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Questions & Answers about ipguksimsadaeeseoneun jigwoni seoryureul hwaginhae jupnida.
What is the literal meaning and composition of 입국심사대?
입국심사대 breaks down into 입국 (“entry into a country”), 심사 (“inspection” or “screening”), and 대 (“counter” or “desk”). Together it means “immigration inspection counter” or simply “immigration checkpoint.”
Why is the particle 에서는 used after 입국심사대 instead of just 에서?
- 에서 marks the location where an action happens (“at” or “in” a place).
- Adding 는 makes it a topic marker, so 입국심사대에서는 means “at the immigration desk, (as for that place)…” It both indicates location and sets it up as the topic of the sentence.
Why is 직원 followed by 이 and not 가 or 은/는?
- 이/가 are subject markers; 이 follows nouns ending in a consonant (직원 ends in consonant), 가 follows nouns ending in a vowel.
- 은/는 would be a topic marker, but here we want to simply identify the subject doing the action, so 직원이 is correct.
What does 서류를 mean and why is 를 used?
- 서류 means “document(s)” or “paperwork.”
- 를 is the object marker, indicating that 서류 is what the staff member is checking.
What is the nuance of 확인해 줍니다 compared to simply 확인합니다?
- 확인합니다 simply means “(they) check” or “(they) confirm.”
- 확인해 줍니다 uses the -아/어 주다 construction, which adds a nuance of doing something for someone’s benefit—a sort of “service” or favor—so it conveys “(they) check for you” or “(they) kindly check.”
What level of speech/style is the ending -줍니다?
The ending -줍니다 is the formal polite (합쇼체) declarative style. It’s commonly used in announcements, customer service contexts, and any situation requiring polite, respectful language.
Can you explain the typical word order in this sentence?
Korean follows a Subject–Object–Verb (SOV) pattern, with optional adverbial phrases first. Here the structure is:
- 입국심사대에서는 (location/topic)
- 직원이 (subject)
- 서류를 (object)
- 확인해 줍니다. (verb phrase)
Is it possible to omit parts of this sentence in casual speech?
Yes. In casual contexts, you might drop the location or subject if it’s clear from context:
- 서류 확인해 줘. (“Give me a check of the documents.”)
- 심사대에서 확인해 줘요. (“They’ll check (them) at the desk.”)
Formality and clarity determine what can be omitted.