Breakdown of goyangineun changmun yeopeseo jago isseo.
~에서~eseo
location particle
~는~neun
topic particle
있다issda
to be
창문changmun
window
Questions & Answers about goyangineun changmun yeopeseo jago isseo.
Why is it 고양이는 and not 고양이가?
은/는 marks the topic. 고양이는 means “as for the cat…,” assuming the cat is already known or you’re contrasting it with something else. 고양이가 (subject marker) would emphasize who is sleeping (e.g., in answer to “Who’s sleeping?”). Both are grammatically fine; the nuance differs.
Can I drop 는 or even the whole subject?
Yes. In casual speech you can say 고양이 창문 옆에서 자고 있어 or, if the subject is obvious, just 창문 옆에서 자고 있어. Dropping is natural when context makes the subject clear.
Why 창문 옆에서 and not 창문 옆에?
Use 에서 for where an action happens. 자다 is treated as an activity, so 창문 옆에서 자고 있어. Use 에 for static existence: 창문 옆에 고양이가 있어 = “There’s a cat next to the window.”
Why attach 에서 to 옆 instead of to 창문?
옆 is a relational noun (“side of”). The location particle attaches to it: [명사] + 옆 + 에서 → 창문 옆에서. 창문에서 means “at the window” (not specifically next to it), which is a different nuance.
Should it be 창문의 옆에서 with 의?