Talk with your classmates about your typical weekly schedule. Are their activities much different from yours?

Read the dialogue below. What is he going to do tomorrow and the following day? How about you?

In this lesson, you will learn how to talk about some daily activities using compound verbs made with하다. You will also learn how to emphasize the activity with the object particle.

1. –을/를 Object particle

You have already learned many important noun particles. In addition to those with transparent meaning like –도 and –하고, you also know the topic particle –은/는, and the subject particle –이/가. The object particle –을/를 introduced here is conceptually the opposite of the subject particle. If the subject is on the doing or giving end, the grammatical object is at the receiving end, where the object “receives” or undergoes the action done by the subject. The particle –을/를 marks the grammatical (direct) object of the verb in a sentence. As you may have guessed, you use –을 when the object noun ends in a consonant and –를 when it ends in a vowel.

“Object” is a grammatical term and does not mean just inanimate items, so a person, animal, thing, or even concept (basically, any noun) can be the object of the sentence

Like –이/가, the object particle ‑을/를 is also frequently not said or shrunk down to ㄹ in spoken Korean.

뭐를 먹어요? → 뭐 먹어요?, 뭘 먹어요?

Again, we insist that you practice with the particles in place. You can quickly learn to omit what you know, but it is not possible to retrieve what you never learned!

2. 해요 verbs

When you do (something), you inevitably have a recipient of the action. For that reason, the 해요 verb always requires a grammatical OBJECT. In 하다-compound verbs like 공부해요 and 노래해요, the OBJECT is sort of incorporated into the verb (공부 a study and 노래 a song being the OBJECTS). So, in formal (as well as in written) Korean, in which everything is spelled out clearly, the OBJECT is often separated from the verb and the object particle attached, like so: 공부를  해요. The OBJECT noun then is treated as a separate word, necessitating a space before the verb 해요. (Note that the basic order of words is subject-object-verb in Korean, unlike English which is subject-verb-object.):

전화해요      →       전화 해요       →       전화를 해요    calls/is calling

쇼핑해요      →        쇼핑 해요      →       쇼핑을 해요    shops/is shopping

There is no meaning difference between 전화해요 and 전화를 해요, but 전화를 해요 in spoken Korean is more often an answer to a clarification question “뭘 해요?” and focuses on what one is doing. 전화해요, on the other hand, is a neutral report of the overall activity. In written Korean, always put the particle in.

When you have another object in the sentence with a 해요-compound verb, only use the object particle once either on the “additional” object or on the first half of the compound verb, but not both:

저는 방을 청소해요.                        I am cleaning my room.

OR 저는 방 청소를 해요.                I am cleaning my room.

저는 한국어 공부를 해요.               I study Korean.

저는 한국어를 공부해요.                I study Korean.

3. Negation of 해요 verbs

For Noun + 해요 verb compounds, you always have to split them into Noun (–을/를) + 해요 in order to insert 안   Noun (–을/를)  +  안  해요.  The object particle –을/를may be dropped.

세영은 월요일에 공부해요.                    Seyoung studies on Mondays.

세영은 토요일에 안공부해요.                Seyoung doesn’t study on Saturdays.

세영은 토요일에 공부 안 해요.              Seyoung doesn’t study on Saturdays.

세영은 토요일에 공부를 안 해요.         Seyoung doesn’t study on Saturdays.

In the previous lesson, you learned how to use the casual-polite present tense. Now let’s learn how to conjugate verbs for the casual-polite present tense.

1. Dictionary Forms

The dictionary form of a verb has the –다 suffix and is only used for talking about the word or listing it in a dictionary. Whatever shows up before 다 is the root (some called the “stem”) of the verb. Can you tell the root of the following verbs?

있다                 없다                 가다                 만나다              살다                 놀다

Answer: they are 있, 없, 가, 만나, 살, and 놀!

In present tense verb conjugation, bright vowels in the root go together with bright vowels in the suffix, and dark vowels with dark ones. In this lesson, we are focusing on bright vowels. Bright vowels are ㅏ and ㅗ (and their derivatives like ㅐ); all other vowels are dark.

