hoeuiga got sijakdwaeyo.

The meeting will start soon.

Breakdown of hoeuiga got sijakdwaeyo.

• ~가: subject particle
• 곧: soon
• 회의: meeting
• 시작되다: to start

Questions & Answers about hoeuiga got sijakdwaeyo.

What does 곧 mean in this sentence and where else can I use it?

In 회의가 곧 시작돼요, 곧 means “soon” or “in a moment.” It tells you the action will happen shortly. You can place 곧 before the subject (곧 회의가 시작돼요) or right before the verb (회의가 곧 시작돼요). You can also use it with other verbs:

• 곧 끝나요 (“It ends soon”)
• 곧 돌아올게요 (“I’ll be back soon”)

Why is the meeting marked with -가 instead of -를 or -는?

Because 시작되다 is an intransitive (passive-like) verb meaning “to start” or “to be started.” Intransitive verbs take a subject marked by -가. If you used -를, you’d need a transitive verb like 시작하다 (“to start something”):

• (내가) 회의를 시작해요 (“I start the meeting”).
  Using -는 would make 회의 the topic, which shifts the nuance.

What’s the difference between 시작하다 and 시작되다?

• 시작하다 (active/transitive): “to start [something]” (someone initiates it).
• 시작되다 (passive/intransitive): “to be started” or “to begin” (it happens on its own or is scheduled).
  Since the meeting begins on its own or as planned, you use 시작되다: 회의가 곧 시작돼요.

Why do Koreans say 시작돼요 instead of 시작되어요?

Both are grammatically correct, but in everyday speech and writing, Koreans contract 되어요 → 돼요 to sound more natural and concise:
시작되어요 → 시작돼요.

How can I change the politeness level of this sentence?

• Formal polite: 회의가 곧 시작됩니다.
• Standard polite (original): 회의가 곧 시작돼요.
• Casual/informal: 회의가 곧 시작돼.

Is it okay to move 곧 around in the sentence?

Yes. Korean word order is flexible. You can say:

• 곧 회의가 시작돼요 (emphasizes “soon”).
• 회의가 곧 시작돼요 (neutral).
  Both mean “The meeting will start soon.”

How do I pronounce 시작돼요 correctly?

You pronounce it as [shi-jak-dwae-yo]. The final ㅈ in 시작 links to the ㄷ of 돼요, so it comes out smoothly as jak-dwae.