How to Say "The merchant can open the door" in Korean | -아/어요 Grammar

Quick Answer: "The merchant can open the door" in Korean is "상인은 문을 열 수 있어요." (sangineun muneul yeol su iteoyo.). It uses the -아/어요 grammar pattern (Polite Ending (-아/어요)). Level: A1.

In Korean, "The merchant can open the door" is expressed as "상인은 문을 열 수 있어요.". This sentence demonstrates Polite Ending (-아/어요), one of the most useful grammar patterns for Korean learners. Let's explore the grammar and vocabulary.

Category: 모험

What does "The merchant can open the door" mean in Korean?

The Korean sentence "상인은 문을 열 수 있어요." translates to "The merchant can open the door." in English. "상인은 문을 열 수 있어요." is the kind of sentence you would hear in a Korean storybook. It is simple yet expressive, painting the scene of "the merchant can open the door" with just a few words.

Pronunciation guide: sangineun muneul yeol su iteoyo.

Grammar Point: Polite Ending (-아/어요)

The -아/어요 ending is the standard polite speech level in Korean. Use -아요 after bright vowels (ㅏ, ㅗ), -어요 after dark vowels, and 해요 for 하다 verbs.

가다 → 가요, 먹다 → 먹어요, 하다 → 해요. This is the most common speech level in daily Korean.

Korean Sentence Structure Breakdown

Korean follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) word order, which is different from English (SVO). In "상인은 문을 열 수 있어요.", the verb comes at the end of the sentence. Here is the word-by-word breakdown: • 상인은 (sangineun) • 문을 (muneul) • 열 (yeol) • 수 (su) • 있어요 (iteoyo)

Read this sentence aloud three times. Korean pronunciation flows best when you connect each syllable smoothly without pausing between words.

Why This Korean Expression Sounds Natural

Native Korean speakers would use exactly this phrasing in daily life. The sentence flows smoothly because each particle guides the listener from subject to action without ambiguity.

Cultural Insight

한국 동화 속 현명한 인물은 힘이 아닌 지혜로 문제를 해결해요. '꾀'를 부리는 것이 미덕으로 여겨지며, 이는 한국의 '슬기(지혜)' 문화를 반영합니다.

Examples

상인은 문을 열 수 있어요. — sangineun muneul yeol su iteoyo. — The merchant can open the door.

상인은 문을 열 수 있어요? — sangineun muneul yeol su iteoyo? — Does the merchant can open the door?

방금 상인은 문을 열 수 있어요. — banggeum sangineun muneul yeol su iteoyo. — Just now, the merchant can open the door.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect: 먹아요 → Correct: 먹어요. The stem 먹- ends in a dark vowel (ㅓ), so it takes -어요 not -아요. Match the vowel harmony.

Incorrect: 있어요 상인은 문을 열 수 → Correct: 상인은 문을 열 수 있어요. Korean uses Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) order. The verb must come at the end of the sentence, unlike English where it comes after the subject.

Quiz

How do you say "The merchant can open the door" in Korean?

The correct Korean translation is "상인은 문을 열 수 있어요.". sangineun muneul yeol su iteoyo.

Fill in the blank: 상인은 문을 열 수 ___

The correct ending is "있어요". The polite -요 form is essential for everyday Korean conversation.