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i chaegi saenggakgwa dallaseo hwanbureul yocheonghaesseoyo.

이 책이 생각과 달라서 환불을 요청했어요.i chaegi saenggakgwa dallaseo hwanbureul yocheonghaesseoyo.
This book was different from what I thought, so I requested a refund.
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Questions & Answers about i chaegi saenggakgwa dallaseo hwanbureul yocheonghaesseoyo.

What does the subject marker in 이 책이 do? Could I use 은 instead?
  • 이 책이 marks “this book” as the grammatical subject of the clause (이 책이 … 달라서).
  • 이 책은 makes “this book” the topic and adds a contrastive/as-for nuance.
  • Both are possible:
    • 이 책이 생각과 달라서 환불을 요청했어요. (Neutral: this book is different, so…)
    • 이 책은 생각과 달라서 환불을 요청했어요. (As for this book, since it’s different, I requested a refund—implies contrast with other books or expectations.)
Why is it 달라서 and not something like 다라서? How does 다르다 conjugate?
  • 다르다 is an “르-irregular” verb. With endings starting in 아/어, the 르 changes: you add ㄹ to the previous syllable and change 르 to 라/러.
  • Key forms:
    • A/어-seo (because): 달라서
    • Polite present: 달라요
    • Past: 달랐어요
    • Formal: 다릅니다
    • Attributive (before nouns): 다른 (e.g., 다른 책)
  • Note: With endings not starting with 아/어, no change: 다르니까, 다를 때.
What does -아서/어서 express here? How is it different from -니까 or 때문에?
  • -아서/어서 gives a soft, neutral reason: “because/so.”
    • 이 책이 생각과 달라서 환불을 요청했어요.
  • -니까 is more explicit/justificatory and sometimes sounds firmer:
    • 이 책이 생각과 다르니까 환불을 요청했어요.
  • -기 때문에 is heavier/more formal/objective:
    • 이 책이 생각과 다르기 때문에 환불을 요청했어요. All are acceptable; choose based on tone and formality.
Whose “thought” is 생각 in 생각과 달라서? Why isn’t it marked?
  • By default, 생각 here implies the speaker’s thought/expectation: “different from what I thought (expected).”
  • You can make it explicit:
    • 제 생각과 달라서…
    • 제가 생각했던 것과 달라서…
    • Or use a near-synonym: 기대와 달라서… (“different from my expectations”).
Why is 과 used after 생각? Could I use 와/하고/랑/이랑?
  • 다르다 takes “N + 와/과/하고/랑/이랑” to mark what something is different from.
  • Choice and register:
    • Formal/neutral: 와/과 (after consonant: 과, vowel: 와) → 생각과 달라요.
    • Neutral: 하고 → 생각하고 달라요.
    • Casual: (이)랑 → 생각이랑 달라요.
  • Don’t use 에: 생각에 다르다 is incorrect.
  • Pronunciation tip: 생각과 is pronounced [생각꽈] due to tensification.
Is 생각과 달라서 the same as 생각보다 달라서 or 생각과 다르게?
  • 생각과 달라서: “because it’s different from (what I) thought.” Focus on mismatch itself.
  • 생각보다 달라서: “because it’s (more/less) different than I thought.” The 보다 adds a comparative “than expected” feel; often used to talk about degree.
  • 생각과 다르게: adverbial “differently from what (I) thought,” used to modify how something happens:
    • 생각과 다르게 내용이 전개돼요. (“The content unfolds differently from what I thought.”)
Can I say 생각과는 달라서? What does -는 add?
  • Yes. N과는 다르다 adds a contrastive emphasis: “it’s (indeed) different from N.”
  • 이 책이 생각과는 달라서 환불을 요청했어요. sounds a bit stronger than 생각과 달라서.
Why is the subject “I” omitted? Is that normal?
  • Korean frequently drops obvious subjects. Here, the speaker is clear from context and the verb 요청했어요.
  • You can include it:
    • Topic: 저는 이 책이 생각과 달라서 환불을 요청했어요.
    • Subject: 제가 이 책이 생각과 달라서 환불을 요청했어요. (two clauses, each with its own subject: “I” requested; “this book” is different.)
What’s the difference between 환불을 요청했어요, 환불받았어요, 환불했어요, and 환불해 달라고 했어요?
  • 환불을 요청했어요: “I requested a refund.” (asked them; result not stated)
  • 환불받았어요: “I received/got a refund.” (result achieved)
  • 환불했어요: “I refunded (it).” Usually from the seller’s perspective; from a buyer, it can sound odd/ambiguous.
  • 환불해 달라고 했어요: “I asked (them) to refund (to/for me).” More colloquial and explicit about asking a favor; similar outcome to 요청했어요.
Is 요청하다 too formal? What are natural alternatives like 부탁하다, 신청하다, or 요구하다?
  • 요청하다: neutral-formal “request.” Very common in customer service.
  • 부탁하다: “ask a favor” (softer, personal). E.g., 환불 부탁드려요.
  • 신청하다: “apply for” (procedural). E.g., 환불 신청했어요 is common on apps/sites (“submitted a refund request”).
  • 요구하다: “demand” (strong). Use when insisting on a right: 환불을 요구했어요.
  • 문의하다: “inquire/ask a question,” not a request itself.
Why 환불을 요청했어요 and not 환불 요청했어요? Is 환불 요청을 했어요 okay?
  • All appear in real usage, but:
    • Most natural: 환불을 요청했어요.
    • Also fine: 환불 요청을 했어요. (treats 환불 요청 as a noun phrase)
    • UI/colloquial shortcut: 환불 요청했어요 (particle omitted; widely seen but less textbooky).
  • For careful writing, prefer 환불을 요청했어요 or 환불 요청을 했어요.
How do I say who I requested it from?
  • Use 에게/한테 for people; 에 for places/organizations:
    • 직원에게/직원한테 환불을 요청했어요.
    • 고객센터에 환불을 요청했어요.
    • Honorific: 직원분께 환불을 요청드렸어요.
How would this change in very formal or very casual speech?
  • Very formal: 이 책이 생각과 달라서 환불을 요청했습니다.
  • Polite request style: … 환불해 주시겠어요? / 환불 부탁드립니다. / 환불해 주시기 바랍니다.
  • Casual: … 환불을 요청했어. / … 환불해 달라고 했어.
Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?
  • 이 책이 → [이 채기] (ㄱ + ㅇ liaison makes “기” sound)
  • 생각과 → [생각꽈] (tensification)
  • 환불을 → [환부를] (ㄹ liaison)
  • 했어요 in 요청했어요 → [해써요]
  • 달라서 → [달라서] (as written)
Can I put the reason after the main clause?
  • Yes, Korean often puts the reason first, but you can say:
    • 환불을 요청했어요. 이 책이 생각과 달라서요.
    • Or: 환불을 요청했어요. 왜냐하면 이 책이 생각과 달랐거든요. (conversational explanation)