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Questions & Answers about geunyeoneun apeun nareneun undongeul geumanhaeyo.
Why are there two topic markers (는) in one sentence?
Korean can stack topics to set context. Here:
- 그녀는 sets “she” as the overall topic.
- 아픈 날에는 (which is 아픈 날에 + 는) makes “on days when she’s sick” a contrastive sub-topic. It implies contrast like “As for her, on sick days (as opposed to other days), she stops exercising.” You could say just 아픈 날에 운동을 그만해요 (less contrast) or drop 그녀는 if context already makes the subject clear.
What exactly is 에는?
It’s two particles combined: 에 (time/place “at/on”) + 는 (topic/contrast). It topicalizes a time expression. The contracted colloquial form 엔 is common: 아픈 날엔.
What’s the difference between 아픈 날에는 and 아플 때는?
- 아픈 날에는 = “on sick days” (day-focused, countable days).
- 아플 때는 = “when she’s sick” (time/condition-focused). Both are fine here. 아플 때는 often sounds a bit more general/natural; 아픈 날에는 emphasizes the specific day(s).
How is 아픈 formed, and how is it different from 아파요?
- 아프다 (to be sick/in pain) → present attributive (modifier) 아픈 to describe a noun: 아픈 날 “a sick day.”
- 아파요 is the predicate form “(I/you/etc.) am/is sick.” You can’t put 아파요 directly before a noun; you need the attributive 아픈.
Is using 그녀 natural in Korean?
In everyday speech, pronouns like 그녀 are often avoided. More natural:
- Drop it if context is clear: 아픈 날에는 운동을 그만해요.
- Use a name/title: 민지 씨는 아픈 날에는… 그녀 is common in translations or formal writing but can feel bookish in casual conversation.
Why is it 운동을 그만해요? Could it be 운동해요?
- 운동하다 is “to exercise” (verb).
- When you “stop” something with 그만하다, that “something” is a noun object: 운동을 그만해요 (“stop exercising”). You’re stopping the activity, treated as a noun.
- You’ll also see the neutral activity form 운동해요 or 운동을 해요 (“do exercise”). With 그만하다, the object marking (운동을) is natural, though in casual speech you may drop the particle: 운동 그만해요.
What’s the nuance difference among 그만하다, 그만두다, and 멈추다?
- 그만하다: stop doing something (often temporary/immediate). Very common with activity nouns: 운동을 그만해요.
- 그만두다: quit/give up (often more final): 회사를 그만두다, 축구를 그만뒀어요 (I quit soccer).
- 멈추다: stop/come to a halt (movement/processes): 차가 멈추다, 비가 멈추다. Not the usual choice for “stop exercising.”
Does 그만해요 sound like “Please stop!”?
By itself, 그만해요! is a common polite command (“Stop it!”). In this sentence, because it has a topic (그녀는), it’s a statement (“she stops”). Context and particles disambiguate. To politely tell someone to stop exercising, you could say 운동 그만하세요.
Why is the present tense used even though this sounds habitual?
Korean present (-해요) commonly expresses general truths and habits. So 그만해요 here means “(she) stops (as a habit).” For a one-time past event, use 그만했어요; for a general rule, present is normal.
What’s the difference between 운동을 안 해요 and 운동을 그만해요?
- 운동을 안 해요: “doesn’t exercise” (she simply doesn’t do it).
- 운동을 그만해요: “stops exercising” (she halts something in progress or decides to stop). In your sentence, it suggests that on sick days she stops or refrains, with a sense of ceasing.
Can I change the word order?
Yes, but keep time/topic expressions early for natural flow.
- Natural: (그녀는) 아픈 날에는 운동을 그만해요.
- Also okay: 아픈 날에는 그녀는 운동을 그만해요 (slightly marked). Placing 아픈 날에는 after the object sounds awkward. Korean is flexible, but Topic/Time → Object → Verb is a safe default.
Can particles be dropped or contracted here?
- 아픈 날에는 → 아픈 날엔 (very common).
- 운동을 그만해요 → 운동 그만해요 (object particle often omitted in speech). Keep the verb ending -해요 for politeness unless you’re speaking casually (그만해).
Any pronunciation or spacing tips?
- Liaison: 날에는 is pronounced like “나레는” because the final ㄹ links to the following vowel.
- Don’t write 아픈날에는; keep a space: 아픈 날에는 (modifier + noun need a space).
- 그만해요 is pronounced just as spelled, with clear syllables: 그-만-해-요.
How would I make this honorific if the subject is someone I should respect?
Use the honorific -시- on the verb when describing their action:
- (그분은) 아픈 날에는 운동을 그만하셔요/그만하세요. For reported speech: 아픈 날에는 운동을 그만하신대요 (“I hear she stops exercising on sick days”).