Word
도서관에서는 담배를 피울 수 없어요.doseogwaneseoneun dambaereul piul su eobseoyo.
Meaning
You can’t smoke cigarettes in the library.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of doseogwaneseoneun dambaereul piul su eobseoyo.
~에서~eseo
location particle
~를~reul
object particle
~는~neun
topic particle
도서관doseogwan
library
Questions & Answers about doseogwaneseoneun dambaereul piul su eobseoyo.
Why is it 도서관에서는 and not 도서관에 or just 도서관에서?
- 에 marks a static location/existence (be at/in). Example: 도서관에 있어요 = “I’m at the library.”
- 에서 marks the place where an action happens. Smoking is an action, so 도서관에서 is needed.
- Adding the topic marker to get 도서관에서는 makes that location the topic/contrast: “As for the library, (you can’t smoke).” Without 는, it’s neutral. With 는, it subtly implies contrast with other places.
- The contracted form 도서관에선 is also fine in speech and informal writing.
What’s going on with 피울 수 없어요? Why 피울 and not 피워?
- -(으)ㄹ 수 없다/있다 attaches to the verb stem in its “attributive future” form before the noun 수.
- Examples:
- 하다 → 할 수 없다 (cannot do)
- 보다 → 볼 수 없다 (cannot see)
- 먹다 → 먹을 수 없다 (cannot eat)
- 피우다 → 피울 수 없다 (cannot smoke)
- So it must be 피울 수 없어요, not 피워 수 없어요.
What does 수 없다 literally mean?
- 수 is a native noun meaning “way/method/possibility,” so 수 없다 literally means “there is no way/possibility.”
- In context it conveys “cannot,” often implying lack of permission or possibility. Here it reads as a rule: “You’re not allowed to smoke.”