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Questions & Answers about gwaireul du gae sasseoyo.
What is the role of 을 in 과일을 두 개 샀어요?
을 is the object particle (also called the accusative marker). It attaches to 과일, marking “fruit” as the direct object of the verb 샀어요 (“bought”).
Why do we use 두 개 instead of simply saying 두 과일?
Korean requires a counter between a number and a noun. 개 is a general counter for items (especially round or discrete objects). So 두 개 means “two (pieces),” and when combined with 과일을, it yields “bought two pieces of fruit.”
Could we drop the particle 을 and just say 과일 두 개 샀어요?
Yes. In casual or spoken Korean, native speakers often omit object particles when the meaning remains clear. 과일 두 개 샀어요 is perfectly natural in everyday conversation.
Why is the verb 샀어요 placed at the end of the sentence?
Korean is an SOV (Subject-Object-Verb) language: the verb typically comes last. Even though the subject 저(는) (“I”) is omitted for brevity, the structure remains subject–object–verb.
What is the dictionary form of 샀어요, and how is it constructed?
The dictionary (infinitive) form is 사다 (“to buy”). You remove 다, attach the past suffix -았- to the verb stem 사-, and then add the polite informal ending -어요, yielding 샀어요.
What’s the difference between 샀어요 and 샀습니다?
Both are past-tense polite forms.
• 샀어요 is polite but conversational (informal polite).
• 샀습니다 is more formal/polite, often used in presentations or to strangers in formal settings.
Why don’t we add a plural marker like -들 to 과일 to mean “fruits”?
Korean nouns usually don’t need a plural marker when quantity is specified by a counter. 과일을 두 개 샀어요 already indicates plurality (two fruits), so 과일들 would be redundant and is rarely used here.
Can we use other counters besides 개 for counting fruits?
Yes. Although 개 is the most common general counter, you could use 알 (another general counter for small round things) or a more specialized counter, but 과일 두 개 is the default and most natural choice.