Questions & Answers about beoseuga sip bun hue chulbalhaeyo.
Why is the subject marked with 가 here? Could I use 는 instead?
- 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 , but not “10 분.”