gonghangeseo hwanjeonhaesseoyo.

I exchanged money at the airport.

Breakdown of gonghangeseo hwanjeonhaesseoyo.

• ~에서: location particle
• 공항: airport
• 환전하다: to exchange money

Questions & Answers about gonghangeseo hwanjeonhaesseoyo.

Why is the location marked with 에서 rather than 에?

에서 indicates the place where an action takes place (“at the airport”). 에 alone marks a static location (“to the airport” or “in the airport”) or a point of existence, but 에서 emphasizes “here is where I did something.”

Why isn’t there a direct object particle like 돈을 before 환전했어요?

환전하다 (“to exchange currency”) already includes the object idea, and Korean often omits objects when they’re clear from context. You could say 공항에서 돈을 환전했어요, but dropping 돈을 sounds more natural once it’s understood you exchanged money.

What is the meaning and origin of 환전?

환전 (換錢) is a Sino-Korean noun meaning “currency exchange” (literally “change money”). With 하다 it becomes the verb “to exchange money.”

Why is the verb in the form 했어요 instead of 했다 or 했어?

했어요 is polite informal speech, used in everyday conversation with people you’re not extremely close to.

• 했다 is plain past, more common in writing or very casual talk.
• 했어 is informal, used among close friends or younger people.

Why is there no subject like 저는 at the start of the sentence?

Korean often drops subjects when they’re obvious. If you’re telling your own story, the listener knows I am the subject, so 저는 isn’t necessary.

Could I use 바꿨어요 instead of 환전했어요?

Yes, you can say 공항에서 돈을 바꿨어요 (“I changed money at the airport”). But 환전하다 is the standard term for official currency exchange, while 바꾸다 is more general (“to change”).

How would I say “I will exchange money at the airport” instead?

Use the future tense: 공항에서 환전할 거예요 (polite, informal future) or 공항에서 환전하겠습니다 (polite, formal future).

How can I specify which currency I exchanged?

Add the currency as the object or destination:

• 공항에서 달러를 환전했어요 (“I exchanged for dollars at the airport”)
• 공항에서 원화를 달러로 환전했어요 (“I exchanged won into dollars at the airport”).

How do I mention the actual exchange booth 환전소 in the sentence?

You can say 공항 환전소에서 환전했어요, which literally means “I exchanged money at the airport’s exchange booth.” It’s perfectly natural.