Breakdown of naneun hoeui junge jipjunghagi eoryeowoyo.
~는~neun
topic particle
나na
I
회의hoeui
meeting
어렵다eoryeopda
difficult
Questions & Answers about naneun hoeui junge jipjunghagi eoryeowoyo.
Why does 나는 use the topic particle -는 instead of the subject particle -가?
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?