Questions & Answers about keikeu jogageun myeot gaeyeyo?
What is the function of the particle 은 in 케이크 조각은?
은 is the topic marker. It tells the listener, “Today we’re talking about cake pieces.” You could also use the subject marker 이 (케이크 조각이 몇 개예요?), but 은 shifts the nuance to “as for cake pieces…” and often emphasizes contrast or the theme of the sentence.
Why do we use the counter 개 after 몇?
Korean requires a counter (or classifier) when counting discrete items. 개 is the most general counter for objects. So when you ask “how many pieces,” you say 몇 개 rather than just 몇. If you were counting sheets of paper, you’d use 장, for bottles 병, etc.
Why is the copula 예요 used instead of 이에요 or 입니다?
- Use 예요 when the preceding noun ends in a vowel (like 개).
- Use 이에요 when the noun ends in a consonant (e.g. 책이에요).
- 입니다 is a more formal (deferential) copula. So 몇 개입니까? would be the formal equivalent of 몇 개예요?
How do you pronounce 몇 개 correctly?
In IPA it’s [mjʌt̚.kɛ], often heard as 멷개. The final ㅅ in is an unreleased [t̚], so you’ll feel the tongue tap the roof of the mouth but not release before moving on to .