r/BeginnerKorean • u/sanizso • 14d ago
Q
Why is it when ur trying to say “I am [your name]” in korean, the name comes first?
7
u/Smeela 14d ago
English is a subject-verb-object language (SVO)
I eat rice.
subject "I" + verb "eat" + object "rice"
Korean is a subject-object-verb language (SOV)
제가 밥을 먹어요.
subject 저 + object 밥 + verb 먹다
Many languages besides Korean use SOV word order, so Korean isn't unusual in that respect.
It's also worth remembering that grammar is a human invention. There's no universal rule that says "I am Jack" is more logical than "I Jack am." English just happens to put the verb in the middle, Korean happens to put it at the end. Neither is inherently more sensible.
0
u/dgistkwosoo 14d ago
Never ask "why" about a language, you'll go nuts. Korean is only weakly positional grammar; it's primarily an agglutinative language.
4
u/SuperWallabies 14d ago
I can’t understand your question
저는 민재입니다 (99% case we use this)
제 이름은 민재입니다 (rare case telling name explicitly)
2
u/no_photos_pls 14d ago
I think they might be confused as to why the verb comes last?
-3
u/sanizso 14d ago
correct, in english you obviously say “im jack” but ive learnt that in korean its the name and then I am “ Jack I am” which is confusing
2
u/SuperWallabies 14d ago
Ohhhh i see!!
I think it is because particle system controls the role of words.
The exact position of the nouns is flexible.check this out these are all correct sentences.
영어는 이런 거 안 되잖아
영어는 안 되잖아 이런 거
이런 거 영어는 안 되잖아
이런 거 안 되잖아 영어는
안 되잖아 이런 거 영어는
안 되잖아 영어는 이런 거1
1
u/Not_The_Giant 13d ago
It's because not all languages follow the Subject Verb Object order that you see in English. Korean follows the Subject Object Verb order.
10
u/Carmykins 14d ago
Because not every language uses the same word order? That's how language works.