Breakdown of jigeumeun keopi malgo mulman masilgeyo.
물mul
water
마시다masida
to drink
~은~eun
topic particle
커피keopi
coffee
Questions & Answers about jigeumeun keopi malgo mulman masilgeyo.
What does 지금은 mean, and why is 은 used?
지금 means now / at the moment.
은/는 is the topic marker, so 지금은 sets the time frame as the topic: as for now / for the moment.
It often implies a contrast with other times (e.g., later, normally, another day).
Why is the sentence 지금은 커피 말고 물만 마실게요 instead of 지금 커피 말고 물만 마실게요?
Both can work, but they feel slightly different:
- 지금은 ... = As for now, ... (more contrastive; “for now, I’ll do X, not Y”)
- 지금 ... = simply Now, ... (more neutral, less “as for” nuance)
Using 은/는 makes the “for now (not always)” feeling stronger.
How does 말고 work here? Does it mean except or instead of?
A 말고 B commonly means not A, but B / instead of A, B.
So 커피 말고 물만 means not coffee, only water (i.e., choose water rather than coffee).
Related pattern:
- 커피 말고 물 주세요 = Not coffee, (give me) water please.
Why is 물만 used? What does 만 add?