Breakdown of jeoneun jigeum sueobe jipjunghago isseoyo.
저jeo
I
~는~neun
topic particle
있다issda
to be
지금jigeum
now
~에~e
location particle
수업sueop
class
집중하다jipjunghada
to focus
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Questions & Answers about jeoneun jigeum sueobe jipjunghago isseoyo.
Why is 저는 used instead of 나 or 제가?
저 is the polite–humble first-person pronoun, whereas 나 is informal and can sound rude in polite conversation. The particle -는 marks 저 as the topic of the sentence. If you used 제가, you’d be marking 저 as the subject with -가, which shifts the nuance from “as for me…” (topic) to simply “I…” (subject focus). In polite speech about what you’re doing right now, 저는 is the most natural choice.
What does 지금 add to the sentence, and can I leave it out?
지금 means “now” or “right now.” It emphasizes that the action is happening at this very moment. If you omit 지금, the sentence 저는 수업에 집중하고 있어요 still means “I am concentrating on the class,” but it’s less clear that you mean “at this exact moment.”
Why is it 수업에 집중하고 있어요 instead of 수업을 집중하고 있어요?
The verb 집중하다 takes the locative/target particle -에, not the object particle -을/를. In Korean, many verbs of mental focus or movement use -에 to show the thing you’re focusing on or moving toward. So you always say ~에 집중하다 (“to focus on ~”), not ~을 집중하다.
What’s the difference between 집중해요 and 집중하고 있어요?
- 집중해요: Present simple/polite. Means “I focus” or “I do concentrate” (habitual or general statement).
- 집중하고 있어요: Present continuous/polite. Means “I am concentrating (right now).”
To express something happening in the moment, you need the -고 있다 construction.
How do you form the present continuous tense in Korean?
- Take the verb stem (verb minus -다).
- Add -고.
- Attach 있다.
- Conjugate 있다 for politeness.
- Informal polite: -고 있어요
- Formal polite/written: -고 있습니다
Example with 집중하다:
집중하 (stem) + 고 있다 → 집중하고 있다 → 집중하고 있어요.
Can I say 집중하고 있어 or 집중하고 있다 instead of 집중하고 있어요?
Yes.
- 집중하고 있어 is informal (dropping -요) and used among close friends or younger people.
- 집중하고 있다 is more formal or written style (still polite but without the friendly -요 ending).
Choose the formality level based on who you’re speaking to.