Breakdown of uri hakgyoeneun yeoreo dongariga isseoyo.
학교hakgyo
school
~는~neun
topic particle
~가~ga
subject particle
~에~e
location particle
있다issda
to exist
우리uri
our
동아리dongari
club
여러yeoreo
various
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Questions & Answers about uri hakgyoeneun yeoreo dongariga isseoyo.
What is the function of 에는 in 우리 학교에는?
에는 is a combination of the location particle 에 (“at/in”) plus the topic marker 는. It tells us two things:
- 에 marks 우리 학교 as the place where something exists.
- 는 highlights 우리 학교 as the topic (“as for our school…”), often implying comparison or contrast with other places.
Without 는, you’d simply state a location; with 에는, you emphasize “as for at our school…”
Why not just say 우리 학교에 여러 동아리가 있어요 without 는?
You can—우리 학교에 여러 동아리가 있어요 is grammatically fine but more neutral. Adding 는:
- Marks 우리 학교 as the specific topic.
- Suggests you might be contrasting it with another place (e.g. “At my old school, there weren’t many clubs, but 우리 학교에는…”).
What does 여러 mean, and how is it different from 많은?
- 여러 means “various” or “several,” focusing on variety.
- 많은 means “many,” focusing on quantity.
So:
- 여러 동아리 = several/various clubs (different kinds).
- 많은 동아리 = many clubs (a large number).
Why is 동아리 followed by 가? Isn’t 동아리 the topic?
Here 동아리 is the subject of 있어요 (there exist clubs). You use 가 to mark the subject when you’re stating existence:
- 여러 동아리가 = “(several) clubs” as the thing that exists. The topic is 우리 학교에는, not 동아리.
What does 있어요 express here?
있어요 is the polite form of 있다, meaning “to exist” or “to have.” In this sentence:
- It means “there are” (existence).
- It’s also used for possession (“I have X”), but here it’s the existential sense.
Why is the verb ending -요 added?
Adding -요 makes the sentence polite and suitable for everyday conversation. Without it, you’d get:
- 있어 (informal)
- 있습니다 (formal)
Could you use 있습니다 instead of 있어요?
Yes. 우리 학교에는 여러 동아리가 있습니다 is more formal/polite (often used in announcements or to superiors). -요 is slightly less formal, common among peers or to show general courtesy.