Learn Hardcore Korean: saengil pati eumsigeun eolmana junbihaesseoyo? - How much birthday party food did you prepare?

은 is the topic marker. By marking 음식은, you’re setting “the party food” as what you want to talk about. It contrasts or highlights it rather than just showing it as a direct object.

Why is 얼마나 used here instead of 얼마?

얼마나 is an adverb that asks about the degree or amount of something (quantity, extent). 얼마 by itself often asks for a price or numerical value. In questions about “how much/many” you prepared, 얼마나 is correct.

Could you use 음식을 얼마나 준비했어요 instead? Is word order flexible?

Korean word order is somewhat flexible, but putting the topic marker first (음식은) is more natural because you’re framing “party food” as the topic. 음식을 얼마나 준비했어요 (with the object marker) is grammatically fine but shifts focus to “how much food” as a direct object, making it less of a general topic question.

Why is there no explicit subject in the sentence?

Korean often omits subjects when they’re clear from context. Here, it’s understood you’re asking “you” (or “we” if it’s a group) about the amount of food prepared.

What does 준비했어요 mean and what’s its politeness level?

준비했어요 is the past tense polite form of 준비하다 (to prepare). It’s an informal-polite level (존댓말) suitable for strangers, acquaintances, or someone slightly older.

Can you replace 준비하다 with another verb like 만들다?

Yes, you could say 생일 파티 음식은 얼마나 만들었어요? (How much party food did you make?). But 준비하다 implies the whole process (buying ingredients, setting up), while 만들다 focuses purely on cooking or making.

Is 음식 treated as countable or uncountable here?

음식 is generally uncountable when referring to food in bulk. That’s why you ask 얼마나 rather than counting units (e.g., 몇 접시, how many plates).

How would you ask this question in a more casual (반말) form?

You’d say 생일 파티 음식은 얼마나 준비했어? dropping the polite ending 요 and using 했어. This is suitable among close friends or younger people.