Questions & Answers about taeksi yogeumi bissayo.
What does the particle 이 do here, and why not 가?
이/가 marks the grammatical subject. You choose 이 after a noun that ends in a consonant and 가 after a vowel.
- 요금 ends in ㅁ (a consonant), so it takes 이: 요금이.
- If you used 택시비 (ends in a vowel), you’d say 택시비가.
It answers “what is expensive?” → “the taxi fare.”
Could I use 은/는 instead of 이? What changes?
Yes, but the nuance shifts.
- 택시 요금이 비싸요. neutrally presents the fact or focuses on “taxi fare” as the subject (often introducing new info).
- 택시 요금은 비싸요. sets “taxi fare” as the topic and often implies contrast or generalization. For example: 택시 요금은 비싸요, 버스 요금은 싸요.
Why don’t we use the object marker 을/를 with 요금?
Because 비싸다 is a descriptive verb (adjective) meaning “to be expensive,” which doesn’t take a direct object. 요금 is the subject that “is expensive,” so it takes 이/가, not 을/를.
- Object usage appears with action verbs, e.g., 요금을 올려요 (They raise the fare).
What exactly is 비싸요 made of?