I can say where things happen — 교실에서 공부해요, 집에서 책을 읽어요 — and ask for clarification in class: 다시 말해 주세요, 뜻이 뭐예요?, 잘 몰라요.
In class: 에서, where things happen
In class: 에서, where things happen
What for: say where things happen, and ask for clarification in class.
에서 after a place marks where an action happens: 회사에서 일을 해요 “I work at a company”. With an action verb (공부하다, 읽다, 가르치다, 배우다, 쓰다) the place takes 에서. 에서 has one form, after a 받침 and after a vowel: 집에서, 학교에서.
“Where something is” and “where to” still take 에: 교실에 있어요, 학교에 가요. English uses “in, at” for both 에 and 에서, so look at the verb, not at the English word. We'll compare them in the module review.
잘 “well” and 조금 “a little” go right before the verb: 잘 알아요, 조금 알아요. 모르다 “not to know” is said with the set form 몰라요, “I don't know”; you'll learn how it's built later.
The phrases of this lesson are set phrases: learn them whole. See the table.
Common mistakes:
• ×집에 요리해요 → 집에서 요리해요 (an action takes 에서).
• ×모르아요 → 몰라요.
• ×다시 말해요 주세요 → 다시 말해 주세요.
Classroom phrases
Learn the phrases whole.
| Phrase | What it means | When |
|---|---|---|
| 다시 말해 주세요. | Please say that again. | you didn't catch it |
| 천천히 말해 주세요. | Please speak more slowly. | someone speaks too fast |
| 잘 몰라요. | I don't really know. | you don't know the answer |
| 뜻이 뭐예요? | What does it mean? | you don't understand a word |
| 알겠어요? | Do you understand? | the teacher asks |
| 네, 알겠어요. / 네, 알겠습니다. | Yes, I understand. | the answer (the second is more formal) |
Lesson notes
In class: 에서, where things happen
What for: say where things happen, and ask for clarification in class.
에서 after a place marks where an action happens: 회사에서 일을 해요 “I work at a company”. With an action verb (공부하다, 읽다, 가르치다, 배우다, 쓰다) the place takes 에서. 에서 has one form, after a 받침 and after a vowel: 집에서, 학교에서.
“Where something is” and “where to” still take 에: 교실에 있어요, 학교에 가요. English uses “in, at” for both 에 and 에서, so look at the verb, not at the English word. We'll compare them in the module review.
잘 “well” and 조금 “a little” go right before the verb: 잘 알아요, 조금 알아요. 모르다 “not to know” is said with the set form 몰라요, “I don't know”; you'll learn how it's built later.
The phrases of this lesson are set phrases: learn them whole. See the table.
Common mistakes:
• ×집에 요리해요 → 집에서 요리해요 (an action takes 에서).
• ×모르아요 → 몰라요.
• ×다시 말해요 주세요 → 다시 말해 주세요.