Learn Hardcore Korean: beoseuga sip bun hue chulbalhaeyo.

가/이 marks the grammatical subject and often introduces new or specific information. 버스가 emphasizes that it is the bus that will depart (as factual info).
는/은 sets a topic or contrast. 버스는 십 분 후에 출발해요 would mean “As for the bus, it leaves in 10 minutes,” possibly contrasting it with something else. Both are grammatically fine; choose based on emphasis and context.

Why 가 and not 이 after 버스?

Use 가 after a vowel-final noun and 이 after a consonant-final noun. 버스 ends in a vowel sound, so it takes 가.

Why is it 십 분 and not 열 분?

For minutes, Korean uses Sino-Korean numbers, so 10 minutes is 십 분.
Be careful: 열 분 usually means “ten people” (with 분 as the honorific counter for people), not 10 minutes.

Should it be written 십 분 or 십분?

When the number is written in words, standard spacing is to separate the number and the counter: 십 분.
When using digits, the counter attaches: 10분. You’ll commonly see either 십 분 or 10분, but not “10 분.”

Can I drop 에 and say 십 분 후 출발해요?

In full sentences, 후에 is more natural: 십 분 후에 출발해요.
Without 에 (i.e., 후), it sounds like headline/notice style or very clipped speech: e.g., signs reading 10분 후 출발.

What’s the nuance difference between 후에, 뒤에, and 이후에?

후에: neutral/standard “after (time).”
뒤에: also “after,” but slightly more colloquial; it can also mean “behind (space).”
이후에: “after that/thereafter,” a bit more formal/written and often used for longer time frames or in official contexts. In this sentence, 후에 or 뒤에 both work; 후에 is the safest default.

Where can the time phrase go? Is 십 분 후에 버스가 출발해요 okay?

Yes. Common orders:

버스가 십 분 후에 출발해요 (subject + time + verb)
십 분 후에 버스가 출발해요 (time-fronted for emphasis) Putting the time at the very end (버스가 출발해요 십 분 후에) is not standard in careful speech, though you might hear it for afterthought emphasis.

Why is the “present” 출발해요 used for a future event?

Korean “present” often functions as non-past and is used for scheduled or near-future events when a time expression makes the timing clear.
If you want to emphasize prediction/intention, use 출발할 거예요 (“will depart”).

How does politeness change the verb form?

Polite informal: 출발해요 (friendly, everyday polite)
Polite formal (announcements): 출발합니다
Very formal/commitment: 출발하겠습니다
Casual: 출발해 (to close friends, juniors)

How do you pronounce 십 분 and the whole phrase naturally?

십 분 is pronounced with tensification of ㅂ: roughly like “ship-ppun.”
Full sentence: 버스가 십 분 후에 출발해요 ≈ “beo-seu-ga ship-ppun hu-e chul-bal-hae-yo.” That doubled p-sound is normal and expected.

Can I omit the subject and just say 십 분 후에 출발해요?

Yes. Korean often drops the subject when it’s clear from context. In a bus context, listeners will infer “the bus.”

How do I say “in about 10 minutes”?

Several options:

십 분쯤 후에 출발해요
약 10분 후에 출발해요
Colloquial: 한 10분 후에 출발해요

What’s the difference between 10분 후에 and 10분 안에?

10분 후에: “after 10 minutes” (at the 10-minute mark).
10분 안에 / 10분 이내(에): “within 10 minutes” (any time before the 10-minute limit).

How do I say “It leaves at 3:10” versus “sometime after 3”?

Exact time: 세 시 십 분에 출발해요 (3:10).
Unspecific “after 3”: 세 시 후에 출발해요 (sometime after 3, not exact). If you really mean 10 minutes after 3, just say 세 시 십 분에.

Is 출발하다 the only option? What about 떠나다?

출발하다 is “to depart (set off),” common for vehicles/schedules.
떠나다 is “to leave (a place),” broader and more personal.
For buses/trains, 출발하다 is the default. 버스가 십 분 후에 떠나요 is understandable but less standard in an announcement-like context.

What is the dictionary form of 출발해요, and how is it built?

Dictionary form: 출발하다 (a Sino-Korean noun 출발 “departure” + 하다 “to do”).
출발해요 is the polite present form built from the stem 출발하-
- -여요 → contracted to -해요.

Could I accidentally say something like “ten people leave” with this wording?

Not with 십 분. That means “10 minutes.” The honorific counter for people is also 분, but it pairs with native numbers: 한/두/세/…/열 분.
So:

십 분 = 10 minutes (Sino-Korean number)
열 분 = 10 people (honorific counter)