Breakdown of gyocharo-eseo jwahoejeonhamyeon hakgyoga nawa.
~에서~eseo
location particle
학교hakgyo
school
~가~ga
subject particle
나오다naoda
to come out
~면~myeon
if
교차로gyocharo
crossroads
좌회전하다jwahoejeonhada
to turn left
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Questions & Answers about gyocharo-eseo jwahoejeonhamyeon hakgyoga nawa.
What does 교차로에서 mean?
교차로 means “intersection,” and 에서 marks the location where an action happens. So 교차로에서 translates to “at the intersection.”
What is the function of -하면 in 좌회전하면?
-면 is the conditional or “when/if” suffix. Attached to the verb 좌회전하다 (“to turn left”), it becomes 좌회전하면, meaning “if/when (you) turn left.”
Why is 나와 used here? What nuance does 나오다 add?
Here, 나오다 means “to come out” or “to appear.” Saying 학교가 나와 literally means “the school comes out,” i.e. “the school will appear (in front of you).” It’s an intransitive way to say something shows up in view.
I don’t see a subject like “you.” Where is it?
Korean often drops the subject when it’s obvious from context. In this sentence, the implied subject is (you)—the listener turning left.
What speech level or style is this sentence in?
This is informal plain speech (해체). Using 나와 rather than 나옵니다 or 나와요 shows a casual tone, typical between friends or close acquaintances.
How could you make this sentence more polite?
For polite speech:
- Semi-formal/polite: 교차로에서 좌회전하시면 학교가 나와요.
- Formal polite: 교차로에서 좌회전하면 학교가 나옵니다.
Why is 에서 used instead of 에 in 교차로에서?
에서 indicates the place where an action occurs (turning). 에 alone would mark only a destination or existence, not the location of the action itself.
What’s the difference between 좌회전 and 왼쪽으로 돌다?
- 좌회전(하다) is a Sino-Korean noun + 하다, common on signs or in official directions.
- 왼쪽으로 돌다 is native Korean (“turn toward the left”). Both mean “turn left,” but 좌회전 sounds more technical or formal.
Why is 학교 marked with 가 in 학교가 나와?
가 is the subject marker. 학교 is the grammatical subject of the verb 나오다 (“to appear”), so it takes 가.
Could you use 보이다 instead of 나오다? How would that change the nuance?
Yes. 학교가 보여요 means “the school is visible/you can see the school.”
- 나오다 emphasizes “the school appears (along the way).”
- 보이다 emphasizes “it’s visible to your eyes.”