jeoneun hyudaeponeuro chinguege jeonhwahaeyo.

I call a friend on my phone.

Breakdown of jeoneun hyudaeponeuro chinguege jeonhwahaeyo.

• 친구: friend
• 저: I
• ~는: topic particle
• ~으로: instrumental particle
• ~에게: dative particle
• 전화하다: to call
• 휴대폰: phone

Questions & Answers about jeoneun hyudaeponeuro chinguege jeonhwahaeyo.

Why do we use 저는 at the beginning of the sentence?

저 means “I” (humble form) and the particle -는 marks it as the topic (“as for me”). By saying 저는, you’re setting up that what follows is something you do. You could also use 제가 (subject marker -가), but 저는 emphasizes “as for me” rather than a neutral subject focus.

Can we omit 저는 altogether?

Yes. Korean often drops the subject/topic when it’s clear from context. Simply saying 휴대폰으로 친구에게 전화해요 still means “I call my friend by cell phone.” Use 저는 when you need to contrast or highlight the topic.

What does 휴대폰으로 mean, and why do we use -으로?

휴대폰 means “cell phone.” The particle -으로 indicates the means or instrument (“by/with”).
Rules for -으로 vs. -로:

• Use -으로 after a consonant other than ㄹ (e.g. 폰 ends in ㄴ).
• Use -로 after a vowel or ㄹ.
  So 휴대폰 + 으로 = “by cell phone.”

Why is 친구에게 marked with -에게? Can we use -한테 instead?

-에게 marks the indirect object or recipient (“to someone”). It’s a bit more formal/written. 친구에게 = “to a friend.”
You can use -한테 in spoken or informal contexts: 친구한테 전화해요 conveys the same meaning.

Why isn’t there a direct object with 을/를? For example, shouldn’t we say 전화를 해요?

Korean verbs like 전화하다 already incorporate the idea of “make a call,” so the person you call is treated as an indirect object (친구에게). You don’t need 전화를 with 을/를 here. If you do use 전화를 해요, you’re treating 전화 as a noun (“a call”) plus 하다 (“do”):

• 전화를 해요 = “make a call,”
• but you still mark the person as 친구에게 if you want to specify who you’re calling.

What is the politeness/presence of 전화해요, and are there other forms?

전화해요 is the present tense in the polite informal style (해요 form). Other common forms:

• Casual: 전화해
• Formal polite: 전화합니다
• Plain written: 전화한다
  Use the form that matches your relationship and setting.

Is the word order in 저는 휴대폰으로 친구에게 전화해요 fixed?

Korean has relatively flexible word order because particles mark each role. You could also say:
• 친구에게 휴대폰으로 전화해요
• 휴대폰으로 친구에게 전화해요
• 저는 친구에게 휴대폰으로 전화해요
All mean “I call my friend by cell phone.” The verb typically stays at the end.

What’s the difference between 전화하다 and 전화를 걸다?

Both mean “to call (someone),” but:

• 전화하다 is “to make/perform a call.”
• 전화를 걸다 literally “to hang a call,” emphasizing the dialing action.
  In everyday speech they’re interchangeable:
  • 친구에게 전화해요
  • 친구에게 전화를 걸어요