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Questions & Answers about jibi joyonghaeyo.
Why is the subject marker 이 used after 집 and not 가?
In Korean, 이/가 are subject markers. You use 이 after a noun ending in a consonant (집 ends in ㅂ), and 가 after a noun ending in a vowel. They simply mark “the house” as the grammatical subject of the sentence.
What is the dictionary form of 조용해요, and how do you get from that form to 조용해요?
The dictionary form is 조용하다 (“to be quiet”). To make the polite present tense you:
- Drop -다 from 조용하다, leaving the stem 조용하-.
- Add the polite ending -해요.
- Due to contraction rules, the 하 in -하다 becomes 해, giving 조용해요.
Why don’t we say 집이 조용이에요 (using -이에요) or use a copula like in English?
Because 조용하다 is a descriptive verb (often called an adjective in English), not a noun. Instead of linking it with the copula 이다/이에요, you conjugate it as a verb to 조용해요. Using 조용이에요 would treat 조용 as a noun, which is ungrammatical here.
What’s the difference between 집이 조용해요 and 집은 조용해요?
- 집이 조용해요 (이/가): Focuses on “the house” as the subject—simply stating that it’s quiet.
- 집은 조용해요 (은/는): Marks “the house” as the topic, often implying contrast (“As for the house, it’s quiet, but…”). It adds a nuance of comparison or context.
How would you say “The house was quiet” in Korean?
Replace 조용해요 (present tense) with the polite past tense 조용했어요. So you get:
집이 조용했어요.
How do you make 집이 조용해요 more formally polite?
Use the formal polite ending -합니다 instead of -해요. The descriptive verb becomes 조용합니다, giving:
집이 조용합니다.
What is the adverb form of 조용하다, if I want to say “quietly”?
The adverbial form is 조용히. For example:
조용히 말해 주세요.
(“Please speak quietly.”)
Can I drop the -요 and just say 집이 조용해?
Yes. When speaking very informally (to close friends or younger people), you can use the plain form 조용해 without the polite -요.