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oneul hoeuineun jinjihaeyo.

오늘 회의는 진지해요.oneul hoeuineun jinjihaeyo.
Today’s meeting is serious.
FromLesson 28inHardcore Korean
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Questions & Answers about oneul hoeuineun jinjihaeyo.

What does the particle 는 do in 회의는?
는 is the topic marker. It sets 오늘 회의 (today’s meeting) as the topic of conversation—“As for today’s meeting…”. It can imply contrast or that the listener already knows what meeting you’re referring to. The comment about that topic is 진지해요 (is serious).
Why is it 는 and not 은 after 회의?

Use 는 after a noun that ends in a vowel and 은 after a noun that ends in a consonant.

  • 회의 ends in a vowel sound, so: 회의는
  • If it were 수업 (class), you’d say: 수업은
Could I use 이/가 instead of 은/는 here? What changes?

Yes, but the nuance shifts.

  • 오늘 회의는 진지해요. Topic focus on “today’s meeting” (possibly contrastive). Neutral, common.
  • 오늘 회의가 진지해요. Subject focus; presents “is serious” as new or emphasized information.
  • 오늘은 회의가 진지해요. “As for today, the meeting is serious,” contrasting with other days.

All are grammatical; choose based on what you want to highlight.

Why isn’t there 이다 (the copula) in this sentence?

진지하다 is a descriptive verb (adjective-like verb). Korean adjectives act as verbs and don’t need 이다. You conjugate it directly: 진지하다 → 진지해요.
Use 이다 only to equate nouns (e.g., 회의는 이벤트예요 = “The meeting is an event”). If you force 이다 here, it becomes ungrammatical.

What politeness level is 진지해요? What are other levels?

-해요 is polite, natural in everyday conversation. Other common levels:

  • Casual: 진지해.
  • Formal/polite: 진지합니다.
  • Honorific imperative (telling someone to be serious): 진지하세요.
How do I say it in past or future?
  • Past: 진지했어요. (It was serious.)
  • Future/prediction: 진지할 거예요. (It will be serious.)
  • Becoming serious: 진지해질 거예요. (It will get/become serious.)
How do I make it negative?

Two natural ways:

  • 진지하지 않아요. (standard)
  • 안 진지해요. (colloquial) To soften it: 별로 진지하지 않아요. (It’s not very serious.)
What’s the nuance of 진지하다 compared to similar words?
  • 진지하다: serious in attitude/manner/tone (neutral). Good for people or atmosphere.
    • 그 사람은 진지해요. (He/She is a serious person.)
  • 심각하다: grave/critical, often negative or heavy.
    • 상황이 심각해요. (The situation is serious/critical.)
  • 엄숙하다: solemn, ceremonious.
    • 분위기가 엄숙해요.
  • 중요하다: important (not “serious” in tone).
    • 회의가 중요해요.
Can I say 오늘의 회의는 진지해요?
Yes, but 오늘의 is more formal or written. In speech, 오늘 회의는 sounds more natural. 오늘의 회의는 진지합니다 fits a formal announcement or written report.
How is 회의는 pronounced?
  • 오늘: roughly “o-neul” [오늘].
  • 회의는: commonly “hoe-i-neun” [회이는]. Everyday speech often realizes 의 here as [이]. You may also hear [훼] for 회.
  • 진지해요: “jin-ji-hae-yo” [진지해요].
    Note: 해요 is the contracted form of older 하여요.
Can I turn it into a question just with intonation?
Yes. 오늘 회의는 진지해요? with rising intonation means “Is today’s meeting serious?” A more formal question form is 진지합니까? or polite 진지한가요?
Is the word order flexible? What about 회의는 오늘 진지해요?
  • 오늘 회의는 진지해요. Most natural for “today’s meeting (as a topic) is serious.”
  • 회의는 오늘 진지해요. Also natural; emphasizes “today” as the time the meeting is serious (possibly in contrast to other days). Avoid 회의 오늘은 진지해요; it sounds awkward.
Why not say 오늘에 회의?

With time words like 오늘, Korean usually omits 에. Use:

  • 오늘 회의 (today’s meeting) or
  • 오늘은 회의가… (as for today, the meeting…) 오늘에 is rare and sounds bookish or unnatural in everyday speech.
If I want to emphasize the atmosphere, how can I say it?

Use 분위기 (atmosphere):

  • 오늘 회의 분위기가 진지해요. (The atmosphere of today’s meeting is serious.)
  • Even stronger: 오늘 회의 분위기가 많이 진지해졌어요. (The atmosphere has become much more serious.)
Why can’t I say 회의를 진지해요?
Descriptive verbs like 진지하다 take subjects/topics, not objects. So use 회의가/회의는 진지해요, not 회의를. The object marker 를/을 marks things acted upon by action verbs.
How can I intensify or soften the tone?
  • Intensify: 정말/아주/매우/너무 진지해요.
    Note: 너무 originally meant “too,” but in conversation it often just means “very.”
  • Soften/hedge: 조금/좀 진지해요., 꽤 진지해요.
How do I say “a serious meeting” (as a noun phrase)?

Use the attributive form: 진지한 회의.

  • Sentence: 오늘은 진지한 회의가 있어요. (There’s a serious meeting today.)
Is the spacing correct?

Yes: 오늘 회의는 진지해요.

  • No space between a noun and its particle: 회의는 (not 회의 는).
  • Don’t merge 오늘 and 회의: not 오늘회의.

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