miyongsireseoneun meorireul jareugo naseo deuraieoro baro mallyeo jwoyo.

Questions & Answers about miyongsireseoneun meorireul jareugo naseo deuraieoro baro mallyeo jwoyo.

Why does 미용실에서는 have both 에서 and ?

Because each part is doing a different job:

  • 미용실 = hair salon
  • 에서 = marks the place where an action happens
  • = adds topic/contrast

So 미용실에서는 means something like:

  • at a hair salon, as for there...
  • or in a hair salon, they...

The often gives a slight contrastive feeling, as if the speaker is saying at hair salons, this is what happens.

A shorter spoken form is 미용실에선.


Why is it 머리를 자르다? Doesn't 머리 mean head?

Yes, 머리 literally means head, but in Korean it is also very commonly used to mean hair, especially in everyday expressions.

So:

  • 머리를 자르다 = to cut one’s hair
  • 머리를 감다 = to wash one’s hair
  • 머리를 말리다 = to dry one’s hair

This is very natural Korean. Native speakers usually do not need to say a separate word meaning hair in these common situations.


What does 자르고 나서 mean exactly?

-고 나서 means after doing ..., emphasizing that one action happens first and the next action happens afterward.

So:

  • 자르다 = to cut
  • 자르고 나서 = after cutting

It shows sequence clearly:

  1. cut the hair
  2. then dry it

It is very common when describing steps in order.


Why is it 자르고 나서, not 자른 나서?

Because -고 나서 attaches to the verb stem.

  • verb: 자르다
  • stem: 자르-
    • 고 나서
  • result: 자르고 나서

You do not use the modifier form here.
자른 is an adjective-like form meaning cut or that was cut, so it would not fit with 나서.


Could this sentence use 잘라서 instead of 자르고 나서?

Yes, 잘라서 is possible in many contexts, but the nuance is a little different.

  • 자르고 나서 = explicitly after cutting
  • 잘라서 = cut and then... / because having cut...

In this sentence, 자르고 나서 sounds very natural because the speaker is describing a clear step-by-step procedure at a salon.

So:

  • 머리를 자르고 나서 드라이어로 바로 말려 줘요.
    = more clearly sequential

A version with 잘라서 may sound a bit more compressed.


Why is 드라이어로 used? What does -로 mean here?

Here -로 marks the means or tool used to do something.

  • 드라이어 = dryer / blow dryer
  • 드라이어로 = with a dryer / using a dryer

So 드라이어로 말려요 means they dry it with a dryer.

This use of -로 is very common for tools and methods:

  • 가위로 자르다 = cut with scissors
  • 손으로 하다 = do it by hand
  • 버스로 가다 = go by bus

What is the function of 바로 in this sentence?

바로 means right away, immediately, or directly.

So it tells you that after the haircut, they do not wait long:

  • cut the hair
  • then immediately dry it with a dryer

It adds a sense of promptness and smooth sequence.


Why is it 말려 줘요 instead of just 말려요?

This is a very important nuance.

  • 말려요 = dry it
  • 말려 줘요 = dry it for someone

The grammar -아/어 주다 means to do something for someone.

In a salon context, this makes perfect sense because the staff are providing a service for the customer. So 말려 줘요 sounds like:

  • they dry it for you
  • they do the drying as a service

It sounds more natural and human than just saying 말려요.


Is 말려 from 마르다 or 말리다?

It is from 말리다.

This is a very common learner confusion:

  • 마르다 = to become dry
    • intransitive
    • the thing dries by itself
  • 말리다 = to dry something
    • transitive
    • someone dries something

In this sentence, the salon staff are drying the customer’s hair, so Korean uses 말리다.

Examples:

  • 머리가 말랐어요. = My hair dried / is dry.
  • 머리를 말렸어요. = I dried my hair.

Here we need the second kind.


Why doesn’t the second part repeat 머리를? Shouldn’t it say 머리를 말려 줘요?

It could, but Korean often omits repeated information when it is already obvious.

The sentence already mentioned 머리를 in the first part:

  • 머리를 자르고 나서 ...

So in the second part, the listener naturally understands that the hair is still the object of 말려 줘요.

A fuller version would be:

  • 미용실에서는 머리를 자르고 나서 드라이어로 바로 머리를 말려 줘요.

But repeating 머리를 sounds unnecessary and less natural.


Who is the subject of 말려 줘요? It isn’t stated.

Korean often leaves the subject unstated when it is easy to infer from context.

Here, from 미용실에서는, we understand that the people working at the salon are the ones doing the action.

So the implied subject is something like:

  • the hairstylist
  • the salon staff
  • or more generally they

This kind of omission is extremely normal in Korean.


What speech level is 줘요?

줘요 is the polite -요 style.

It is polite and natural in everyday conversation, but not formal.

Compare:

  • = casual
  • 줘요 = polite everyday speech
  • 줍니다 = formal

So this sentence sounds like normal polite spoken Korean, the kind you would hear in conversation or in a simple explanation.


Is 드라이어 the only word Koreans use for a hair dryer?

No. There are several forms you may hear:

  • 드라이어
  • 헤어드라이어
  • 드라이기 in everyday speech

All are common, though usage can vary by speaker and situation.
In this sentence, 드라이어 is a standard and very natural choice.


Why is the sentence ending in -어요 even though it sounds like a general habit, not a present action happening right now?

In Korean, the present tense form often covers:

  • actions happening now
  • habitual actions
  • general facts
  • regular procedures

So 말려 줘요 here does not have to mean they are drying it right now. It can also mean:

  • that’s what they do
  • they usually dry it for you

This is a very normal use of the present tense in Korean.

AI Language TutorTry it ↗
How do speech levels work in Korean?
Korean has multiple speech levels that indicate formality and politeness. The most common are the formal polite (‑습니다/‑ㅂ니다), informal polite (‑아요/‑어요), and casual (‑아/‑어) forms. Which level you use depends on who you're speaking to and the social context.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Korean

Master Korean — from miyongsireseoneun meorireul jareugo naseo deuraieoro baro mallyeo jwoyo to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • AI tutor to answer your grammar questions