Learn Hardcore Korean: jeoneun iteul dongan jibeseo swieosseoyo.

The -는 in 저는 is a topic marker. It sets “me” as the topic (“as for me”) and is very common in everyday statements. 제가 uses the subject marker -가 and highlights “I” as the grammatical subject, often with a sense of contrast or emphasis (“I, not someone else”). In this sentence, 저는 sounds more neutral and natural; 제가 would feel more contrastive.

Do I need to include “저는,” or can I drop it?

You can drop it. Korean often omits obvious subjects, so 이틀 동안 집에서 쉬었어요 is perfectly natural if it’s clear you’re talking about yourself from context.

Why is it “집에서” and not “집에”?

에서 marks the place where an action happens, so 집에서 쉬었어요 means you performed the action of resting at home. 에 marks location/existence or destination (e.g., 집에 있어요 = I’m at home, 집에 가요 = I go home). Since 쉬다 is an action, use 에서 here.

Could I say “집에 있었어요” instead? Is that the same?

집에 있었어요 means “I was at home.” It states your location, not specifically that you rested. 집에서 쉬었어요 highlights the action of resting.

What exactly does “이틀” mean, and why not “두 날”?

이틀 is the native Korean word meaning “two days.” Korean has special native words for counting days:

하루 (1 day), 이틀 (2), 사흘 (3), 나흘 (4), 닷새 (5), 엿새 (6), 이레 (7), 여드레 (8), 아흐레 (9), 열흘 (10) Saying 두 날 is not natural for counting days in this context; use 이틀 (or Sino-Korean like 이 일, see below).

Can I say “이 일” or “2일” instead of “이틀”?

Yes. 이 일 or 2일 also mean “two days,” and they sound a bit more formal or written. Be careful with spacing: 이 일 (two days) must have a space; 이일 (no space) means “this work.”

Is “동안” necessary? Can I just say “이틀 쉬었어요”?

동안 means “for/during (a period).” It’s not strictly required; 이틀 쉬었어요 is natural and commonly said. Adding 동안 can make the duration slightly more explicit, but both are fine.

What’s the difference between “동안,” “-간,” and “내내”?

동안: general “for/during” a time span (neutral, most common).
-간: a suffix meaning “for,” common in written/formal styles (e.g., 이틀간 or 2일간 in notices/news).
내내: “the whole time/throughout” with an emphasis on continuity (e.g., 이틀 내내 집에서 쉬었어요 = “I rested at home the entire two days”).

Can I change the word order? For example: “저는 집에서 이틀 동안 쉬었어요”?

Yes. Time and place adverbials are flexible:

저는 이틀 동안 집에서 쉬었어요.
저는 집에서 이틀 동안 쉬었어요. Both are natural. Putting something earlier can slightly emphasize it.

Does “쉬었어요” mean simple past or present perfect like in English?

-었어요 is a simple past in Korean. It just states a past action; it doesn’t carry the English present-perfect nuance by itself. Context provides any “have rested” sense if needed.

How would I say this more casually or more formally?

Casual (to friends): 나 이틀 동안 집에서 쉬었어.
Polite (current sentence): 저는 이틀 동안 집에서 쉬었어요.
Formal polite (announcements/reports): 저는 이틀 동안 집에서 쉬었습니다.

How is “쉬었어요” pronounced?

In connected speech, 었어요 is pronounced like “어써요,” so 쉬었어요 sounds like “쉬어써요.” You’ll hear a clear “ss” sound in there due to the ㅆ.

What’s the nuance of “쉬다”? Is it like “hang out” or “sleep”?

쉬다 means “to rest/take a break,” which can include relaxing, recuperating, or taking time off work/school. It’s not “to sleep” (자다) and not “to hang out/play” (놀다). If you took time off, 쉬다 is the right verb.

How would I say “for the last two days” or “for two days straight”?

“For the last two days”: 지난 이틀 동안 (e.g., 지난 이틀 동안 집에서 쉬었어요).
“For two days straight/throughout”: 이틀 내내 or 이틀 연속으로 (e.g., 이틀 내내 집에서 쉬었어요).

Can I use “동안에” instead of “동안”?

동안에 is also acceptable and can slightly emphasize “during that period,” but in everyday speech 동안 alone is more common and natural in this sentence.

Any other small tweaks I should know?

You can drop particles in casual speech: 이틀 동안 집에서 쉬었어 (still natural).
To add “only,” use 만: 이틀 동안 집에서만 쉬었어요.
Don’t use the honorific 댁 for your own home; 댁 is for someone else’s home. Use 집 for yourself.