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Questions & Answers about koro sumeul gipge swiseyo.
Why is there no subject in this sentence?
In Korean, subjects are often dropped when they’re clear from context. Here, it’s an imperative (“do this”) so the implied subject is you. Omitting you (당신) is more natural and polite.
What does the particle -로 in 코로 signify?
The particle -로 has several uses, one of which is marking the means or instrument. So 코로 literally means “by/through the nose,” indicating the channel or tool you use to breathe.
Why is 숨 marked with the object particle 을?
을 is the object-marking particle used after nouns ending in a consonant. Here 숨 (“breath”) is the direct object of 쉬다 (“to breathe”), so it takes 을 to show that relationship.
How does 깊게 work, and why not use 깊이?
Both 깊게 and 깊이 can mean “deeply.”
- 깊게 is formed by adding the adverbial suffix -게 to the adjective 깊다, which is common in spoken, everyday Korean.
- 깊이 is a more noun‐based adverbial form. It’s also correct but can sound a bit more formal or written. In polite commands you’ll often hear 깊게.
What level of politeness does 쉬세요 convey?
쉬세요 is the polite (존댓말) imperative of 쉬다. It’s formed by adding -세요 to the verb stem 쉬-. You use it when giving a gentle command or instruction to someone you’re not super close with—customers, patients, colleagues, etc.
Why is the verb split as 숨을 쉬다 instead of a single word like English “breathe”?
Korean often expresses actions as noun + 하다 (or noun + verb) patterns. 숨 is the noun “breath” and 쉬다 is “to rest/relax” but when combined 숨을 쉬다 literally means “to do breathing.” This construction is extremely common for actions that English renders as single verbs.
Can I change the word order to something like 깊게 코로 숨을 쉬세요?
Yes, Korean has relatively flexible word order, and adverbs (깊게) or instrumental phrases (코로) can move around for emphasis. However, the most neutral and widely used order is 코로 숨을 깊게 쉬세요 (instrument → object → adverb → verb). Any other order is understandable but may shift the nuance or emphasis.