2. How to conjugate bright vowels

If the last vowel of the verb root is bright (ㅏ or ㅗ), then the suffix you need is –아(요). Can you figure out the conjugation of the verbs 살다 to live and 놀다 to play/hang out?

Answer: they are 살아(요) and 놀아(요)!

One more thing to note! If a verb root ends in ㅏ or a derivative (ㅑ,ㅐ, ㅒ)  without any final consonant, the 아 of the conjugation is deleted (or not needed). So instead of 가아요, it’s just 가요. Can you figure out how to conjugate 만나다 to meet, 내다 to give out/pay/submit?

Answer: they are 만나(요) and 내(요)!

Here is a summary table of the verb conjugation for roots whose final vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ:

3. How to conjugate dark vowels

If a syllable has neither ㅏ nor  ㅗ in it, that is, the last (or the only) vowel of the verb root is dark, then you add –어 (요) to conjugate. 어 works with all vowels except ㅏ or ㅗ. Also, as in the case of 서다, when the verb root ends in ㅓ, ㅕ, ㅔ, or ㅖ without any final consonant, the ㅓ is dropped (or not needed). So for 서다, instead of 서어요, it’s just 서요 to stand/stop. Can you figure out how to conjugate 켜다 to turn on?

Answer: It is  켜(요)!

Here is a summary chart of the verb conjugation for the roots whose final vowel is  not ㅏ or ㅗ:

4. Conjugation Practice

Complete the following table with the appropriate casual-polite verb conjugations.

<Answer key> 읽어요, 놀아요, 운동해요, 쇼핑해요

1. –에서 Location particle (of activity) particle

You already know the particle -에 can mark a destination with verbs like go and come, or mark a location point with 있다.

오늘 친구들이 우리 집에 와요.                       My friends are coming to my house today.

책상 위에 책하고 공책이 있어요.                    There is a book and a notebook on the desk.

To mark the location of an activity that goes on for some time, however, another particle –에서 needs to be used. Whereas 공원에 있어요 is a good sentence (because there is no activity), 공원에 운동해요 is ungrammatical in Korean.  That is, when the meaning of the verb involves an activity with some duration (e.g. do, play, write, run, or study), –에서 must be used for the location and not –에:

저는 공원에서 운동해요.                                  I exercise at the park.

알리사는 카페에서 친구를 만나요.                  Alyssa is meeting her friend at the café.

The verb 자요 to sleep is considered an action verb by Korean speakers:

엘라는 오늘 친구 집에서 자요.                         Ella sleeps at her friend’s house today.

For verbs like 앉아요 sit, 서요 stand/stop, 누워요 lie down, 놓아요 put and 넣어요 put into, which involve contact with a fixed location, you need to use the stative particle –에:

의자에 앉아요.                                                  I sit on the chair

책을 책장에 넣어요.                                          I put the book in the bookcase.

With the verb 살아요 live, either the duration or the stative location (the exact “point”) can be emphasized:

웨이는 엄마하고 아파트에서 살아요.               Wei lives/is living in an apartment with his mom.

웨이는 엄마 집에 살아요.                                  Wei lives at his mom’s house.

2. –에  Time particle

The point particle –에 can also be used to express a point in time when something happens. (Note that you don’t need to use –에 after 매일, 오늘 and 내일 just like you never say on tomorrow or in today in English). It is used only once after a series of time expressions (day, time of day, hour, etc.).

금요일에 학교에 가요.                      I go to school on Friday.

금요일 저녁에 식당에서 만나요.    Let’s meet at the restaurant Friday evening.

오늘 친구하고 만나요.                      I am meeting my friend today.

오늘 저녁에 파티해요.                      We will be partying this evening.

3. Stacking of particles –에는, –에서는, –에도, –에서도

You might have noticed that sometimes more than one particle comes after a noun. Typically, the addition particle –도 and –은/는 as a contrast particle may come after time and location words:

준우는 아침에 운동해요. 그리고 저녁에도 운동해요.

