Learn Hardcore Korean: juchajange jadongchareul juchahaeyo.

The particle -에 here indicates the target location where something is placed or parked (“into/at the parking lot”). -에서 would emphasize “the place where the action occurs” (“action happening at the parking lot”). With 주차하다 (to park), Korean treats it more like “placing” the car in a spot, so -에 is the natural choice.

Why is 자동차 followed by -를 (the object marker)?

-를 (or -을) marks the direct object of a verb. Since 자동차 (“car”) is what’s being parked, it takes -를 to show it’s the object receiving the action 주차해요.

Why do I hear the same root 주차 in both 주차장 and 주차해요? Isn’t that repetitive?

It looks repetitive because both words come from the same Sino-Korean root 停車 (to stop/park a vehicle).
• 주차장 = “parking lot” (주차 + 장 “place”)
• 주차해요 = “(I) park (something)” (주차 + verb 하다)
They’re related but serve different roles: one is a noun for the place, the other is the action.

Could you omit 자동차를 and just say 주차장에 주차해요?

Yes, you can if the context makes clear what you’re parking. Omitting the object is common in Korean when it’s understood:
• (At the parking lot) “주차장에 주차해요.”
But if it’s not obvious, include 자동차를 to avoid confusion.

What does the -장 in 주차장 mean?

-장 (場 in Hanja) means “place” or “field.” You see it in other location words like 식당장 (dining hall), 경기장 (stadium). So 주차장 literally means “parking place.”

Can I say 자동차를 세워요 instead of 주차해요? What’s the difference?

Yes, 세우다 can mean “to stop/park (a vehicle),” so 자동차를 세워요 is acceptable.
• 주차하다 is the dedicated term for “parking,” often used in formal or technical contexts.
• 세우다 is more general: “to make something stand/stop,” and you’ll hear it in everyday speech.

What formality level is 주차해요? Could I use 주차합니다?

주차해요 is polite, mid-level speech (해요체). You can raise formality to 존댓말 문어체 with 주차합니다.
• Informal/casual: 주차해
• Polite: 주차해요
• Formal/written: 주차합니다

Who is the subject of 주차장에 자동차를 주차해요? There’s no 저는 or 제가.

Korean often drops the subject when it’s clear from context. Here, it’s implied “I” or “we.” If you want to make it explicit: 저는 주차장에 자동차를 주차해요.

Is 주차장에 자동차를 주차해요 the same as 자동차를 주차장에 주차해요? Why this word order?

Yes, both orders are grammatically correct and mean the same. Korean is flexible because particles mark function, not position. Often speakers put the location first (topic → object → verb), but swapping is fine: • 주차장에 (location) → 자동차를 (object) → 주차해요 (verb)
• 자동차를 → 주차장에 → 주차해요

Why say 자동차 instead of just 차?

Both are fine: 차를 주차해요 or 자동차를 주차해요. 자동차 is the full Sino-Korean word (“automobile”), while 차 is the native term (“car”). 차 is more casual; 자동차 can sound a bit more formal or technical.