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Questions & Answers about gireul ttara georeoyo.
What does 길을 따라 mean and what function does 따라 serve?
길을 따라 literally means “along the road” or “following the road.” Here, 따라 is a postpositional particle that attaches to a noun (in this case 길) and indicates movement along or following the path indicated by the noun.
Why is 길 marked with the object particle 을, not 이/가?
In the Noun + 따라 construction, the noun is treated as what you’re following, so it takes the object marking 을/를. You’re walking along or following the road (길을 따라), not making it the subject.
Why do we say 걸어요 instead of 걷어요 for the verb 걷다 “to walk”?
걷다 is a ㄷ-irregular verb. When you attach a vowel-starting ending like -어요, the stem-final ㄷ changes to ㄹ, so 걷다 + -어요 becomes 걸어요, not 걷어요.
Why is the ending -어요 used in 걸어요, and could we use -아/ -아요?
In Korean, verb stems ending in the vowels ㅏ or ㅗ typically take -아요, while all other stems take -어요. After the irregular change, the stem is 걸-, which ends in ㅓ, so it takes -어요. Forms like 걸아요 or 걷아요 would violate this rule.
What level of politeness is 걸어요?
걸어요 is in the informal polite (해요체) speech level. It’s appropriate for everyday conversations with people you’re not extremely close to, such as acquaintances or service staff.
Can the particle 을 be dropped, making 길 따라 걸어요?
Yes. In casual spoken Korean, dropping 을/를 is common, so 길 따라 걸어요 sounds natural in everyday speech. However, including 을 (길을 따라 걸어요) is more standard in writing or formal speech.
Are there any pronunciation changes in 길을 따라 걸어요?
In rapid speech, 길을 + 따라 often blends: the 을 in 길을 may be reduced, and the ㄷ in 따라 is tense (sounds like ㄸ). You might hear something like [기를 딸라 거러요] or simply [길따라 걸어요]. Listening practice will help you recognize these assimilations.
Can you use the Noun + 따라 pattern with other nouns?
Absolutely. Replace 길 with other place or path nouns (with or without 을/를) to mean “along”:
- 강을 따라 = “along the river”
- 산길을 따라 = “along the mountain path”
- 벽을 따라 = “along the wall”
Is 따라 related to the verb 따르다 (“to follow”)?
They share the same root but function differently. 따라 here is a grammatical particle meaning “along.” The verb 따르다 is an action meaning “to follow” or “to obey.” You do not conjugate 따라 in this construction—it always stays as 따라 when used as “along.”