πŸ“š

Korean Grammar and Sentence Structure

Jun 23, 2025

Overview

The lecture compares Korean and Estonian grammar, focusing on sentence structure and verb endings, and introduces basic Korean sentence patterns with examples.

Sentence Structure Comparison

  • English and Estonian use Subject-Verb-Object order (e.g., "I love you").
  • Korean uses Subject-Object-Verb order (e.g., "I you love"), with the verb always last.
  • Korean, like Estonian, uses postpositions/case markers attached to nouns, but English does not.

Korean Verb Endings: "eayo" and "yayo"

  • Korean verbs have only two polite present tense endings: "eayo" (for consonant-ending stems) and "yayo" (for vowel-ending stems).
  • The choice depends only on the noun or verb stem's final sound, not the subject.

Pronunciation and Spelling Notes

  • Second consonant shifts to the next syllable if there’s no first consonant.
  • Pronunciation often differs from the written form for easier speech.

Usage and Context in Korean Sentences

  • Subject can often be omitted if context is clear.
  • "Eayo/yayo" can mean am/are/is depending on context; Korean does not distinguish subject like English (I, you, he, they, etc).
  • Korean is a contextual language; meaning is often inferred from conversation, not the sentence alone.
  • Questions are shown by rising intonation on "yo".

Subject Markers and Repetition

  • "은/λŠ”" are used as subject/topic markers, chosen based on whether the preceding word ends with a consonant or vowel.
  • It’s acceptable and common to repeat names or subjects instead of using pronouns.

Example Sentences and Practice

  • Examples with subject marker usage and omitted/explicit subjects.
  • Clarifies that β€œyes, (subject) is (noun)” structure is standard for affirming questions.

Key Terms & Definitions

  • Postposition β€” a particle attached to a noun to indicate its grammatical role.
  • Subject marker (은/λŠ”) β€” attaches to the subject, choice depends on word ending.
  • Contextual language β€” language where meaning often relies on context, not just sentence structure.
  • Eayo/Yayo (μ΄μ—μš”/μ˜ˆμš”) β€” polite present tense verb endings used for "am/are/is" based on the final sound.

Action Items / Next Steps

  • Complete exercises on pages 38 and 39: Practice 1, 2, 3, 4.
  • Watch the next video lesson.
  • Post questions in the YouTube comment section if unclear.

Full transcript