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Questions & Answers about geunyeoneun choegeune gyehoegeul bakkugo gongbue deo jipjunghae.
What politeness level is the ending -해, and how do I make this sentence polite or formal?
- -해 is casual/banmal (used with close friends or younger people).
- Polite: 그녀는 최근에 계획을 바꾸고 공부에 더 집중해요.
- Formal: 그녀는 최근에 계획을 바꾸고 공부에 더 집중합니다.
- Talking about someone you respect, you can also use 그분은 … 집중해요/집중합니다.
Is 그녀 natural in everyday conversation?
Not usually. In spoken Korean people prefer:
- a name/title: 민지는 …
- a generic reference: 그 사람은 …
- honorific: 그분은 …
- or just drop the subject entirely if it’s clear from context. Using 그녀 is common in writing and translations but can sound bookish in casual speech.
Why is it 그녀는 and not 그녀가? What’s the nuance difference?
- 는 marks a topic and often contrasts or sets the frame: “As for her, …”
- 가 marks the grammatical subject and can highlight/newly introduce it: “It’s she who…” Both are grammatical here, but 그녀는 sounds like you’re continuing to talk about “her” as a known topic; 그녀가 would emphasize that she (as opposed to someone else) did it.
What’s the nuance of 최근에 compared to 요즘?