Learn Hardcore Korean: siheom jeone ginjangdwaeyo.

In Korean, you can omit the subject when it’s clear from context. Here, the speaker is talking about themselves (“I”), so 나 or 저는 is dropped. The full sentence would be 저는 시험 전에 긴장돼요, but native speakers usually shorten it.

What does 시험 전에 mean, and how does 전에 work?

시험 means “exam.”
전에 is a postposition meaning “before” (in time).
Together, 시험 전에 means “before the exam.” You attach 전에 directly to a noun to indicate something happens prior to that noun’s event.

Why is the verb 긴장돼요 used instead of 긴장해요?

긴장하다 literally means “to do nervousness,” but it’s less common when describing one’s own feeling.
긴장되다 means “to become or be nervous,” which is more natural for expressing that you feel nervous.
So the polite present form is 긴장돼요 (from 긴장되다) rather than 긴장해요.

How does 긴장돼요 relate to the dictionary form 긴장되다?

Start with the dictionary form 긴장되다 (“to become nervous”).
Drop -다 and add -어요 to make it polite: 긴장돼요.
Note that 되다
- -어요 contracts to 돼요 (see next question).

Why do we say 돼요 instead of 되어요?

In modern Korean, 되어요 is almost always contracted to 돼요 in both speech and writing when using polite endings. This makes it smoother and more natural:

되 + 어요 → 돼요
Avoid using 되어요 in casual or standard polite conversation.

Could I say 시험을 보기 전에 instead of 시험 전에?

Yes. 시험을 보기 전에 literally means “before taking the exam.” It uses the verb 보다 (“to take [an exam]”) turned into a noun phrase 시험을 보기, then adds 전에. It’s grammatically correct but slightly more formal/wordy than 시험 전에.

How would you make this sentence more casual or more formal?

Casual (반말): 시험 전에 긴장돼.
Standard polite (as given): 시험 전에 긴장돼요.
Formal polite: 시험 전에 긴장됩니다.

Choose the level based on who you’re speaking to.

What’s the pronunciation of 긴장돼요?

긴장 is pronounced [gin-jang] (with a clear “ng” at the end).
돼요 is pronounced [dwe-yo].
Put together: [gin-jang-dwe-yo].