Learn Hardcore Korean: gangajido mokmallassneunji mureul banggeum da masyeosseo. - The puppy must have been thirsty too; it just finished all the water.

-도 means "also/too," and sometimes "even." Using 강아지도 implies that, in addition to someone/something already in mind, the puppy is included as well. It replaces any case particle that might otherwise be there.

Examples:
- 저도 가요. = I’m going, too.
- 물도 있어요? = Do you also have water?
For a stronger "even" nuance, you can use -까지 or -조차 (e.g., 강아지까지/강아지조차 ...), but -도 is the most neutral.

Why use 목말랐는지 here? What does -는지 contribute?

-는지 can mark an indirect question ("whether/if") or express uncertainty/conjecture. In result clauses like this, it often means "maybe because" / "as if" / "I guess."

So 목말랐는지 suggests a guess about the reason: “The puppy, too—maybe because it was thirsty—just drank all the water.” It’s softer than stating the cause as a fact.

Could I say 목말라서 instead of 목말랐는지? What’s the difference?

Yes:

목말라서 = a definite cause you’re asserting: “because (it) was thirsty.”
목말랐는지 = a conjectured cause: “maybe because it was thirsty.” Choose 목말라서 if you’re sure; choose 목말랐는지 if you’re inferring from what you saw.

What’s the difference between 목말랐는지 and 목마른지?

목말랐는지 uses past (았/었) and suits a situation where the result already happened; you’re inferring about a prior state.
목마른지 (present) is used for “whether it’s thirsty (now)” or for general uncertainty without a past result.
In this sentence (it already drank all the water), 목말랐는지 is the natural fit.

How is 목말랐는지 formed from 목마르다? What’s the “르-irregular” doing?

목마르다 is an 르-irregular adjective. When you add -아/어 or related endings:

르 becomes ㄹㄹ, and you attach the vowel.
Present: 목마르다 → 목말라요
Past stem: 목말랐- (목말라 + 았-) Then add -는지 to make 목말랐는지. Parallel examples: 모르다 → 몰라요, 몰랐어요; 빠르다 → 빨라요, 빨랐어요.

Is 목말라하다 more appropriate for animals than 목마르다?

목마르다 is fine for anyone (people or animals). 목말라하다 is a “-아/어하다” form that often describes someone else’s felt state as inferred from behavior (“to show signs of being thirsty”). Both are acceptable, but:

In narration/inference: 강아지가 목말랐는지 … (natural)
When reporting observed behavior: 강아지가 목말라해(서) … (also fine)

What does 다 do in 물을 방금 다 마셨어?

다 is an adverb meaning “all, completely, up.” It marks that the action was completed in full:

물을 다 마시다 = drink all the water / finish the water
음식 다 먹었어 = I finished all the food Don’t use 완전히 here; 완전히 suits adjectives (완전히 새로워요) or certain verbs, but with consumption, 다 is the idiomatic choice.

Where can I put 방금? Is 물을 방금 다 마셨어 natural?

Yes, it’s natural. Common placements:

방금 물을 다 마셨어.
물을 방금 다 마셨어. (your sentence)
방금 다 마셨어(요). (when the object is understood) What to avoid: putting 다 too far from the verb (e.g., 물을 다 방금 마셨어 sounds awkward). Keep 다 right before the verb phrase it completes: 다 마셨어.

Does 방금 always take past tense? How is it different from 금방?

방금 usually pairs with the past: 방금 끝났어요 (It just finished). Using present with 방금 (e.g., 방금 가요) is generally avoided unless you mean “I’m heading out right now.”
금방 can mean “soon” (future) or “just now” (recent past), depending on context: 금방 갈게요 (I’ll go soon) vs. 금방 왔어요 (I just came). 방금 only refers to the very recent past.

Is 마셨어 the same as 마셨어? Which is correct?

The standard contraction from 마시었다 is 마셨다 in plain past and 마셨어/마셨어요 in informal/informal-polite speech. In other words:

Plain past: 마셨다
Informal casual: 마셨어
Informal polite: 마셨어요
Formal: 마셨습니다 So in your sentence, 마셨어 is correct.

What politeness level is 마셨어? How would I make this more polite or more formal?

마셨어 = informal casual (to friends/family)
마셨어요 = informal polite (most everyday situations)
마셨습니다 = formal (announcements, reports, formal settings) You can adjust the whole sentence accordingly:
강아지도 목말랐는지 물을 방금 다 마셨어요. (polite)
강아지도 목말랐는지 물을 방금 다 마셨습니다. (formal)

Can I drop the object particle 를 in 물을?

Yes, in casual speech you can often omit object markers when the meaning is clear:

물(을) 방금 다 마셨어. Both are fine in conversation. Keeping 를 can add clarity/emphasis or feel slightly more careful/formal.

Does 도 replace 는/은 or 이/가? Could I say 강아지도는?

도 can replace other case/topic markers or stack on them, but stacking is rare and usually used only for special emphasis. In normal speech, you just say 강아지도 (not 강아지도는). If you needed a contrastive topic with “also,” you might see stacking in writing (e.g., 에도, 에서는도), but it’s uncommon in everyday talk.

What does the sentence imply about context?

The use of 도 suggests there was likely another subject earlier (e.g., someone else was thirsty or finished their drink), and now you’re adding the puppy. The -는지 chunk adds an evidential/guessing tone: you observed the result (the water is gone) and infer the reason (it must have been thirsty).

Any pronunciation tips for tricky parts like 목말랐는지 and 마셨어?

목말랐는지: Due to sound assimilation, it’s pronounced close to [몽말란는지]. The final ㄱ of 목 becomes nasal before ㅁ (목 + 말 → [몽말]). Also, the ㅆ before ㄴ tends to nasalize (랐는 → [란는]).
마셨어: Pronounced [마셔써]. 시 + 었 contracts to 셨/셔; here you’ll hear “셔” plus the past ㅆ sound.