저는 일해요
jeoneun ilhaeyo
The English phrase "I work" is translated into Korean as 저는 일해요 (jeoneun ilhaeyo).
This phrase is used to state that you have a job or that you are currently performing a task. If you want to emphasize that you are in the middle of performing a task at this exact moment, you should use the progressive form 일하고 있어요.
What does it mean word for word?
In the phrase 저는 일해요, 저 is the humble/polite form of "I", used when speaking to someone of higher status or in formal settings. The word 일해요 is a conjugated form of the verb 일하다 (to work) in the polite present tense, meaning "work" or "am working".
Which one should you use?
The polite form 저는 일해요 is used for general polite conversation. For more direct informal speech with close friends or people younger than you, you can use 나는 일해.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb 일하다 (to work) can be conjugated into different forms such as the formal 일합니다 or the informal 일해.
How do you pronounce it?
jeoneun ilhaeyo
Did you know?
- While 일해요 describes the act of working, Koreans often use the phrase 수고하세요 ('keep working hard') as a way to say goodbye to someone who is still working.
- In Korean workplace culture, the phrase 일해요 is often paired with the custom of 'hoesik', or company dinners, where working together extends to eating and drinking after official hours.
- The root word 일 (work) is a homophone for the word meaning 'one' in the Sino-Korean numbering system.
Examples in context
- 저는 일해요.jeoneun ilhaeyo.I work.
