Breakdown of muni an yeollimyeon sonjabireul gyesok danggiji malgo jigwonege meonjeo mureobwayo.
Questions & Answers about muni an yeollimyeon sonjabireul gyesok danggiji malgo jigwonege meonjeo mureobwayo.
Why is it 문이 and not 문을?
Because the verb here is 열리다, not 열다.
- 문이 열리다 = the door opens / the door gets opened
- 문을 열다 = to open the door
With 열리다, the door is treated as the subject, so it takes -이/가.
That is why 문이 안 열리면 means if the door doesn’t open.
What is the difference between 열다 and 열리다?
They are related, but they work differently:
- 열다 = to open (something)
- 문을 열다 = open the door
- 열리다 = to open / to be opened
- 문이 열리다 = the door opens / is opened
In this sentence, the focus is not on who opens the door. The focus is on the situation: the door won’t open. So 열리다 is the natural choice.
What does -면 mean in 열리면?
-면 means if or when, depending on context.
Here it introduces a condition:
- 안 열리면 = if it doesn’t open
In instructions like this, -면 often feels like if this happens, then do this.
Why is it 안 열리면 instead of 안 열면?
Because 안 열면 would mean if someone doesn’t open it, while 안 열리면 means if it doesn’t open.
That is an important difference:
- 문이 안 열리면 = if the door doesn’t open
- 문을 안 열면 = if someone doesn’t open the door
The sentence is describing the door’s condition, not someone’s action, so 안 열리면 is correct.
Could I use 못 instead of 안 here?
Sometimes, yes, but the nuance changes a little.
- 안 열리면 = if it doesn’t open
- 못 열리면 = if it can’t open / if it cannot be opened
안 is a simple negation.
못 emphasizes inability.
For a stuck door, both can make sense in real life, but 안 열리면 is a very natural everyday way to say if the door won’t open.
Why does 손잡이 take -를 in 손잡이를?
Because 당기다 is a transitive verb, meaning it takes an object.
- 손잡이를 당기다 = pull the handle
The handle is the thing being pulled, so it gets the object marker -을/를.
What does 계속 add to the sentence?
계속 means continuously, repeatedly, or keep on.
So:
- 당기지 말고 = don’t pull it
- 계속 당기지 말고 = don’t keep pulling it
It adds the idea of repeated or ongoing action.
How does -지 말고 work in 당기지 말고?
-지 말고 means don’t do X, and instead do Y.
So:
- 계속 당기지 말고 직원에게 먼저 물어봐요
means:
- Don’t keep pulling it; instead, ask a staff member first.
This pattern is very common when giving an alternative:
- 가지 말고 기다리세요 = Don’t go; wait instead.
- 혼자 하지 말고 물어보세요 = Don’t do it alone; ask instead.
Why is it 직원에게?
-에게 marks the person an action is directed toward, similar to to in English.
So:
- 직원에게 물어봐요 = ask a staff member
With people, Korean often uses:
- 에게 = standard/written/polite neutral
- 한테 = more casual
- 께 = honorific
So you could also hear:
- 직원한테 물어봐요 = more casual
- 직원께 물어보세요 = more respectful
What does 먼저 mean here?
먼저 means first or before anything else.
It shows order:
- first ask the staff
- rather than continuing to pull the handle
So it makes the instruction sound like: Before doing anything else, ask an employee.
Why is it 물어봐요 instead of 물어요?
물어봐요 comes from 묻다 (to ask) + -아/어 보다.
The pattern -아/어 보다 often means try doing or check by doing.
So 물어보다 is like ask and see / check by asking.
In real Korean, 물어보다 is extremely common and often sounds very natural in situations like this. It can feel a bit softer and more practical than plain 묻다.
So:
- 물어요 = ask
- 물어봐요 = ask / try asking / check with
In this sentence, 물어봐요 fits the situation very well.
Why is it 물어봐요 and not 묻어봐요?
Because 묻다 is a ㄷ irregular verb.
When 묻다 is followed by a vowel, the ㄷ changes to ㄹ:
- 묻다 → 물어요
- 묻다 + 어 보다 → 물어보다
- 물어보다 → 물어봐요
So 물어봐요 is the correct conjugated form.
What speech level is 물어봐요?
It is the polite informal style, often called the -아요/어요 style.
That means it is polite, but still natural and conversational. It is very common in spoken Korean and friendly written instructions.
You might compare:
- 물어봐요 = polite, conversational
- 물어보세요 = polite and more directly instructive
- 물어보십시오 = very formal
So this sentence sounds polite and natural, like a spoken instruction or a customer-facing notice.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning KoreanMaster Korean — from muni an yeollimyeon sonjabireul gyesok danggiji malgo jigwonege meonjeo mureobwayo 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