Breakdown of jeoneun pyeongsaeng dareun sarameul dopgo sipeoyo.
저jeo
I
사람saram
person
돕다dopda
to help
~고 싶다~go sipda
to want to
Questions & Answers about jeoneun pyeongsaeng dareun sarameul dopgo sipeoyo.
Why does the sentence use 저는 instead of just 저?
저 means I in a humble/polite way.
는 is the topic marker, so 저는 means something like as for me or I, personally.
In this sentence, 저는 sets up the speaker as the topic:
- 저는 평생 다른 사람을 돕고 싶어요.
In natural Korean, 저는 is often omitted if it is already clear who is speaking:
- 평생 다른 사람을 돕고 싶어요.
That sounds very natural too.
What is the difference between 저는 and 제가 here?
Both can mean I, but they do different jobs.
- 저는 = topic marker
- 제가 = subject marker
With 저는, the sentence feels like a general statement about yourself or your values:
- 저는 평생 다른 사람을 돕고 싶어요.
As for me, I want to help others for life.
With 제가, there is usually more emphasis on I as the person doing it, often in contrast to someone else or as new information:
- 제가 평생 다른 사람을 돕고 싶어요.
That version is possible, but in most normal contexts 저는 sounds more natural for this kind of personal goal statement.
What does 평생 do in this sentence? Does it need a particle?