Breakdown of saebyeok baedareun baedalbiga byeollo an ssa.
~가~ga
subject particle
~은~eun
topic particle
안an
not
싸다ssada
cheap
Questions & Answers about saebyeok baedareun baedalbiga byeollo an ssa.
What does the particle 은 in 새벽 배달은 do here?
은/는 marks the topic. It frames what you’re talking about: “as for early-morning delivery.” It often implies contrast with other possibilities (e.g., regular daytime delivery). So the sentence sets up a topic and then comments on it.
Why are both 은 and 가 used (topic and subject) in the same sentence?
This is a very common topic–comment structure in Korean:
- Topic: 새벽 배달은 (as for early-morning delivery)
- Comment’s subject: 배달비가 (the delivery fee)
- Predicate: 별로 안 싸 (is not particularly cheap) Korean frequently combines a topic-marked phrase with a subject-marked noun inside the comment.
Could I say 새벽 배달이 배달비가… instead?
No. Two subjects like that sound unnatural. If you want a possessive relationship, you could say:
- 새벽 배달의 배달비가 별로 안 싸요. (the delivery fee of early-morning delivery…) But the original topic–comment style (새벽 배달은 … 배달비가 …) is more idiomatic.
What’s the nuance difference between 안 싸 and 비싸다?
- 안 싸다 = “not cheap.” It’s softer and leaves room for “maybe it’s not super expensive, but it’s definitely not cheap.”
- 비싸다 = “expensive.” It’s more direct and stronger. Using 별로 안 싸 specifically adds “not particularly/especially cheap.”