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Questions & Answers about toseuteo-e sikppangeul guul ttae bul jojeoreul jalhaeya haeyo.
Why is 토스터에 used here with the particle 에 instead of 에서?
In Korean, 에 often marks the location or target where you place something, while 에서 marks the place where an action takes place. Here, the focus is on putting the bread into the toaster (토스터에 식빵을 넣다) and then toasting it, so 에 is more natural. You could say 토스터에서 식빵을 굽다 (“to bake bread in a toaster”), but when emphasizing inserting bread and then baking, learners often use 토스터에.
What exactly does 식빵 mean, and how is it different from 빵?
식빵 literally means “table bread” and refers to plain, sliced white loaf bread you use for toasting or sandwiches. 빵 is the general word for any kind of bread (rolls, pastries, buns, etc.). So 식빵 is a specific type of 빵.
Why is it 구울 때 instead of 굽을 때?
In Korean, verbs ending in -ㄹ drop the ㄹ when followed by vowel-initial endings (this is the “ㄹ irregular” rule). Since 구울 (the future/adnominal form of 굽다) is directly followed by 때 (starting with a consonant), the vowel adjustment happens: 구울 때 becomes 구울 때 in spelling and pronunciation. You don’t see 굽을 때.
What role does -을 때 play in 구울 때?
The suffix -을 때 attaches to a verb stem to indicate the time when something happens. 구울 때 means “when (you) bake/toast.” It links the action of toasting to the main clause about controlling the heat.
What is 불 조절? Don’t we control 온도 (temperature) in a toaster?
In cooking contexts, 불 can mean “heat level” or “flame/heat setting,” not just an open fire. 불 조절 literally means “heat control.” On devices like toasters or stoves, you adjust the heat intensity, so Koreans call it 불 조절. You could also hear 온도 조절 (“temperature control”), but 불 조절 is very common in everyday kitchen talk.
How does -아/어야 해요 express necessity, and can I use -아/어야 돼요 instead?
Both -아/어야 해요 and -아/어야 돼요 express that something “must” be done.
- 해야 해요 is slightly more formal/neutral.
- 해야 돼요 is more colloquial.
You can use either: 불 조절을 잘해야 해요 or 불 조절을 잘해야 돼요 both mean “you have to control the heat well.”
Why is 잘 placed before 해야 해요? Could I say 조절을 잘해야 해요 or 잘 조절해야 해요?
잘 is an adverb meaning “well,” and it modifies the action 조절하다 (“to control”). Since 조절하다 combines with 해야 해요 (“must do”), 잘 can go before either the verb or the auxiliary, giving you either 불 조절을 잘해야 해요 or 불 조절을 잘 조절해야 해요. More naturally, you say 불 조절을 잘해야 해요 or 잘 조절해야 해요—both mean “you must adjust (the heat) properly.”
Who is doing the action in this sentence? What’s the subject?
The subject is omitted, which is common in Korean. It’s understood to be you (the listener) or we/one in a general sense. So the full idea is “[You] have to control the heat well when toasting bread in the toaster.”