Breakdown of dubuneun naengdongsire neoheo dumyeon orae ga.
Questions & Answers about dubuneun naengdongsire neoheo dumyeon orae ga.
두부는 marks tofu as the topic of the sentence. Using 는 often means “as for tofu…” and can imply a general statement or contrast (e.g., tofu vs. other foods).
- 두부는 = “As for tofu / tofu (in general)…”
- If you used 두부가, it would sound more like you’re focusing on tofu as the specific subject doing something (less “general tip” vibe), and it can feel less like a general rule/advice.
에 marks a destination/location where something is put or exists.
- With 넣다 (to put in), 에 is the standard particle for “into”: 냉동실에 넣다 = “put (it) into the freezer.”
- 냉동실 specifically means the freezer compartment, not the fridge in general.
넣어 두다 is 넣다 (put in) + -어 두다, which means do something and leave it that way (do it in advance / keep it in that state).
- 넣으면 = “if you put it in (at that moment)”
- 넣어 두면 = “if you put it in and leave it there / if you store it there” So this sentence is about storage, not just the act of putting it in once.
-아/어 두다 adds the idea of leaving something done or doing something in advance for later. Examples:
- 문을 열어 두다 = leave the door open
- 음식을 만들어 두다 = make food in advance
- 불을 켜 두다 = leave the light on
In your sentence, 넣어 두다 = “store (by putting in and leaving it).”
-(으)면 means if/when and sets up a condition:
- 넣어 두면 = “if you store it (by putting it in and leaving it)” It can be interpreted as:
- general “if” (a tip/rule), or
- “when” in the sense of “whenever you do that, this happens.”
오래 가다 is a common expression meaning to last a long time (e.g., food, batteries, products).
- 오래 = for a long time
- 가다 here is idiomatic: “to go on / to continue,” so the idea is “it continues for long.”
Korean often uses the plain present to state general truths, habits, and tips. So 오래 가 naturally covers “it lasts / it will last” in a general sense. You can say 오래 갈 거야 (“it will last long”), but it sounds more specific to a situation, not as much like a general storage tip.
Korean frequently drops what’s obvious from context. After 두부는 sets the topic (“as for tofu…”), the rest can omit “it.” So (두부를) 냉동실에 넣어 두면 오래 가 is understood even without repeating tofu as an object.
Grammatically, you could include it:
- 두부는 냉동실에 두부를 넣어 두면… (sounds repetitive)
- More natural: 두부는 냉동실에 넣어 두면 오래 가.
Because 두부는 already establishes tofu as the topic, Korean often omits 두부를 as redundant.
오래 가 is casual/informal (plain style). Polite common versions:
- 두부는 냉동실에 넣어 두면 오래 가요. More formal:
- 두부는 냉동실에 넣어 두면 오래 갑니다.
Both appear in real usage. Spacing can vary, but the meaning is the same:
- 넣어 두면 (more clearly shows the auxiliary 두다)
- 넣어두면 (often written as one chunk in casual writing)
In learning materials, you’ll often see verb + 어/아 + 두다 spaced to make the grammar visible.
Yes, but it changes the meaning:
- 냉동실 = freezer (freezing; usually longer storage)
- 냉장고 = refrigerator (chilled; shorter storage)
So 냉장고에 넣어 두면 오래 가 would be “it lasts longer if you keep it in the fridge,” but the original implies freezing as the key tip.