Learn Hardcore Korean: naneun hoeui junge jipjunghagi eoryeowoyo. - It’s hard for me to concentrate during the meeting.

In Korean, -는/–은 marks a topic (“as for …”) while -가/–이 marks a grammatical subject (often “the one who does…”). By saying 나는, you’re setting 나 (“I”) as the topic—“As for me, … it’s hard to concentrate during meetings.” If you used 내가, it would feel like you’re introducing “I” as new information or emphasizing that it’s really you who has trouble.

Can I use 저는 instead of 나는? What’s the nuance?

Yes. 저는 is the polite/formal counterpart to the casual/plain 나는. Saying 저는 회의 중에 집중하기 어려워요 sounds more deferential—suitable for bosses, clients, or new acquaintances. 나는 is friendlier or more casual, often used among peers or close friends.

What does 회의 중에 mean, and why is -에 attached to 중?

회의 중 literally means “middle of the meeting.” Adding -에 makes it a time/place marker—“at” or “during.” So 회의 중에 = “during the meeting.” You could also say 회의 중 without -에 in casual speech, but 회의 중에 is clearer and standard.

What’s the difference between 회의 중에 and 회의 동안?

Both can translate as “during the meeting,” but:

중에 often suggests “at some point in the middle of” or “while it’s going on.”
동안 emphasizes the entire duration (“throughout the whole meeting”).
In practice, they’re often interchangeable for time expressions, but 중에 can also mean “among” (e.g., 여러 사람 중에 = “among many people”), whereas 동안 only expresses time length.

What does the -기 in 집중하기 어려워요 do?

The suffix -기 is a verb nominalizer—it turns 집중하다 (“to concentrate”) into the noun phrase 집중하기 (“the act of concentrating”). Then 어렵다 (“to be difficult”) can modify that noun phrase: “concentrating is difficult.”

Why is it 어려워요 and not 어렵어요?

어렵다 is a ㅂ-irregular adjective. When conjugated before a vowel ending, the final ㅂ drops and the vowel 우 is inserted:
어렵 + 어요 → 어려우 + 요 → 어려워요

Could I say 회의에 집중하기 어려워요 instead? How does that change the meaning?

Yes, 회의에 집중하기 어려워요 means “It’s hard to concentrate on the meeting.”

회의 중에 집중하기 어려워요 = “It’s hard to focus while the meeting is going on.”
회의에 집중하기 어려워요 = “It’s hard to focus on the meeting itself (the content).”

What’s the nuance difference between -기 어렵다 and -기 힘들다?

Both express that something is hard to do, but:

어렵다 often refers to intellectual or technical difficulty (“it’s complex”).
힘들다 can imply physical/emotional strain or exhaustion (“it’s tough on me”).
So 집중하기 어렵다 = “it’s challenging to concentrate,” whereas 집중하기 힘들다 = “it’s hard/tiring for me to concentrate.”

Can I drop 나는 and just say 회의 중에 집중하기 어려워요?

Absolutely. Korean often omits pronouns when context is clear. 회의 중에 집중하기 어려워요 still clearly means “It’s hard for me to concentrate during meetings,” especially if you’re the speaker.

How can I make this sentence more formal or more casual?

More formal (polite, written, business):
“회의 중에 집중하기가 어렵습니다.”
More casual (friends, text, private):
“회의 중에 집중하기 힘들어.” or simply “회의 중엔 집중하기 힘들어.”