koga jagayo.

My nose is small.

Breakdown of koga jagayo.

• ~가: subject particle
• 작다: small
• 코: nose

Questions & Answers about koga jagayo.

What does 가 indicate in 코가 작아요?

가 is the subject particle in Korean. It marks 코 (“nose”) as the subject of the sentence. In other words, it tells us “the nose” is what’s doing or being described (in this case, “being small”).

Why don’t we use 은/는 instead of 가 here?

은/는 are topic markers and imply contrast or general statements.

• 코가 작아요: “The nose is small.” (simply stating the nose is the subject)
• 코는 작아요: “As for the nose, it’s small (but…)” (implies you might contrast it with something else, e.g. “Your eyes are big, but your nose is small.”)

What part of speech is 작아요 in this sentence?

In Korean, adjectives are called descriptive verbs. 작아요 is the polite present-tense form of the descriptive verb 작다 (“to be small”). Like action verbs, descriptive verbs conjugate and sit at the end of the sentence.

How do you conjugate 작다 to get 작아요?

1. Start with the dictionary form 작다.
2. Remove 다 to find the stem: 작-.
3. Since the stem vowel is ㅏ, attach 아요: 작
   • 아요 → 작아요.

How would you say “my nose is small” in Korean?

Add a possessive pronoun before 코:

• Formal/polite: 제 코가 작아요. (“My nose is small.”)
• Informal/casual: 내 코가 작아.

Can you drop the particle 가 and just say 코 작아요?

In very casual, spoken Korean, some particles get dropped. But 코 작아요 sounds incomplete and is not recommended in standard speech or writing. It’s better to keep 코가 작아요.

How would you turn 코가 작아요 into a question?

Simply use rising intonation or add the question mark:

• Polite: 코가 작아요? (“Is the nose small?” or “Is your nose small?” depending on context)
• More formal: 코가 작습니까?

Can you express 코가 작아요 in different speech levels?

Yes. Examples:

• Informal low: 코가 작아.
• Informal polite: 코가 작아요.
• Formal polite: 코가 작습니다.

Is this same structure used with other nouns?

Absolutely. You can plug in any noun + 가/이 + descriptive verb. For example:

• 손이 작아요. (“The hand is small.”)
• 눈이 커요. (“The eyes are big.”)
• 발이 아파요. (“The foot hurts.”)