Junwoo works out in the morning, and he also works out in the evening.

집에서는 요리를 안 해요.  그렇지만 기숙사에서는 해요.

At home, I don’t cook, but in the dorm, I do.

토요일에 식당에 가요. 그리고 백화점에도 가요.

I am going to a restaurant this Saturday. And I am also going to a department store.

The subject particle –이/가 and the object particle –을/를 may NOT be used with other particles. Other particles REPLACE them:

웨이가 백화점에서 쇼핑해요. 그리고 민준도 백화점에서 쇼핑해요.

Wei is shopping at the department store. And Minjoon is also shopping at the department store.

저는 오늘 친구를 만나요. 그런데 한국어 선생님은 안 만나요.

I am meeting my friend today. But I am not meeting a Korean teacher.

Wei is talking to Alyssa on the phone. Listen to their conversation and answer the following questions in Korean.

1) What is Alyssa doing now?

2) Where will Alyssa be on Friday?

3) Does Alyssa want to go shopping or not? Why?

4) What will Alyssa and Wei do this Saturday?

Read the schedule Juan has made for the coming week and answer the following questions.

	월요일	한국어 수업이 있어요. 그리고 도서관에서 아르바이트가 있어요.
	화요일	수요일에 한국어 시험1이 있어요. 그래서 카페에서 공부를 해요.
	수요일	한국어 수업이 있어요. 그리고 도서관에서 아르바이트가 있어요.
	목요일	한국어 수업이 있어요. 그리고 저녁에 인터넷에서 쇼핑해요.
	금요일	지우하고 니콜이 노래방에서 파티를 해요. 그래서 노래방 가요.
	토요일	친구하고 영화관에 가요. 혼자 공원에서 운동해요.
	일요일	집에 있어요. 집에서 청소해요.

Which of the following statements are true?

1) Juan has Korean classes Monday through Thursday.                        T         F

2) Juan exercises on Thursday and Friday.                                            T         F

3) Jiwoo and Nicole are hosting a party at a restaurant on Friday.       T         F

4) Juan stays at home on Sunday.                                                          T         F

Our Weekly Schedules

You want to hang out with your classmates next week. Interview two classmates about what they are doing during the week. (Be sure to provide the place of your activity when it is your turn to answer.) Fill out the following chart with the information you collect and decide with whom and what you want to do next week.

(맛보기)  월요일 –>  가: OO 씨, 월요일에 뭐 해요?

11111111111111111111.  나: 집에서 인터넷해요.

가: 수요일에는요?

나: 도서관에서 아르바이트 해요…

Clipping, Trimming, and Truncating – Abbreviation of Common Words

When hanging out with Korean friends, you will hear them speak of 알바, a shorthand for 아르바이트 (from the German word arbeit). Words borrowed from Western languages can feel too long in Korean so they are often shortened:

아파트  apartment              파마 (hair) perm              에어컨 air conditioner

Like anywhere else in the world, Korean youngsters love to use clipped words and borrowings in casual conversations, typically taking the first syllable of nouns or each word in a compound. Can you guess what the following words mean?

베프          생선           생파            미드          치맥            스벅           아카           강추

_{(Answer) 베스트 프렌드 (best friend), 생일 선물 (birthday present), 생파 (birthday party), 미국 드라마 (American TV dramas), 치킨하고 맥주 (chicken and beer), 스타벅스 (Starbucks), 아메리카노 (Americano), 강력 추천 (strongly recommended)}

Friyay (불금) and Monday Blues (월요병)

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According to a recent Gallup survey, Koreans’ most favorite day of the week is Friday and their least favorite day is Tuesday. Very much like the English expression TGIF, a newly coined word 불금 (불타는 금요일 “fiery” Friday) professes Korean office workers’ fervid excitement about entering into the weekend. The work week begins on Monday in Korea, thus many people suffer from 월요병 Monday Syndrome.