Questions & Answers about han sie sikdange gayo.
Why do we say 한 시에 instead of just 한 시?
Korean requires the time particle 에 to mark when an action takes place. Without 에, the time expression doesn’t function as an adverbial phrase indicating “at 1 o’clock.”
What’s the role of 에 in 식당에 가요? Shouldn’t we use 식당에서 to mean “at the restaurant”?
In 식당에 가요, 에 marks the destination of movement (“to the restaurant”). 식당에서 would mark the location where an action occurs (“at the restaurant”), as in 식당에서 밥을 먹어요 (“I eat at the restaurant”).
Why is there no subject in this sentence?
Korean often omits the subject when it’s clear from context. Here, the polite ending -요 suggests the implied subject is 저 (“I”) or 우리 (“we”), depending on context.
Why is 가요 used instead of 간다 or 갑니다?
These are different speech levels:
- 가요: Present polite informal (everyday conversation)
- 갑니다: Present polite formal (formal announcements)
- 간다: Present plain (writing or close friends)
Why does the verb appear at the end of the sentence?
Korean follows a Subject–Object–Verb (SOV) word order, so verbs come at the very end of clauses.