 after 택시 do in this sentence?

가 is the subject marker in Korean. It tells us that 택시 is the subject of the sentence—the thing doing or being described. In 택시가 제일 비싸요, it marks 택시 as “the one that’s most expensive.”

What does 제일 mean here, and why is it used?

제일 means “most” or “the best/most of all.” It turns an adjective (here 비싸요, “is expensive”) into a superlative: “is the most expensive.” In everyday spoken Korean, 제일 is the go-to word for making superlatives.

Can I use 가장 instead of 제일? Is there a difference?

Yes. 가장 and 제일 both mean “most.”

• 제일 is more casual and common in spoken Korean.
• 가장 is slightly more formal or written-sounding.
  So you could say 택시가 가장 비싸요 without altering the basic meaning, though it might feel a bit more formal.

Why is it 비싸요 and not 비싸다 or 비싸?

• 비싸다 is the dictionary (infinitive) form of the adjective “to be expensive.”
• 비싸요 is the polite present-tense conjugation, matching a level of formality you’d use with strangers or customers.
• 비싸 is the plain (반말) present form you’d use with close friends or younger people.

Why don’t we say 비싼 택시예요 (“It’s an expensive taxi”)?

Both are valid, but they serve different functions:

• 택시가 제일 비싸요 uses 비싸요 as a predicate adjective describing 택시. “As for taxis, (a taxi) is the most expensive.”
• 비싼 택시예요 uses 비싼 (the attributive form of 비싸다) to modify 택시: “It is an expensive taxi.”
  The first focuses on a comparison (“most expensive of all”), while the second just states a quality (“an expensive taxi”).

Could we use 는 instead of 가 and say 택시는 제일 비싸요? Would it change the meaning?

You can. 택시는 제일 비싸요 uses the topic marker 는, which frames “as for taxis…” It can imply a contrast (compared to other transport modes) or a general statement: “Taxis, of all, are the most expensive.”

• 가 emphasizes the subject performing or experiencing the action/quality.
• 는 emphasizes the topic or contrast.
  In practice both are natural here, with only a tiny nuance of focus or contrast changing.

Where is the “verb” in this sentence? I only see 비싸요, which looks like an adjective.

In Korean, descriptive verbs (형용사) function like English adjectives but grammatically act as verbs. 비싸요 is the present-tense conjugated form of the descriptive verb 비싸다. In Korean syntax, verbs—including descriptive verbs—always come at the end of the clause. That’s why 비싸요 is the final word, serving as both adjective and predicate (“is expensive”).