seodulleoya jesigane dochakhaeyo.

You have to hurry to arrive on time.

Breakdown of seodulleoya jesigane dochakhaeyo.

• ~에: time particle
• 도착하다: to arrive
• 서두르다: to hurry
• 제시간: right time
• ~어야: only if

Questions & Answers about seodulleoya jesigane dochakhaeyo.

What does the ending in 서둘러야 mean?

It’s the conditional ending -아/어야, meaning “only if” or “unless.” The pattern X-아/어야 Y means “Only if X happens, Y (can/will) happen.”

• Here: 서둘러야 제시간에 도착해요 ≈ “Only if (we) hurry, (we) arrive on time.”
• This is different from obligation: 서둘러야 해요/돼요 = “I/we have to hurry.”

Where is the subject? Who is hurrying and arriving?

Korean often omits the subject when it’s obvious. It could be “I,” “we,” or “you,” depending on context.

• You can add it for clarity: 저(는)/우리(는)/너(는) 서둘러야 제시간에 도착해요.

Why is 도착해요 in the present tense if it’s talking about the future?

Korean non-past (present) is commonly used for general truths, schedules, or predicted outcomes, especially in conditionals. You can say 도착할 거예요 too, but the simple 도착해요 sounds like a general rule: “Only if we hurry do we (will we) arrive on time.”

Is 서두르다 irregular? How do we get 서둘러야?

Yes, it’s a 르-irregular verb.

• 서두르다
  • -어야 → the ㅡ drops and an extra ㄹ appears: 서둘러야.
• Other forms: 서둘러요 (polite present), 서둘렀어요 (past), 서둘러야 해요/돼요 (must), 서두르자 (let’s hurry).

What politeness level is this? How would I change the tone?

-해요 style is polite-neutral.

• Formal: 서둘러야 제시간에 도착합니다.
• Casual: 서둘러야 제시간에 도착해.
• Express obligation directly: 서둘러야 해요/돼요. (have to)

What exactly does 제시간에 mean? Is it different from 정시에 or 제때?

• 제시간(에) = “at the proper/on-time hour” (as expected or promised); common in everyday speech.
• 정시에 = “on the dot/on schedule”; more formal, often for timetables.
• 제때(에) = “at the right time/in time” (less tied to a specific clock time).
• Spelling: 제시간 is one word; 제- is a prefix meaning “proper/correct” (cf. 제자리, 제대로).

Why is the particle 에 used after 제시간?

에 marks a point in time: “at/on.” So 제시간에 = “on time.”

• Don’t use 에서 (location/from), 으로/로 (direction/method), or 까지 (until/by) here; 에 is the natural choice.

Can I use 빨리 instead of 서둘러?

Yes, with a slightly different nuance.

• 서둘러야 focuses on the act/decision to hurry.
• 빨리 is an adverb meaning “quickly/fast.”
• For example: 빨리 가야 제시간에 도착해요 (We need to go quickly to arrive on time).

Should it be 도착할 수 있어요 instead of 도착해요?

Usually no. In this kind of conditional, Korean often states the result plainly: 도착해요.

• 도착할 수 있어요 emphasizes “ability/possibility” and is more natural when ability is the point: e.g., 서둘러야 마지막 기차를 탈 수 있어요 (We can catch the last train only if we hurry).

Can I rewrite it with -려면?

Yes: 제시간에 도착하려면 서둘러야 해요.

• -려면 = “if (you) intend to/in order to,” making the purpose explicit.
• Original: 서둘러야 제시간에 도착해요 sounds like a general rule/necessity: only if X, Y.

How would I say this about the past or a hypothetical regret?

• Actual past cause: 서둘러서 제시간에 도착했어요. (Because we hurried, we arrived on time.)
• Regret/contrary-to-fact: 서둘렀어야 제시간에 도착했을 텐데요. or 서둘렀다면 제시간에 도착했을 거예요. (If we had hurried, we would have arrived on time.)

How can I make the “only if” feeling stronger or say it negatively?

• Stronger exclusivity: 서둘러야만 제시간에 도착해요.
• Negative conditional: 서두르지 않으면(안 서두르면) 제시간에 도착 못 해요/도착하지 못해요.

Is 도착하다 the only verb I should use here? What about 도달하다?

Use 도착하다 for people/vehicles arriving at places. 도달하다 is more formal/technical and often used for abstract targets (goals/values) or literary style.