……
Breakdown of naeil chinguwa yaksokhaeyo.
친구chingu
friend
내일naeil
tomorrow
와wa
and
약속하다yaksokhada
to make an appointment
Questions & Answers about naeil chinguwa yaksokhaeyo.
What does 내일 mean?
내일 means tomorrow. It’s a time adverb that tells you when the action is happening.
Why is 약속해요 in the present tense if it refers to tomorrow?
In Korean, the present polite form (-해요) is often used for scheduled or planned future events when there’s a time word like 내일. So 약속해요 here can be understood as “I’ll meet” or “I have plans” tomorrow.
What exactly is 약속해요, and how is it formed?
- 약속 is a noun meaning promise, plan, or appointment.
- 하다 means to do.
When you combine them, you get the verb 약속하다 (“to make a plan/appointment” or “to promise”).
In polite present form, it becomes 약속해요.
What role does the particle 와 play in 친구와?
와 is the comitative particle meaning with when attached to a noun ending in a vowel. So 친구와 means with a friend. If the noun ended in a consonant, you’d use 과 instead.
Why is there no subject like 저는 in this sentence?
Korean often omits the subject if it’s clear from context. Here, “I” is implied, so adding 저는 is optional and usually dropped in everyday conversation.
What’s the difference between 와/과, 하고, and (이)랑 when saying “with”?
• 와/과: more formal or written.
• 하고: neutral, common in speech.
• (이)랑: casual, colloquial.
All three can mean with when indicating who you’re doing something with.
How would you say 내일 친구와 약속해요 in a more casual style?
You can use the casual ending -아/어/해 and switch 와 to 랑:
내일 친구랑 약속해.
Can 약속해요 also mean “I promise” rather than “I have plans”? How do you tell the difference?
Yes, 약속하다 can mean both “to promise” and “to make a plan/appointment.” In 친구와 약속해요, because you’re using the comitative particle 와 (“with friend”), it naturally means “I’m meeting” or “I have plans.” To express “I promise (to do something),” you’d typically specify the promise’s content or recipient, for example:
- 도와주기로 약속해요 (“I promise to help”)
- 너에게 약속해요 (“I promise you”).
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“How do speech levels work in Korean?”
Korean has multiple speech levels that indicate formality and politeness. The most common are the formal polite (‑습니다/‑ㅂ니다), informal polite (‑아요/‑어요), and casual (‑아/‑어) forms. Which level you use depends on who you're speaking to and the social context.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning KoreanMaster Korean — from naeil chinguwa yaksokhaeyo to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions