Learn Hardcore Korean: uri jibeun yeogirang gakkawo. - My place is close to the station.

은 is the topic marker. It sets “our house” as the topic of conversation: “As for our house, …” It can also carry a slight contrastive nuance (“our house (as opposed to others) is close to the station”).

Using 이 instead (우리 집이) would mark “our house” as the grammatical subject and often feels like you’re identifying or selecting it (“It’s our house that’s close to the station,” e.g., in answer to “Which house is close?”).
Both are possible; 은/는 is about what you’re talking about, 이/가 is about what’s doing/being in the sentence or what’s being singled out.

Why is there 이랑 after 역? Is that the subject particle 이?

Here, 이랑 is a single particle meaning “with/and,” used colloquially to express a relation, including spatial ones. It’s not the subject marker 이. Because 역 ends in a consonant, you use 이랑; after a vowel you’d use 랑 (e.g., 학교랑).

Pattern: [Topic/subject] + [reference point]+(이)랑 + 가깝다 → “X is close to Y.”
More neutral alternatives: 하고 (speech), 와/과 (formal/written).

Can I say 역에 가까워 or 역에서 가까워 instead? What’s the difference?

Yes:

역에 가까워요 = “[It] is close to the station.” (Direct “to” relation; concise and standard)
우리 집에서 역이 가까워요 = “From our house, the station is close.” (Vantage point is ‘from the house’)
우리 집은 역에 가까워요 is very natural too. 이랑 is more casual; 에/에서 are more textbook-neutral.

How polite is 가까워? What should I say to a stranger, teacher, or in writing?

가까워 = casual intimate speech (반말), use with close friends/family.
가까워요 = polite speech for everyday conversation.
가깝습니다 = formal/deferential (announcements, presentations, writing).
Example: 우리 집은 역에 가까워요/가깝습니다.

Why is it 가까워 and not 가깝아? What’s going on with the ㅂ?

가깝다 is a ㅂ-irregular adjective. When adding a vowel (like -아/어), ㅂ changes and you get -워/-워요:

가깝다 → 가까워/가까워요 Other examples:
덥다 → 더워(요) “hot”
춥다 → 추워(요) “cold”
어렵다 → 어려워(요) “difficult”
고맙다 → 고마워(요) (this one uses 오/와 type) The formal non-vowel-adding form keeps ㅂ: 가깝습니다.

Does 우리 집 really mean “my house”? When would I use 저희 집?

Korean often uses 우리 (“our”) to refer to things that are “mine/ours” (home, family, company, school) out of a sense of shared belonging, so 우리 집 typically means “my house” in English. 저희 집 is the humble “our/my house,” used to be extra polite or humble when speaking to someone of higher status or in formal situations.

What exactly does 역 mean? Subway station? Train station? Bus stop?

역 means a rail station (subway or train). If you need to be explicit:

지하철역 = subway station
기차역 = train station Bus stops use a different word:
버스정류장 = bus stop

Is the spacing correct? Why not 우리집은?

Correct spacing is 우리 집은 (space between 우리 and 집). In standard writing, pronouns and the following common nouns are written separately. You’ll see 우리집 informally, but it’s nonstandard. Particles attach without spaces, so 역이랑 is written together.

How do I pronounce the sentence naturally?

우리 집은 역이랑 가까워 ≈ “u-ri ji-beun yeo-gi-rang ga-kka-wo” Notes:
집은 sounds like “지븐” (b/v-like sound between vowels).
역이랑 is pronounced “여기랑” in flow (the ‘k’ links to the following vowel).
가까워 has a tense kk sound (ㄲ): “ga-kka-wo.”

How can I rephrase it to put “the station” as the topic/subject?

역은 우리 집이랑 가까워요. (“As for the station, it’s close to our house.”)
역이 우리 집에서 가까워요. (“The station is close from our house [vantage].”)
우리 집 근처에 역이 있어요. (“There’s a station near our house.”)

What are some other natural ways to say something is close?

우리 집은 역에 가까워요. (adjective: 가깝다)
우리 집은 역 근처예요. / 역 근처에 있어요. (noun: 근처 “vicinity”)
역이 가까이 있어요. (adverb: 가까이 “nearby”)
역까지 걸어서 10분 거리예요. (“It’s a 10-minute walk to the station.”)

How do I add distance or time information?

Common patterns:

집에서 역까지 걸어서 10분 걸려요. (“It takes 10 minutes on foot from home to the station.”)
역이 차로 5분 거리예요. (“The station is a 5-minute drive away.”)
집이 역에서 300미터 정도예요. (“Home is about 300 meters from the station.”)

Is using 이랑 for places standard or too casual? What should I use in formal contexts?

Using (이)랑 with relational adjectives like 가깝다, 비슷하다, 다르다, 친하다 is colloquial and very common in speech. In formal contexts (writing, announcements), prefer:

에: 우리 집은 역에 가깝습니다.
와/과: 우리 집은 역과 가깝습니다.

Can I drop some particles in casual speech?

Yes, particles are often omitted in casual conversation if the meaning is clear:

우리 집(은) 역(이)랑 가까워. (Sounds natural in speech.) For clear, careful Korean—especially when learning—keep the particles.

Can I use 한테/에게 with 가깝다 to mean “close to”?

No. 한테/에게 mark an indirect object (usually people/animate) and don’t express spatial proximity. For “close to,” use 에, (이)랑/하고, or 와/과 depending on register:

우리 집은 역에 가깝다 / 역이랑 가깝다 / 역과 가깝다.