i gwairi gajang sinseonhaeyo.

This fruit is the freshest.

Breakdown of i gwairi gajang sinseonhaeyo.

• ~이: subject particle
• 이: this
• 과일: fruit
• 신선하다: fresh
• 가장: most

Questions & Answers about i gwairi gajang sinseonhaeyo.

Why are there two 이s in 이 과일이? What does each 이 do?

이 과일이 breaks down into:

• 이 (demonstrative determiner) meaning this
• 과일 fruit
• 이 (subject particle) marking 과일 as the subject
  The first 이 is part of the noun phrase 이 과일 (this fruit), and the second 이 attaches to 과일 to indicate it’s the grammatical subject.

What does 가장 mean, and why is it placed before 신선해요?

가장 is an adverb meaning most, turning a descriptive verb into its superlative. In Korean, adverbs usually come directly before the verb or adjective they modify, so 가장 appears immediately before 신선해요.

What is 신선해요, and why don’t we see a separate copula here?

신선해요 is the polite present-tense form of the descriptive verb 신선하다 (to be fresh). In Korean, descriptive verbs function as predicates on their own, so there’s no need for a separate copula like 이다. Conjugation steps:

1. Remove -하다 → 신선하
2. Apply the -아/어 rule + -요 → 신선해요
   (For a more formal register, you could say 신선합니다.)

Why is the subject particle 이 used instead of the topic particle 은? Could we say 이 과일은 가장 신선해요?

Both 이 과일이 가장 신선해요 and 이 과일은 가장 신선해요 are grammatically correct. The nuance difference is:

• 이/가 marks the subject and often highlights new or focal information.
• 은/는 marks the topic and can imply contrast or general description.
  With a pure superlative identification, 이/가 feels more neutral, while 은/는 would sound like “as for this fruit, it is the freshest.”

Can I replace 가장 with 제일? Are they the same?

Yes. 제일 is the native Korean equivalent of the Sino-Korean adverb 가장. Both mean most and are interchangeable:

• 이 과일이 가장 신선해요
• 이 과일이 제일 신선해요
  제일 tends to feel a bit more casual, whereas 가장 can sound slightly more formal or written.

How would you ask Which fruit is the freshest? in Korean?

You can use either:

• 어떤 과일이 가장 신선해요? (any/what kind of fruit)
• 어느 과일이 가장 신선해요? (which fruit among a known set)
  Both ask for the freshest fruit, with 어느 suggesting you’re choosing from a specific group.

How can I say the freshest fruit as a noun phrase instead of a full sentence?

Use the attributive form of 신선하다:

1. Drop -하다 and change 신선하 to the modifier 신선한
2. Add 가장 or 제일 before it
   Examples:
   
   • 가장 신선한 과일
   • 제일 신선한 과일

How do I change the tense of the sentence to past or future?

• Past tense: 이 과일이 가장 신선했어요. (This fruit was the freshest)
• Future tense: 이 과일이 가장 신선할 거예요. (This fruit will be the freshest)