najunge jeonhwahaedo dwaeyo?

Can I call you later?

Breakdown of najunge jeonhwahaedo dwaeyo?

• 전화하다: to call
• ~에: time particle
• 되다: to be allowed
• 나중: later

Questions & Answers about najunge jeonhwahaedo dwaeyo?

What does 나중에 mean?

나중에 literally means “later” or “afterward.” It indicates doing something at a time after the present moment.

How does -아/어도 돼요 work in Korean?

The structure -아/어도 돼요 is used to ask for or give permission. You attach -아도 돼요 to the verb stem if the stem ends in a vowel 아 or 오, and -어도 돼요 otherwise. It literally means “Is it okay if I …?”

Why is it 전화해도 and not 전화를 해도?

Here 전화하다 is a single verb (“to call” or “to telephone”), so you attach 어도 directly to 전화하- becoming 전화해도. There’s no need for the object particle 를 because 전화하다 itself already functions as one verb.

What is 돼요 derived from?

돼요 is the polite present form of 되다, which here means “to be okay” or “to become allowed.” So 전화해도 돼요 literally means “It becomes okay if I call.”

Why is there no subject in 나중에 전화해도 돼요?

Korean often omits the subject when it’s clear from context. In this permission question, the speaker (I) and listener (you) are understood, so there’s no need to say 제가 (I) or 당신이 (you).

What’s the difference between -아도 돼요 and -ㄹ 수 있어요?

-아도 돼요 asks for or grants permission (“May I?”).
-ㄹ 수 있어요 expresses ability (“Can I?” in the sense of capability).
So 전화해도 돼요? = “May I call?”
전화할 수 있어요? = “Am I able to call?” (e.g. technical ability)

Can I change the politeness level of 돼요?

Yes. For a more formal style you can say 나중에 전화해도 됩니까?
For a more casual style (among close friends) you can say 나중에 전화해도 돼?

How would you reply if you want to say “Yes, that’s fine”?

You can say:
• 네, 돼요. (“Yes, it’s okay.”)
• 네, 괜찮아요. (“Yes, that’s all right.”)

How would you reply if you want to say “No, you can’t”?

You can say:
• 아니요, 안 돼요. (“No, you can’t.”)
• 죄송하지만, 안 돼요. (“I’m sorry, but you can’t.””)