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Questions & Answers about deungsanhago naseo urineun namu araeeseo hyusikhaesseoyo.
What does 등산하고 나서 mean, and how does the -고 나서 construction work?
- 등산하다 = “to hike” or “to go mountain climbing.”
- The pattern -고 나서 attaches to the verb stem (e.g., 등산하-) and means “after doing (that action).”
- So 등산하고 나서 literally means “after hiking.” It emphasizes the sequence: first you hike, and then you do something else.
Could I say 등산한 후에 or 등산 후에 instead? What’s the difference between those and -고 나서?
- 등산한 후에 and 등산 후에 both mean “after hiking.”
- 후에 is a noun (후) + a case marker (-에), so it can follow either a noun directly (등산 후에) or a verb in its attributive form (등산한 후에).
- -고 나서 only attaches to verbs and is slightly more conversational, while 후에 can feel a bit more formal or written. In everyday speech, you’ll hear both.
Why is it 나무 아래에서 휴식했어요 and not 나무 아래에 휴식했어요? What’s the difference between -에 and -에서?
- -에 marks a static location or destination (e.g., 학교에 가요 “I go to school”).
- -에서 marks the place where an action takes place (e.g., 학교에서 공부해요 “I study at school”).
- Since 휴식하다 (“to rest”) is an action happening under the tree, you use 나무 아래에서.
What’s the difference between 쉬었어요 and 휴식했어요? Can I use both?
- 쉬다 = “to rest,” “to take a break,” often used in spoken, everyday language. Past tense = 쉬었어요.
- 휴식하다 = “to rest” in a slightly more formal or literary style. Past tense = 휴식했어요.
- Both are correct; choose 쉬었어요 for casual conversation and 휴식했어요 when you want a more formal or written tone.
Why is 우리는 explicitly mentioned here? Can I drop 우리는?
- 우리는 marks we as the topic of the sentence.
- In Korean, the subject/topic is often dropped if it’s clear from context.
- If you say 등산하고 나서 나무 아래에서 휴식했어요, it’s still understandable you’re talking about yourselves.
- Adding 우리는 emphasizes or clarifies “as for us…” and can feel more complete or formal.
Why do we use 하고 instead of 그리고 or just adjacency to connect 등산 and 나서?
- -고 is a verb connector that links two verbs in one sentence: 등산하고 나서…
- 그리고 is an independent conjunction used between sentences or clauses and often starts a new sentence: “그리고, 우리는…”
- Simply placing verbs together without -고 (e.g., 등산 나서) is ungrammatical. You need -고 to connect actions smoothly.
What speech level is indicated by 휴식했어요? Could I say 휴식했어 or 휴식했습니다 instead?
- 했어요 is the polite informal (해요체) past tense. It’s common in everyday conversation with people who aren’t super formal colleagues or strangers.
- 했어 is informal (해체), used with close friends or younger people.
- 했습니다 is the formal polite (합쇼체), suitable for formal announcements or speeches.
- Choose the ending based on your relationship and context.