bomeneun kkochi pieoyo.

Flowers bloom in spring.

Breakdown of bomeneun kkochi pieoyo.

• ~이: subject particle
• ~는: topic particle
• ~에: time particle
• 봄: spring
• 꽃: flower
• 피다: to bloom

Questions & Answers about bomeneun kkochi pieoyo.

What is the function of -에는 in 봄에는?

-에는 combines the time/location marker -에 (“in/at”) with the topic particle -는.
• 봄에 simply means “in spring.”
• 봄에는 adds a nuance of “as for spring” or “when it comes to spring,” often signaling a general or habitual statement (e.g. contrasting spring with other seasons).

Can I say 봄에 꽃이 피어요 instead of 봄에는 꽃이 피어요?

Yes.
• 봄에 꽃이 피어요 states “flowers bloom in spring” without topical emphasis.
• 봄에는 꽃이 피어요 highlights spring as the topic (“As for spring, flowers bloom”), implying a contrast (e.g. “In spring they bloom; in winter…”).

Why is 꽃 marked with 이 (subject marker) and not 은/는 (topic marker)?

• 꽃이 uses -이 to mark “flowers” as the subject of the verb 피어요 (“bloom”).
• If you said 꽃은 피어요, you’d be making “flowers” the topic (“As for flowers, they bloom”), which slightly shifts focus from spring to flowers themselves.

Why is the verb 피다 conjugated as 피어요 here?

Korean polite present tense is formed by attaching -어요 (or -아요) to the verb stem.

1. Remove -다 from 피다, leaving the stem 피-.
2. Since the stem vowel ㅣ isn’t ㅏ or ㅗ, you use -어요 → 피어요.
3. The result 피어요 means “(they) bloom” in polite casual speech.

Why do we use -어요 instead of -아요 in 피어요?

Polite present endings follow this rule:
• If the stem’s last vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ → attach -아요.
• Otherwise → attach -어요.
Since 피- ends with ㅣ, we use -어요, giving 피어요.

Why isn’t there a plural marker -들 on 꽃 when we mean “flowers”?

Korean often omits -들 when plurality is clear from context or applies generically.
• 꽃이 피어요 naturally implies multiple flowers blooming, so 꽃들 is unnecessary.
• Adding -들 (꽃들이) isn’t wrong, but it’s redundant in general statements.

Why does the verb come at the end of the sentence?

Korean follows Subject–Object–Verb (SOV) word order and places time or place phrases before the verb.
In 봄에는 꽃이 피어요 you have:

1. 봄에는 (time/topic)
2. 꽃이 (subject)
3. 피어요 (verb)

What level of formality is the ending -어요 in 피어요, and how would I make it more formal?

• -어요 endings are polite but relatively casual (used in daily conversation).
• To raise formality (e.g. written announcements, formal speeches), use -ㅂ니다 → 핍니다.
So a formal version is 봄에는 꽃이 핍니다.