Breakdown of ojeone setakgireul sayonghaeseo ppallaereul haesseoyo.
하다hada
to do
~를~reul
object particle
~에~e
time particle
사용하다sayonghada
to use
오전ojeon
morning
빨래ppallae
laundry
세탁기setakgi
washing machine
~해서~haeseo
by using
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Korean grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about ojeone setakgireul sayonghaeseo ppallaereul haesseoyo.
Why do we add -에 to 오전?
In Korean, to indicate when something happens, you attach the time particle -에. So 오전 (“morning/AM”) + -에 = 오전에 (“in the morning/AM”).
What’s the difference between 오전 and 아침?
• 아침 refers to the early part of the day (breakfast time until around 10 AM) and is more conversational.
• 오전 is a formal time designation from midnight to noon, often used with clock times (e.g. 오전 9시).
Why is there -를 after 세탁기?
-를/을 marks the direct object of a verb. Here, 세탁기 (“washing machine”) is what you’re using, so it takes -를: 세탁기를.
What does 사용해서 mean, and why not just 사용했어요?
사용해서 = 사용하다 (“to use”) + connector -아/어서, meaning “using” or “by using.” It links to the main action 빨래를 했어요 (“did the laundry”) to express the means. If you said only 사용했어요, it would mean “used it” without explaining what you did afterward.
Can we say 세탁기를 써서 빨래를 했어요 instead?
Yes. 쓰다 is a more casual verb for “use.” 세탁기를 써서 빨래를 했어요 is perfectly natural and has essentially the same meaning.
What is 빨래를 했어요 grammatically?
It’s 빨래 (“laundry”) + object particle -를 + 하다 (“to do”) with the past tense ending -았어요 → “did the laundry.”
Can you drop -를 and say 빨래했어요?
Yes. In casual spoken Korean, particles are often dropped. 빨래했어요 is common in conversation, though written Korean typically retains -를.
Why isn’t there a subject like 저는 at the start?
Korean often omits the subject when it’s clear from context. Here, “I” is implied by the polite past-tense ending 했어요, so you don’t need 저는.
Could we use a different connector instead of -아서/어서, such as -고?
Yes. You could say 세탁기를 사용하고 빨래를 했어요 (“I used the washing machine and did the laundry”). But 사용해서 emphasizes means (“by using”), while -고 simply lists two sequential actions.