Breakdown of oneureun sae sinbarirang yangmareul sago sipeo.
~을~eul
object particle
사다sada
to buy
~은~eun
topic particle
오늘oneul
today
Questions & Answers about oneureun sae sinbarirang yangmareul sago sipeo.
Why does the sentence start with 오늘은 instead of just 오늘?
오늘은 uses the topic particle -은.
- 오늘 = today
- 오늘은 = as for today / today, at least / today specifically
In many sentences, -은/는 adds a sense of topic or contrast. Here, it can feel like:
- Today, I want to buy new shoes and socks.
- possibly with a slight nuance of at least today or as for today
If you said 오늘 새 신발이랑 양말을 사고 싶어, it would still be understandable, but 오늘은 sounds more natural in many everyday contexts because it sets today up as the topic.
Who is the subject of this sentence? I do not see I anywhere.
Korean often leaves out the subject when it is obvious from context.
So in 오늘은 새 신발이랑 양말을 사고 싶어, the implied subject is usually:
- I want to buy new shoes and socks today.
Depending on context, it could sometimes mean someone else, but with -고 싶어, it is most naturally understood as the speaker talking about their own desire.
So Korean does not need to say 나는 here unless the speaker wants emphasis or contrast:
- 나는 오늘은 새 신발이랑 양말을 사고 싶어. = I want to buy new shoes and socks today.
Why is it 새 신발 and not ?