Learn Hardcore Korean: da-eume doseogwaneseo hamkke chaegeul ilgeoyo. - Next time, let’s read a book together at the library.

다음에 literally means “next time” or “afterward.” Here it sets the temporal context: you’re talking about doing something on a future occasion. It’s an adverbial phrase placed at the beginning to answer “when?”

Why do we use 도서관에서 instead of 도서관에?

The particle 에서 marks the location where an action takes place (“at the library”). In contrast, 에 indicates a static existence (“to the library,” “in the library”) or a destination. Since 읽다 (to read) is an action performed at the library, we choose 도서관에서.

What is the function of 함께, and can I use 같이 instead?

Both 함께 and 같이 mean “together.”

함께 is slightly more formal or literary.
같이 is more colloquial and common in everyday speech.
You can say 다음에 도서관에서 같이 책을 읽어요 with no change in basic meaning; it just sounds a bit more casual.

Why is the verb 읽어요 in the present tense when we’re talking about the future?

In Korean, the present tense (polite form -아요/어요) often covers near-future actions, especially when you frame it as a suggestion or plan. Context (e.g. 다음에) tells listeners you’re referring to next time.

How does the verb ending -어요 work to make a suggestion or invitation?

Attaching -어요 to the verb stem creates a polite declarative form. When you use it with an inclusive context (like 다음에 + joint activity), it functions as a soft invitation or let’s... For example, 읽어요 here means “let’s read.”

Why isn’t there an explicit subject like 우리 (“we”)?

Korean often omits subjects when they’re clear from context. In invitations or suggestions, 우리 (“we”) is understood. If you add it, you get 우리 다음에 도서관에서 함께 책을 읽어요, but it’s usually unnecessary and can sound redundant.

What’s the role of 책을 in the sentence?

책 means “book.” The marker 을 is the object particle, indicating that 책 is what is being read. Without it, the sentence would be ungrammatical.

Can I switch the word order, for example putting 함께 at the end?

Korean word order is relatively flexible, but the common pattern is [Time] [Place] [Manner] [Object] [Verb]. You could say 다음에 도서관에서 책을 함께 읽어요, moving 함께 before 읽어요 without changing meaning. However, putting it at the very end (책을 읽어요 함께) sounds unnatural.

If I want to be more formal, how would I change 읽어요?

You can use the formal ending -ㅂ니다/습니다:
• 읽습니다 → 다음에 도서관에서 함께 책을 읽습니다.
This is a more formal, written style. For spoken invitations in formal settings, you might also hear 읽읍시다 (“let’s read”) with -읍시다.