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namjaga doseogwaneseo chaegeul ilgeoyo.

남자가 도서관에서 책을 읽어요.namjaga doseogwaneseo chaegeul ilgeoyo.
A man reads a book at the library.
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Questions & Answers about namjaga doseogwaneseo chaegeul ilgeoyo.

What does the particle in bold do in 남자가?
  • -이/가 is the subject marker. It marks the grammatical subject of the sentence.
  • You choose -가 after a noun ending in a vowel (남자 + 가 → 남자가), and -이 after a consonant (학생 + 이 → 학생이).
  • Using -이/가 often presents the subject as new, specific information in the sentence.
When would you use 남자는 instead of 남자가, and how does that change the nuance?
  • -은/는 is the topic marker; it sets up what you’re talking about, often with a contrast or general/habitual nuance.
  • 남자가 = “A/The man (as the specific subject) …”
  • 남자는 = “As for the man, … (he, in contrast to others, or as a general topic)”
  • Example nuance:
    • 남자가 도서관에서 책을 읽어요. → Introducing the man as the subject who reads at the library.
    • 남자는 도서관에서 책을 읽어요. → As for the man, he (habitually/characteristically) reads at the library, possibly contrasting with someone else.
Does 도서관에서 mean “at the library” or “from the library”?
  • 에서 marks the location where an action takes place, so with an action verb like 읽어요 (to read), it means “at (the place).”
  • With movement/exit verbs (나오다, 떠나다, 오다), 에서 can mean “from.”
    • Example: 도서관에서 나왔어요. = “(I) came out from the library.”
What’s the difference between 에 and 에서?
  • 에:
    • Static location/existence: 도서관에 있어요 (I am at the library).
    • Destination: 도서관에 가요 (I go to the library).
  • 에서:
    • Location of an action: 도서관에서 읽어요 (I read at the library).
    • Source “from”: 도서관에서 나와요 (come out from the library).
Why is it 책을 and not 책를?
  • -을/를 is the object marker. After a consonant, use -을; after a vowel, use -를.
    • 책(ㄱ, consonant) + 을 → 책을
    • 사과(ㅏ, vowel) + 를 → 사과를
Can these particles be dropped in everyday speech?
  • Often, yes—especially the object marker and sometimes the subject marker when context is clear.
  • You might hear: 남자 도서관에서 책 읽어요.
  • However, keep them when clarity is needed (new information, complex sentences, or formal writing/speech).
Does 읽어요 mean “reads” or “is reading”?
  • Both are possible. Korean present polite (-어요) can express:
    • Habitual/general present: “reads”
    • Current action given context or time words: “is reading”
  • Context words clarify:
    • 지금 도서관에서 책을 읽어요. = “(He) is reading now.”
    • 보통 도서관에서 책을 읽어요. = “(He) usually reads at the library.”
How do I say “is reading” more explicitly?
  • Use the progressive: 읽고 있어요.
    • 남자가 도서관에서 책을 읽고 있어요. = “The man is (currently) reading a book at the library.”
What are more formal or more casual versions of the verb form?
  • Plain dictionary form: 읽다.
  • Polite informal (current sentence): 읽어요.
  • Casual: 읽어.
  • Formal polite: 읽습니다.
  • Past: 읽었어요; Future: 읽을 거예요.
How do you pronounce 읽어요 and the whole phrase naturally?
  • 읽어요 is pronounced roughly as [일거요] (romanized: ilgeoyo).
  • Due to liaison, 책을 sounds like [채글] (chaegeul).
  • Together: 책을 읽어요 → [채글 일거요].
  • Full sentence: 남자가 도서관에서 책을 읽어요 → (romanized) namjaga doseogwan-eseo chaegeul ilgeoyo.
Can the word order change in Korean?
  • Korean is flexible with word order, but the verb usually stays at the end.
  • Variants (all grammatical, with different emphasis):
    • 남자가 도서관에서 책을 읽어요. (neutral)
    • 도서관에서 남자가 책을 읽어요. (emphasizes location)
    • 남자가 책을 도서관에서 읽어요. (emphasizes that the reading happens at the library)
    • 책을 남자가 도서관에서 읽어요. (emphasizes the object “book”)
  • Particles keep roles clear when you reorder.
How do I express plurals like “books”? Is 책들 needed?
  • Korean often omits plural marking when it’s obvious from context.
  • 책들 exists but is used when you need to stress plurality.
  • More natural is to count with classifiers:
    • 책을 두 권 읽어요. = “(He) reads two books.”
How do I say “a man” or “the man” in Korean?
  • Korean has no articles. 남자 can mean “a man” or “the man” depending on context.
  • To highlight “a certain/one (specific) man,” you can use 한 남자.
  • To refer back to a previously mentioned man, you might use 그 남자 (“that man”).
How do I negate the sentence?
  • Two common ways:
    • 안
      • verb: 남자가 도서관에서 책을 안 읽어요. = “The man doesn’t read (a book) at the library.”
    • -지 않다: 남자가 도서관에서 책을 읽지 않아요.
  • For inability: 못 읽어요 = “cannot read.”
How do I turn this into a question?
  • Yes/no with rising intonation: 남자가 도서관에서 책을 읽어요?
  • Information questions:
    • Who: 누가 도서관에서 책을 읽어요? (note: 누구 + 가 → 누가)
    • Where: 어디에서(어디서) 책을 읽어요?
    • What: 무엇을(뭘) 읽어요?
What’s the difference between 읽다 and 보다 with books?
  • 읽다 specifically means “to read.”
  • 보다 primarily means “to see/watch,” but with 책, many Koreans also say 책을 봐요 to mean “read a book” in everyday speech. Both are common; 읽다 is the precise “read.”
Can I add emphasis like “at the library (not elsewhere)”?
  • Yes, add a topic marker to the location:
    • 도서관에서는 책을 읽어요. = “At the library (at least), (he) reads (books).” This often implies contrast with other places.
  • You can also topicalize the object: 책은 읽어요 (as for books, (he) reads them).
Is the spacing correct?
  • Yes. Particles attach to the preceding word with no space:
    • 남자
      • 가, 도서관
        • 에서, 책
          • 을.
  • The correct spacing is: 남자가 도서관에서 책을 읽어요.
Is 남자 always appropriate, or should I use a more polite term?
  • 남자 is neutral (“man, male”). In polite reference to an unknown adult male, you may hear 남자분 (“gentleman”), and with an honorific subject marker: 남자분께서. In this simple descriptive sentence, 남자 is fine.