geu mari ihaedwaeyo.

I understand that.

Breakdown of geu mari ihaedwaeyo.

• ~이: subject particle
• 그: that
• 이해되다: to be understood
• 말: remark

Questions & Answers about geu mari ihaedwaeyo.

Why is it 그 말이 with -이 and not -을/를?

Because 이해되다 is passive/intransitive: “to be understood / to make sense.” With passive verbs, the thing that is understood is the subject, so it takes the subject marker -이/가: 그 말이 이해돼요. If you use the active verb 이해하다 (“to understand”), you mark it as an object: 그 말을 이해해요.

What’s the difference between 이해돼요 and 이해해요?

• 이해돼요 (passive) ≈ “That makes sense / That is understandable.” Focus on the content being understandable.
• 이해해요 (active) ≈ “I understand it.” Focus on your act of understanding.

Both can describe the same situation, but the nuance differs:

• 저는 그 말이 이해돼요 = As for me, that statement makes sense.
• 저는 그 말을 이해해요 = I (actively) understand that statement.

Where is “I” in this sentence? Can I say it explicitly?

Korean often omits obvious subjects. “I” is understood from context. You can add:

• 저는 그 말이 이해돼요. (As for me, that makes sense.)
• For contrast or “to me/us,” you can say 저한테(는) 그 말이 이해돼요.

Avoid using 제가 here with another -이/가 subject; say 저는 (topic) + 그 말이 (subject).

What politeness level is -요 here? What are alternatives?

이해돼요 is standard polite. Alternatives:

• Casual: 이해돼.
• Formal polite: 이해됩니다.
• Very formal/written: 이해됩니다, 이해되었습니다 (past).

Is 되요 ever correct? Why is it spelled 돼요?

Write 돼요, not 되요. It comes from 되- + -어(요) → 되어(요) → contracted to 돼(요). The same applies to other forms:

• 됐어요 (not “되었어요” in everyday speech; the full form is okay in formal writing)
• 돼서, 돼도, 돼요

How do I pronounce the sentence?

• 그 말이 is pronounced roughly “geu ma-ri” (the ㄹ in 말이 links to sound like [마리]).
• 이해돼요 ≈ “i-hae-dwae-yo.” Don’t pronounce it as “되-요”; it’s “dwae-yo.”

Can I use 은/는 instead of 이/가 after 그 말?

Yes, with a nuance:

• 그 말이 이해돼요: Plain statement; that remark is understandable.
• 그 말은 이해돼요: Contrastive/topic; “That one (at least) makes sense,” implying others may not.

Is 그 말이 이해가 돼요 also correct?

Yes. Two very common patterns:

• 그 말이 이해돼요. (The remark is understood.)
• 그게 이해가 돼요. (That becomes understood / That makes sense.) They’re both natural and often interchangeable.

How do I say it in the past or future-like sense?

• Past (you came to understand): 그 말이 이해됐어요. / Active: 그 말을 이해했어요.
• “I think I will/should understand it”: 그 말이 이해될 것 같아요.
• Habitual/generic: 그 말이 보통 이해돼요.

How do I say I don’t understand?

• Most natural: 그 말이 이해가 안 돼요. / 그게 이해가 안 돼요.
• Active inability: 그 말을 이해 못 해요.
• More formal/written: 그 말이 이해되지 않아요. “안” = it doesn’t happen; “못” = I can’t (due to inability/obstacle).

Should I use 말 or the honorific 말씀?

Use 말씀 when referring respectfully to a superior’s words:

• 선생님 말씀이 이해돼요. / Formal: 그 말씀은 이해됩니다. With the active verb: 선생님 말씀을 이해해요. Avoid 당신; it’s rarely appropriate.

Does 그 말 mean a single “word” or “what you said”?

Usually it means “what you said,” “that point/remark.” For a single vocabulary item, say 그 단어, or 그 표현 for “that expression.”

Can I drop particles?

In casual speech, yes: 그 말 이해돼요. But particles add clarity, especially in writing or formal speech. Many people also say 그게 이해돼요, which is very natural.

How flexible is the word order?

Default is pre-verbal: 그 말이 이해돼요. You might hear afterthoughts like 이해돼요, 그 말이, but keep the subject/topic before the verb in neutral statements.

Do I need a space in 이해돼요?

No. Write 이해돼요 as one word. If you use the “가” structure, you write a space: 이해가 돼요 (noun + particle + verb).

What’s the difference between 그 말이 이해돼요 and 그 말이 맞아요?

• 그 말이 이해돼요: “That makes sense / I can follow that.”
• 그 말이 맞아요: “That’s correct / That’s right.” One is about understandability; the other is about correctness/truth.

How do I politely ask “Do you understand?”

Common options:

• 이해되세요? / 이해가 되세요? (polite, common in real life)
• 이해하시겠어요? (more actively, “Will you/Do you think you understand?”)
• Formal: 이해되십니까? / 이해가 되십니까?

Any near-synonyms or useful alternatives?

• 납득이 가요. ≈ “I’m convinced / It’s convincing.” Stronger sense of being persuaded.
• 말씀하신 게 이해돼요. = “What you said makes sense.”
• 그 포인트가 이해돼요. = “That point makes sense.”