How to Say "The seed is old" in Korean | -아/어요 Grammar
Quick Answer: "The seed is old" in Korean is "씨앗이 오래됐어요." (ssiati oraedwaeteoyo.). It uses the -아/어요 grammar pattern (Polite Ending (-아/어요)). Level: A1.
Want to express "The seed is old" in Korean? Say "씨앗이 오래됐어요.". The grammar point -아/어요 (A1) is essential for everyday Korean conversation. Read on for a full breakdown.
What does "The seed is old" mean in Korean?
The Korean sentence "씨앗이 오래됐어요." translates to "The seed is old." in English. "씨앗이 오래됐어요." is a simple A1–A2 sentence that paints a clear scene. It ends with "-요" so it feels polite and warm. It is perfect for fairy-tale style narration.
Pronunciation guide: ssiati oraedwaeteoyo.
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 "씨앗이 오래됐어요.", the verb comes at the end of the sentence. Here is the word-by-word breakdown: • 씨앗이 (ssiati) • 오래됐어요 (oraedwaeteoyo)
Korean sentences always end with the verb. Get comfortable with putting the action word last.
Why This Korean Expression Sounds Natural
In English, we often say "The seed is old" directly. Korean keeps the same idea but adds softness through the ending, so the line feels caring rather than flat.
Cultural Insight
자연을 친구처럼 바라보는 시선이 한국 이야기 속에 자주 담겨 있어요.
Examples
씨앗이 오래됐어요. — ssiati oraedwaeteoyo. — The seed is old.
지금 씨앗이 오래됐어요. — jigeum ssiati oraedwaeteoyo. — Right now, the seed is old
정말 씨앗이 오래됐어요. — jeongmal ssiati oraedwaeteoyo. — Really, the seed is old
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.
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