Breakdown of siheom jeone gongbuhaneun geoseun dangyeonhaeyo.
~은~eun
topic particle
공부하다gongbuhada
to study
시험siheom
exam
전에jeone
before
Questions & Answers about siheom jeone gongbuhaneun geoseun dangyeonhaeyo.
What is the function of -는 것 in 공부하는 것은?
-는 것 turns the verb phrase 공부하다 (“to study”) into a noun phrase, literally “the act of studying.” In this sentence, 공부하는 것 means “studying.”
Why is 은 attached to 것 (making 것은) instead of another particle?
은/는 is the topic marker in Korean. By saying 공부하는 것은, you’re marking “studying” as the topic: “As for studying…”
Could I use -기 instead of -는 것, like 공부하기는?
Yes. 공부하기는 uses the nominalizer -기 plus the topic/contrast marker 는. It’s slightly more formal or literary. 공부하는 것은 feels more natural in everyday speech.
What does 시험 전에 mean, and why 전에 not just 전?
시험 전 (“exam-before”) is an attributive form that modifies a noun (e.g. 시험 전 준비). When you want to say “before the exam” as a standalone time expression, you add the time/location marker 에, giving 시험 전에.
What exactly does 당연해요 mean here?