ibeon hakgie hangugeo gwamogeul suganghaeyo.

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Questions & Answers about ibeon hakgie hangugeo gwamogeul suganghaeyo.

Why is 이번 학기에 used here? What does -에 do?
  • 이번 = “this”
  • 학기 = “semester”
  • -에 = time particle meaning “in/at/on”

Putting them together, 이번 학기에 literally means “in this semester.” In Korean, longer time expressions (years, months, semesters) usually take -에 to mark when something happens. Shorter ones (오늘, 내일) often drop it.

What is 과목, and how is it different from 수업?
  • 과목 refers to an academic subject or course as a category (e.g. “the Korean course,” “a math course”).
  • 수업 refers more to the actual class or lesson sessions you attend (e.g. “the class meets Monday,” “I attend class”).

You “take” (수강하다) a 과목, and you “attend/listen to” (듣다) a 수업.

Why do we add to 과목 (making 과목을)?
을/를 is the object particle. It marks 과목 as the direct object of the verb 수강해요 (“take a course”). Without it, the sentence would lose clarity about what you’re taking.
Why is the subject omitted in this sentence?

Korean often omits the subject when it’s contextually obvious. Here, it’s clear you’re talking about yourself (“I take a Korean course this semester”), so 저는 (“as for me”) isn’t strictly necessary. You could say:
저는 이번 학기에 한국어 과목을 수강해요.

How is 수강해요 formed from 수강하다?
  1. 수강하다 is a 하다-verb (“to take/register for a course”).
  2. Drop -다 from 하다, then add -해요 for present polite style.
    → 수강 + 해요 = 수강해요
What’s the difference between 수강하다 and 수업을 듣다?
  • 수강하다 (Sino-Korean, formal) literally means “to register for/take a course.”
  • 수업을 듣다 (native Korean) literally means “to listen to class.”

Both are used to say “take a class,” but 수강하다 is more common in academic or administrative contexts.

What’s the difference between 수강해요 and 수강합니다?

They’re the same verb meaning but in different speech levels:

  • 수강해요 = polite, everyday conversation (해요체)
  • 수강합니다 = more formal/polite (합니다체), often in announcements or formal writing
Why is the word order 이번 학기에 한국어 과목을 수강해요 (time → object → verb)? Could you rearrange it?

Korean follows S-O-V (subject-object-verb). Time expressions usually come before the verb but are somewhat flexible. For example:

  • 한국어 과목을 이번 학기에 수강해요.
  • 이번 학기에 수강해요, 한국어 과목을.

All are grammatically correct, but putting the time first (as in the original) is the most neutral and common order.