beoseureul nohchyeosseo.

I missed the bus.

Breakdown of beoseureul nohchyeosseo.

• ~를: object particle
• 버스: bus
• 놓치다: to miss

Questions & Answers about beoseureul nohchyeosseo.

Why is there no subject like “I” in the sentence?

Korean often drops the subject when it’s clear from context. Here, the understood subject is 나 (I).

• You can include it for clarity or emphasis:
  • Casual: 나 버스를 놓쳤어. / 나는 버스를 놓쳤어.
  • Polite: 저는 버스를 놓쳤어요.
• Nuance:
  • 나는 sets “I” as the topic (as for me…).
  • 내가 marks “I” as the subject with a bit more emphasis: 내가 버스를 놓쳤어.

What’s the politeness level of 놓쳤어, and how do I make it more/less polite?

• 놓쳤어: informal casual (반말).
• Standard polite: 놓쳤어요.
• Formal polite: 놓쳤습니다.
• Honorific (the subject is someone you respect): 놓치셨어요.
• Very casual narrative/written style: 놓쳤다.

Why is 를/을 used after 버스? Could I use 가/이 instead?

• 놓치다 is a transitive verb (“to miss”), so its object takes the object particle 를/을: 버스를 놓쳤어.
• 가/이 marks the subject, so 버스가 would make “the bus” the subject of the sentence, which doesn’t fit here. Example where it does fit: 버스가 벌써 떠났어 (The bus already left).

Can I drop the object particle and just say 버스 놓쳤어?

Yes. In casual speech, object particles are often omitted and 버스 놓쳤어 is very natural. Keeping 버스를 is a bit clearer or more careful.

How is 놓쳤어 formed from 놓치다?

• Dictionary form: 놓치다 (to miss).
• Past marker: -었- (used because the stem vowel isn’t ㅏ/ㅗ).
• Contraction: 치 + 었어 → 쳤어, giving 놓쳤어.
• So: 놓치다 → 놓쳤어 (I missed).

How do you pronounce 버스를 놓쳤어?

• Roughly: beo-seu-reul no-chyeo-sseo.
• Notes:
  • 버스를 sounds like “beo-seu-reul” (four syllables).
  • In 놓쳤어, the ㅎ in 놓 doesn’t make its own sound before ㅊ; you’ll hear something like “no-chyeo-sseo.”
  • Altogether: 버스를 놓쳤어 → “beo-seu-reul no-chyeo-sseo.”

Can I say 버스를 잃었어/잃어버렸어 instead of 놓쳤어?

No.

• 놓치다 = miss (fail to catch/meet a vehicle, chance, show, deadline).
• 잃다/잃어버리다 = lose something you possessed (wallet, keys).
• Related contrasts:
  • 기회를 놓치다 (miss an opportunity), not 기회를 잃다.
  • 지갑을 잃어버렸어 (I lost my wallet), not 지갑을 놓쳤어.

What’s the difference between 버스를 놓쳤어, 버스를 못 탔어, and 버스를 안 탔어?

• 버스를 놓쳤어: You failed to catch it (it left before you could board).
• 버스를 못 탔어: You couldn’t ride it (for some reason: too crowded, no fare, missed it, etc.). Broader than “missed.”
• 버스를 안 탔어: You didn’t ride it (by choice or simple statement of fact, no implication of trying and failing).

How do I ask “Did you miss the bus?” politely and casually?

• Casual: 버스를 놓쳤어?
• Polite: 버스를 놓쳤어요?
• Honorific (respecting the subject): 버스를 놓치셨어요?
• Formal: 버스를 놓치셨습니까?

How do I say “Don’t miss the bus”?

• Casual command: 버스를 놓치지 마.
• Polite command: 버스를 놓치지 마세요.
• Emphatic/regret nuance: 버스를 놓치고 말지 마요 (less common; sounds more dramatic).

How do I connect the cause, like “Because I missed the bus, I’m late”?

• Casual: 버스를 놓쳐서 늦었어.
• Polite: 버스를 놓쳐서 늦었어요.
• Very colloquial alternative: 버스를 놓쳐가지고 늦었어.

Is 버스를 잡다 a natural way to say “catch the bus”?

Not really. English “catch” maps differently:

• Natural Korean:
  • 버스를 타다 (to take/ride a bus).
  • 버스를 놓치다 (to miss the bus).
• You do say 택시를 잡다 (to catch/hail a taxi), but not usually for buses.

Does 버스를 놓쳤어 mean “the bus” or “a bus”? There’s no article in Korean.

Korean doesn’t mark articles. 버스를 놓쳤어 can mean “missed the bus” or “missed a bus” depending on context. If a specific bus is known from context (e.g., your usual bus), English would use “the,” but Korean just says 버스.

What are some natural variations that add nuance?

• Surprise/realization: 버스를 놓쳤네.
• Strong regret/“ended up missing it”: 버스를 놓치고 말았어.
• Future likelihood: 버스를 놓칠 것 같아 (I think I’ll miss the bus).
• Habitual: 자주 버스를 놓쳐 (I often miss the bus).