achimmada seonsaengnimkke insareul haeyo.

I greet the teacher every morning.

Breakdown of achimmada seonsaengnimkke insareul haeyo.

• 하다: to do
• ~를: object particle
• 선생님: teacher
• 아침마다: every morning
• ~께: dative particle
• 인사: greeting

Questions & Answers about achimmada seonsaengnimkke insareul haeyo.

What does the particle 마다 in 아침마다 mean?

마다 attaches to a noun to mean every/each. So 아침마다 means every morning. You can use 마다 with time words and other nouns:

• 주말마다 every weekend
• 달마다 every month
• 사람마다 each person Note: 마다 attaches directly to the noun. Don’t say 아침에마다; just say 아침마다.

Can I say 매일 아침 or 매 아침 instead of 아침마다? Are there differences? Can I say 매일 아침마다?

• 매일 아침 and 아침마다 both mean every morning. 아침마다 can feel a touch more “each and every morning,” but in most contexts they’re interchangeable.
• 매 아침 is acceptable but less common and a bit bookish.
• Don’t combine them: 매일 아침마다/매 아침마다 is redundant and unnatural. Use either 매일 아침 or 아침마다.

Why is it 선생님께 and not 선생님에게 or 선생님한테?

• 께 is the honorific “to” (dative) particle, used for people you should show respect to (teachers, elders, customers, etc.).
• 에게 is neutral and common in writing.
• 한테 is casual and common in speech. With a teacher, 께 is the safest polite choice.

Is 께 only for people? Can I use it for friends or things?

께 is used almost only for honor-worthy people (and sometimes deities: 하느님께). Don’t use 께 for objects or places, and don’t use it for friends; use 한테 or 에게 for those:

• 친구한테/친구에게 to a friend
• 회사에 to a company (place/institution)

Do I need to say 저는 at the start?

No. Korean often drops the subject when it’s clear from context. You can add 저는 for emphasis or contrast (As for me…), but it isn’t required:

• 저는 아침마다 선생님께 인사를 해요. (contrastive or clarifying tone)

What does 인사를 하다 literally mean?

It’s “to do a greeting.” 인사 is the noun greeting, and 하다 means to do. Together they mean to greet (which in Korean culture often includes a bow and/or saying hello).

Should it be 인사를 해요 or 인사해요? Is there any difference?

Both are correct and very common.

• 인사를 하다 treats 인사 as a noun plus the verb 하다; you’ll see the object particle 을/를 (here: 를).
• 인사하다 is the single verb form. Use whichever you prefer. A small nuance:
• When you modify the noun, use the split form: 정중한 인사를 해요.
• When you modify the manner of the action, use the verb form: 정중하게 인사해요. Spacing: 인사해요 (no space) vs. 인사를 해요 (space because of the particle).

What’s a more polite way to say it to a teacher?

Use the humble-giving verb 드리다 with 인사:

• 아침마다 선생님께 인사드립니다. (formal polite)
• 아침마다 선생님께 인사드려요. (polite) You’ll also see the split form: 인사를 드리다. Both 인사드립니다 and 인사를 드립니다 are accepted.

Why is the verb ending 해요? How would it change in other speech levels?

-해요 is the standard polite style for everyday conversation. Other common choices:

• Formal polite: 아침마다 선생님께 인사를 합니다.
• Informal (close friends/younger): 아침마다 선생님께 인사해.
• Plain/written neutral: 아침마다 선생님께 인사한다.

Can I change the word order?

Yes, Korean word order is flexible. Natural options include:

• 아침마다 선생님께 인사를 해요. (most common)
• 선생님께 아침마다 인사를 해요. (also common)
• 아침마다 인사를 선생님께 해요. (okay but less common) Putting the recipient (선생님께) before the object (인사를) is the default.

Is saying 선생님한테 rude?

Not necessarily. In everyday student speech you’ll hear 선생님한테 a lot (e.g., 선생님한테 혼났어요). But when speaking to a teacher or in polite contexts, prefer 선생님께.

Does 인사하다 mean I physically bow, or just say hello?

It can be either or both. In Korean culture, greeting a respected person (like a teacher) often involves a slight bow and/or saying 안녕하세요. 인사하다 covers the culturally appropriate way of greeting in that context.

How do I make this a question or a negative?

• Yes/no question: 아침마다 선생님께 인사를 해요? (just add a rising tone) More formal: … 인사를 하나요?/합니까?
• Negative: 아침마다 선생님께 인사를 안 해요 or … 인사를 하지 않아요. If using the humble form: 인사 안 드려요 / 인사드리지 않아요.

How do I talk about past or future? What about habitual meaning?

• Present (habitual): … 인사를 해요. (means you do it regularly)
• Past: … 인사를 했어요. (you did it; could imply a past habit if context says so)
• Future: … 인사를 할 거예요. To highlight a past habit specifically, you can say: … 인사를 하곤 했어요.

Can I add words like “always,” “surely,” or “first”?

Yes. Place adverbs before the verb phrase:

• 아침마다 항상 선생님께 인사를 해요. (always)
• 아침마다 선생님께 꼭 인사를 해요. (make sure to)
• 아침마다 선생님께 먼저 인사를 해요. (greet first)

Can I use topic markers like 아침마다는 or 선생님께는?

Yes, to add contrast/emphasis:

• 아침마다는 선생님께 인사를 해요. (but maybe not at other times)
• 선생님께는 인사를 해요. (but perhaps not to others) Without a contrast, the plain version (no 는) is more neutral.

What’s the difference between 께 and 께서?

• 께 is the honorific “to” (dative) particle: 선생님께 인사를 해요. (to the teacher)
• 께서 is the honorific subject marker: 선생님께서 오세요. (the teacher comes) Don’t mix them up; they mark different roles in the sentence.