Word
백화점 입구에 사람이 많아서 안으로 들어가는 데 시간이 걸렸어.baekhwajeom ipgue sarami manhaseo aneuro deureoganeun de sigani geollyeosseo.
Meaning
There were so many people at the department store entrance that it took time to get inside.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of baekhwajeom ipgue sarami manhaseo aneuro deureoganeun de sigani geollyeosseo.
~이~i
subject particle
시간sigan
time
~에~e
location particle
많다manhda
many
Questions & Answers about baekhwajeom ipgue sarami manhaseo aneuro deureoganeun de sigani geollyeosseo.
Why is it 백화점 입구에, not 백화점 입구에서?
Because 에 is the natural particle for the place where a state exists, and 사람이 많다 is a state: there are many people.
So:
- 백화점 입구에 사람이 많다 = There are many people at the department store entrance.
By contrast, 에서 is more commonly used for where an action happens:
- 백화점 입구에서 기다렸어 = I waited at the department store entrance.
In this sentence, the important idea is many people were at the entrance, so 에 fits well.
Why is it 사람이 많아서 and not 사람들이 많아서?
Korean often does not mark plural when it is already obvious.
Since 많다 already means to be many, 사람이 많다 naturally means there are many people. You do not need 들.
So:
- 사람이 많다 = there are many people
- 사람들이 많다 = also possible, but usually less necessary here
Using 이/가 is also very natural because it marks 사람 as the subject of 많다.
Why is it 사람이, not 사람은?