Questions & Answers about gyeouri jinago bomi wayo.
What is the function of the particle -이 in 겨울이 and 봄이?
-이 is the subject marker you attach to a noun ending in a consonant. In 겨울이 지나고 봄이 와요, both 겨울 and 봄 are subjects of their respective verbs (지나다, 오다), so you mark each with -이.
What does 지나고 mean, and why is it used here?
지나고 comes from the verb 지나다 (to pass, to go by) plus the connective -고 (and/then). Together 지나고 literally means “after (it) passes” or “(it) passes and…,” showing that one action (winter passing) precedes another (spring coming).
Why is -고 used instead of -서 (e.g., 지나서) or -면 (e.g., 지나면)?
- -고 simply strings two actions in sequence: “A happens, and then B happens.”
- -서 can also indicate sequence but often adds a sense of causation or result (“because A happened, B happened”).
- -면 means “if/when A happens, then B happens,” implying a conditional.
Here, the speaker is stating a simple sequence of seasons, so -고 is most natural.
What does 와요 mean, and why is it not in the past tense like 왔다?