Learn Hardcore Korean: i osi nahante jal eoullyeoyo?

Because with 어울리다 (to suit/match), the thing that suits is the grammatical subject, and the person it suits takes the dative particle (한테/에게). So the clothing gets the subject marker: 이 옷이 나한테 어울려요. Using 을/를 would suggest a direct object, which 어울리다 doesn’t take in this meaning.

What’s the nuance difference between 이 옷이 and 이 옷은?

이 옷이 나한테 잘 어울려요? is a straightforward yes/no question about this outfit.
이 옷은 나한테 잘 어울려요? sets “this outfit” as the topic, often implying contrast or comparison (e.g., compared to another outfit you were just talking about). It can feel like “As for this outfit, does it suit me?”

Why 나한테? Could I use 저한테, 나에게, or 제게 instead?

한테 is common, spoken, and casual/neutral: 나한테 / 저한테.
에게 is more formal or written: 나에게 / 저에게.
내게 / 제게 are contractions of 나에게 / 저에게 and sound a bit literary/formal. With polite endings like -요, it’s more consistent to say 저한테 rather than 나한테, but mixing (나한테 ... 어울려요?) is common in everyday speech.

Is it okay to drop particles?

Yes, in casual speech. You’ll hear 이 옷 나한테 잘 어울려요? or even 이 옷 나한테 잘 어울려? (casual ending). In careful or written Korean, keep the particles: 이 옷이 나한테 잘 어울려요?

Can I change the word order?

Yes. Korean allows flexible word order as long as particles are clear. All of these are natural:

이 옷이 나한테 잘 어울려요?
나한테 이 옷이 잘 어울려요?
이 옷이 잘 나한테 어울려요? (less common, but possible) Keep 잘 right before 어울려요.

Why is it 어울려요 and not 어울리어요?

It’s a regular contraction. 어울리다 + -어요 → 어울리어요 → 어울려요 (ㅣ + 어 → 여). Other forms:

Plain: 어울린다
Past: 어울렸어요
Formal deferential: 어울립니다

What’s the difference between 어울리다 and 맞다?

어울리다: suits/looks good stylistically. 이 색이 저한테 잘 어울려요.
맞다: fits in size/measurement or is “correct.” 이 바지가 저한테 딱 맞아요. You can combine them: 맞고 어울려요 = it fits and looks good.

How do I say it doesn’t suit me (politely and softly)?

Neutral negative: 저한테 안 어울려요.
Softer: 저한테는 잘 안 어울려요. / 별로 안 어울려요.
Formal: 저한테 어울리지 않아요.

Can I use 나랑 with 어울리다 for clothes?

No. 나랑 어울리다 means “to hang out/get along with me.” For clothing, use the dative: 나한테/저한테 어울리다. For people: 둘이 잘 어울려요 can mean “They look good together” (as a couple).

Do I need 잘? What’s the nuance of 잘 어울려요 vs 어울려요?

잘 means “well,” so 잘 어울려요? asks “Does it suit me well?” Without 잘, 어울려요? is a little more neutral. You can also soften the question with 좀: 좀 어울려요?

Is 옷 singular or plural here? Should I say 옷들?

옷 can be singular or plural depending on context; 이 옷 often means “this outfit/this piece of clothing.” 옷들 is rarely needed and can sound unnatural unless you explicitly want to emphasize multiple separate items.

Can I say 이게 저한테 잘 어울려요? What’s the difference from 이 옷이?

Yes. 이게 is “this (thing)” as a pronoun, good when pointing. 이 옷이 names the item as “this clothing/outfit.” Both are natural in shopping or trying-on contexts:

이게 저한테 잘 어울려요?
이 옷이 저한테 잘 어울려요?

How should I pronounce 옷이 and 어울려요?

옷이 is pronounced like “오시” because final ㅅ links to the following vowel: [o-si].
어울려요 sounds like [eo-ul-ryeo-yo]. Keep a smooth glide in -려요.

Is there an honorific form when asking someone respectfully?

Since the grammatical subject is the clothing (옷), you don’t add -시- to 어울리다 in this sentence. Natural polite options:

이 옷이 저한테 잘 어울리나요? (polite question)
이 옷이 선생님께 잘 어울려요. (speaking about someone respected) If you want to honor the person more explicitly, rephrase: 선생님이 입으시니까 잘 어울리네요.

What does 나한테는 add compared to 나한테?

Adding -는 to the dative makes a contrastive topic: 나한테는 “for me (in particular).” Example: 이 색은 나한테는 어울리는데 너한테는 안 어울려.

Is it okay to mix 나 with the -요 ending (polite speech)?

It happens all the time in real conversations, but for consistently polite speech, prefer 저: 저한테 잘 어울려요? With friends, drop -요 and use 나: 나한테 잘 어울려?

Are there other natural ways to ask the same thing?

Yes:

이거 저한테 어울려 보여요? (Does this look like it suits me?)
어때요? 저한테 괜찮아요? (How is it? Is it okay on me?)
More formal: 저한테 어울립니까? / 어울리나요?

Any spacing or spelling gotchas?

나한테 is written together (not “나 한테”).
이 옷이 has a space after 이 (determiner) and before 옷이.
Use the contracted spelling 어울려요, not 어울리어요 in modern writing.