Korean sentence structure Flashcards
In English, we can simply add “please” before a command to make it polite. In Korean, a single-verb command is expressed by conjugating the verb into an imperative ending.
You can add -(으)십시오 to a verb stem. Similarly to English, a command in Korean does not have a subject.
single-verb command endings like -(으)십시오 can be expressed by
conjugating the verb into an imperative ending.
가십시오.
go (respectfully)/ please go
Korean command also puts the object before the verb, which is the opposite of English.
Sample sentence: 사과를 드십시오 (먹으십시오)
(please) eat apples
apples (object particle) eat (imperative ending)
Invitational expressions are formed by conjugating the verb ending with -(으)ㅂ시다.
갑시다. (kapsida)
let’s go
사과를 먹읍시다.
Lets eat apples
(Apples let’s eat)
이/가
used for the subject of the sentence.
는/은
particles used to indicate the topic of the sentence. The topic is like the subject of a sentence, but with some differences.
The topic marker puts the emphasis on the verb while the subject marker places emphasis on the ____
그는 고양이를 봅니다
subject
He sees a cat
그가 고양이를 봅니다
It’s him who sees a cat
Particles 를 and 을 are placed after a word to indicate the object of a sentence.
Example: 저는 영화를 봅니다.
I movie watch
(I watch a movie)
저는 밥을 맛있게 먹습니다
I eat rice deliciously
저는 열심히 공부합니다
I study hard.
저는 어제 밥을 먹었습니다.
I ate rice yesterday.
어제 저는 밥을 먹었습니다.
Yesterday I ate rice
저는 어제 오전 8시에 일어났습니다.
Yesterday I woke up at 8am
저는 식당에서 밥을 먹었습니다
I ate rice at the restaurant
Locations are put between subject and object or before verbs. -에서 is location particle, which is similar with _____
at/in
Particle 에 is similar with “to”. It makes a word become a location.
저는 학교에 갑니다
I go to school
그는 서울에 일을 하러 갑니다
He goes to Seoul to work.
Complete Korean sentence structure (declarative):
subject + time + place + object + manner + verb
Sample sentence:
저는 요즘 집에서 한국어를 열심히 공부합니다.
I, these days at home Korean very hard study
I study Korean at home very hard these day
저는 사과를 먹습니다 → I eat apples
Subject-Object-Verb
This can also be written as:
사과를 먹습니다 → I eat apples
(Subject)–Object–Verb
Koreans, especially in spoken Korean, often omit the particles from sentences when the context is enough to make clear what the subject or object in a sentence is even without particles.
저는 사과(를) 먹습니다.
그는 영어(를) 공부합니다.
I eat apples.
He studies English
When the meaning is clear or roles are marked clearly with particles, Koreans occasionally just switch the order in a casual conversation. All the components can move to any position in a sentence. As mentioned, particles clearly mark what is the subject or object in a sentence, so Koreans can tell what’s the subject or the object no matter what.
저는 사과를 먹습니다.
사과를 저는 먹습니다.
사과를 먹습니다 저는.
I eat apples
I eat apples
I eat apples
