Learn Hardcore Korean: oneul yakgugeseo yageul sayo. - I buy medicine at the pharmacy today.

In Korean, subjects (and objects) are often omitted when they’re obvious from context. If you’re talking about yourself buying medicine, you don’t need to say 저는 (“I”) because the listener already knows who the actor is. This makes sentences more concise.

What does the particle 에서 do in 약국에서?

에서 marks the location where an action takes place. So 약국에서 means “at the pharmacy.” It’s specifically used for locations of actions (not destinations).

Why is the object marker 을 used in 약을 instead of 를?

Korean has two object particles: 을 after a consonant-ending noun and 를 after a vowel-ending noun. Since 약 ends in the consonant ㄱ, we attach 을 to get 약을.

How do we get 사요 from the dictionary form 사다?

사다 is the verb “to buy.” Drop -다 to get the stem 사-, then add -아요 because the stem vowel is ㅏ. The ㅏ + 아요 contract to 사요, the polite present tense form.

What level of politeness does the verb ending “-요” represent in 사요?

Adding -요 makes the sentence polite and suitable for everyday conversation with strangers or acquaintances. It’s called the polite informal (or “해요”) style.

Why is 오늘 placed at the beginning of the sentence?

Time expressions typically come early in Korean sentences (often first) to set the temporal context. So 오늘 (“today”) naturally precedes the rest of the clause.

Can I change the word order, for example say 약국에서 오늘 약을 사요?

Yes, Korean is relatively flexible because particles mark each word’s role. 오늘 약국에서 약을 사요 is still clear, though natives usually put the time word first. If you swap too much, it may sound less natural but remains grammatically correct.

How would you say “I will buy medicine at the pharmacy tomorrow” in Korean?

You can say 내일 약국에서 약을 살 거예요.

내일 = tomorrow
약국에서 = at the pharmacy
약을 = medicine (object)
살 거예요 = “will buy” (future tense using -ㄹ 거예요)