Learn Hardcore Korean: jeoneun hanggongsa-e jeonhwahaeyo.

저는 is a combination of the first-person pronoun 저 (“I”) plus the topic particle -는. It marks “I” as the topic of the sentence, signaling that what follows is about “me.”

Why is 항공사에 used instead of 항공사를?

Here -에 marks the destination or target of an action (“to the airline”). When you “call” someone in Korean, the person or organization you are calling usually takes -에, not the object particle -를. It literally conveys “I phone to the airline.”

How is the verb 전화해요 constructed?

전화해요 comes from the Sino-Korean noun 전화 (電話, “phone call”) + the verb 하다 (“to do”). Conjugated in polite present tense:
• 전화 + 하다 → 전화하다
• 전화하다 → 전화해요

Can you also say 전화를 해요 with an object marker?

Yes. Because 전화 is originally a noun, you can treat it as a direct object:
• 전화를 하다 (to do a phone call)
• 전화를 해요 (I make a phone call)
However, 전화하다 is such a common compound verb that Koreans often drop the object marker and say 전화해요 without changing the meaning.

What level of politeness is 전화해요?

전화해요 is in the polite, non-honorific speech level (also called “–요” form). It’s appropriate for most everyday situations with strangers, service staff, colleagues, and casual acquaintances.

Why is the verb placed at the end of the sentence?

Korean follows a subject–object–verb (SOV) word order. Verbs (and adjectives) always come at the end of the clause. So you say “저는 항공사에 전화해요” rather than “I call the airline.”

Are there alternative verbs for “to call” in Korean?

Yes. Common variants include:
• 전화를 걸다 (literally “to hang/cast a phone call,” also means “to dial” or “to make a call”)
• 통화하다 (to converse on the phone, “to have a phone conversation”)

Example:
• 저는 항공사에 전화를 걸어요.
• 저는 항공사와 통화해요.