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i gireul ttara georeumyeon jipkkaji orae geollyeoyo.

이 길을 따라 걸으면 집까지 오래 걸려요.i gireul ttara georeumyeon jipkkaji orae geollyeoyo.
If you walk along this road, it takes a long time to get home.
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Questions & Answers about i gireul ttara georeumyeon jipkkaji orae geollyeoyo.

What is the basic grammar pattern of this sentence?

It’s essentially:

  • (N을/를) 따라 V-으면, N까지 오래 걸려요 Meaning:
  • If you V along N, it takes a long time until/to N. So: 이 길을 따라 걸으면 (if you walk along this road) + 집까지 오래 걸려요 (it takes a long time to get home).
Why is 길 marked with 을 in 이 길을?

Because 따라 often takes an object marked by 을/를:

  • 길을 따라 = along the road
  • 강을 따라 = along the river
    So 이 길을 is the thing you are following.
What does 따라 mean here, and is it a verb?

Here 따라 means along / following (like along a route).
It comes from the verb 따르다 (to follow), but in patterns like N을/를 따라, it functions like a postposition-ish helper meaning along / following.

What does -으면 in 걸으면 mean?

-으면/면 is a conditional meaning if/when.

  • 걸으면 = if you walk / when you walk
    It implies: given that condition, the result happens.
Why is it 걸으면 and not 걸면?

Both can be used in speech, but:

  • Standard formation is 걷다 → 걸으면 (adding -으면 after a consonant-ending stem)
  • In casual speech, people sometimes shorten 걸으면 → 걸면, but 걸으면 is more clearly standard and a bit more neutral.
What does 집까지 mean exactly? Is it only until you reach home?

까지 means up to / as far as / until. So 집까지 means (all the way) to home or until home (destination).
In this sentence it naturally means to get home.

Why is there no word for it or the trip as the subject?

Korean often omits the subject when it’s obvious from context.
Here, the implied subject is something like:

  • (집까지 가는 데/시간이) 오래 걸려요
    Meaning: (Getting to home / the time to get home) takes a long time.
What does 오래 do in this sentence?

오래 is an adverb meaning for a long time / a long while.
With 걸리다 (to take time), 오래 means it takes a long time:

  • 오래 걸려요 = it takes a long time
How does 걸리다 work here? I thought it meant to be caught or to hang.

걸리다 has multiple meanings. One very common meaning is:

  • (시간이) 걸리다 = to take (time)
    So 오래 걸려요 is the everyday way to say it takes a long time.
Why is it 걸려요 and not 걸립니다 or 걸려요?

걸려요 is the polite casual style (해요체), used a lot in conversation.
Other options:

  • 오래 걸립니다 = more formal (합니다체)
  • 오래 걸려요? = turns it into a question: Does it take a long time?
Could I also say 이 길로 걸으면 instead of 이 길을 따라 걸으면?

Yes, but the nuance changes slightly:

  • 이 길로 걸으면 = if you walk via/by this road (route-focused)
  • 이 길을 따라 걸으면 = if you walk along this road (following the road’s line, more like along it)
    Both can be natural depending on context.
Is 걸으면 specifically walking, or could it mean going in general?

걷다 is specifically to walk. So 걸으면 means if you walk (on foot).
If you want a general if you go, you might use:

  • 가면 = if you go
    Example: 이 길로 가면 집까지 오래 걸려요 (If you go this way, it takes a long time to get home.)
How would I emphasize that it takes a long time compared to other routes?

Common ways:

  • Add 좀 / 꽤 / 너무:
    • 좀 오래 걸려요 = it takes somewhat long
    • 꽤 오래 걸려요 = it takes quite long
    • 너무 오래 걸려요 = it takes too long
  • Or compare explicitly:
    • 다른 길보다 오래 걸려요 = it takes longer than other routes