Breakdown of bi omyeon waipaiga jakku kkeojyeo.
~가~ga
subject particle
~면~myeon
when
비bi
rain
오다oda
to rain
꺼지다kkeojida
to turn off
와이파이waipai
Wi‑Fi
자꾸jakku
repeatedly
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Questions & Answers about bi omyeon waipaiga jakku kkeojyeo.
Why is there no subject particle in "비 오면"? Shouldn’t it be "비가 오면"?
Both are fine. In everyday speech, the subject particle -이/가 is often dropped when the meaning is clear.
- 비 오면 = casual/colloquial, very common in speech.
- 비가 오면 = a bit more explicit or careful; common in writing or neutral/polite speech. Meaning-wise, there’s no real difference here.
Does -면 mean “if” or “when/whenever” here?
It can be either, depending on context. In 비 오면 와이파이가 자꾸 꺼져, it’s best read as “whenever/when,” describing a habitual result.
- Conditional “if”: 비 오면 집에 있을게 (If it rains, I’ll stay home).
- Habitual “whenever”: 비 오면 와이파이가 자꾸 꺼져 (Whenever it rains, the Wi‑Fi keeps turning off).
How is -면 different from -니까 or -(으)ㄹ 때?
- -(으)면: if/when/whenever (condition or habitual trigger). Example: 비 오면 전화해.
- -(으)니까: because/since (explicit cause). Example: 비 오니까 우산 가져가 (Because it’s raining, take an umbrella).
- -(으)ㄹ 때: when/at the time (time frame). Example: 비 올 때 운전 조심해 (Be careful driving when it’s raining—during that time).
What exactly does 자꾸 mean? How is it different from 자주, 계속, 맨날/항상?
- 자꾸: repeatedly/again and again, often with annoyance. Perfect for problems that keep happening. 와이파이가 자꾸 꺼져 suggests irritation.
- 자주: often/frequently (neutral). 와이파이가 자주 꺼져 = it happens often, not necessarily annoying.
- 계속: continuously/constantly (ongoing without stopping). Better for uninterrupted actions (e.g., 비가 계속 와). With “turn off,” 계속 꺼져 can sound odd unless you mean “it keeps staying off.”
- 맨날/항상: always. 맨날 is casual; 항상 is neutral. 비 오면 항상 끊겨 = it always cuts out.
Does 꺼져 mean “Go away!”? Is that rude here?
꺼져! said to a person is a very rude “Get lost!” But in this sentence, 꺼져 is the intransitive verb form of 꺼지다 (“to turn off/go out”) and simply means “(it) turns off.” Context and subject (와이파이가) make it clear there’s no insult.
What’s the difference between 끄다 and 꺼지다? Why is 와이파이가 marked with -가, not -을/를?
- 끄다 (transitive): to turn something off. Takes an object. Example: 와이파이를 꺼 (Turn off the Wi‑Fi).
- 꺼지다 (intransitive/passive): something turns off/goes out (by itself or as a result). Takes a subject. Example: 와이파이가 꺼져 (The Wi‑Fi turns off). Hence 와이파이가 uses the subject marker -가, not the object marker -을/를.
Is “와이파이가 자꾸 꺼져” the most natural way to say the connection keeps dropping?
It’s okay, but nuance matters:
- If you mean the router or Wi‑Fi function literally powers off, 꺼져 is right: 비 오면 공유기가 자꾸 꺼져 (The router keeps turning off when it rains).
- If you mean the connection cuts out, 끊기다 is more natural: 비 오면 와이파이가 자꾸 끊겨 or 인터넷이 자꾸 끊겨 (the internet keeps cutting out).
- For weak signal: 와이파이 신호가 약해져 (the Wi‑Fi signal gets weak).
How do I make the sentence polite or formal?
- Polite: 비(가) 오면 와이파이가 자꾸 꺼져요.
- Formal: 비(가) 오면 와이파이가 자꾸 꺼집니다. Avoid 꺼지세요 for devices; that sounds like “Please get lost” to a person.
Is it okay to write “비오면” as one word? What about “비가오면”?
Standard spacing keeps the noun and verb separate:
- Preferred: 비가 오면 (most standard) or 비 오면 (casual, still standard).
- 비오면 is common in texting but not standard in careful writing.
- Don’t write 비가오면 (no space at all)—that’s nonstandard.
Why use 와이파이가 with -가 and not 와이파이는 with -는?
- 와이파이가 (-가): marks it as the grammatical subject; feels like you’re presenting a fact/new info.
- 와이파이는 (-는): topicalizes/contrasts (“as for the Wi‑Fi…”). Useful if contrasting with something else: 비 오면 와이파이는 꺼지고 데이터는 괜찮아 (When it rains, the Wi‑Fi turns off, but mobile data is fine).
How do you pronounce the whole sentence?
Romanization: bi omyeon waipai-ga jakku kkeojyeo
- 비 오면: [bi o-myeon] (link smoothly; no extra ‘g’ sound).
- 와이파이가: [waipai-ga].
- 자꾸: [jakku] with a strong double k sound.
- 꺼져: [kkeo-jyeo], initial kk is tense; ㅣ+어 → 여 gives “-jyeo.”
How do you form -(으)면? Any gotchas?
- If the stem ends in a vowel: add -면. 오다 → 오면, 가다 → 가면.
- If the stem ends in a consonant: add -으면. 먹다 → 먹으면.
- ㅂ-irregular adjectives/verbs change ㅂ → 우 before a vowel: 춥다 → 추우면, 돕다 → 도우면. This sentence uses the regular 오다 → 오면.
How can I emphasize “every single time it rains”?
Use any of:
- 비 올 때마다 와이파이가 자꾸 꺼져. (Every time it rains…)
- 비만 오면 와이파이가 자꾸 꺼져. (As soon as it rains, it [only then] keeps turning off.)
- 비 오기만 하면 와이파이가 자꾸 꺼져. (Whenever it rains—even the slightest—it keeps turning off.) These all heighten the “each/every time” feeling.
How does Korean express “keeps -ing” without a special verb form?
Korean often uses adverbs and context for habitual repetition:
- 자꾸
- verb: 자꾸 꺼져 (keeps turning off, again and again). For continuous ongoing actions, 계속 is used: 계속 울려 (it keeps ringing nonstop). Here, because “turn off” is a repeated event, 자꾸 is the natural choice.