Korean for Beginners: Asking "Is This Fresh?" and "When Was This Picked?"
Learn to ask 신선해요? and 언제 땄어요? at Korean markets, with the polite -요 style, the subject particle 이/가, and the casual past form 땄어요.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When you shop at a Korean market or a produce stand, two questions matter more than almost any other: is this fresh, and when was it picked? In this lesson you will learn exactly how to ask both in polite everyday Korean. You will use the descriptive verb 신선하다 (to be fresh) and the verb 따다 (to pick, as in fruit or produce). You will also learn why the subject particle 이 or 가 appears in the first question, and why the past-tense ending -았/었어요 appears in the second. Every phrase below is given in Hangul with Revised Romanization so you can read it and say it out loud.
By the end, you can…
- ask whether a specific item is fresh using 신선해요?
- ask when an item was picked using 언제 땄어요?
- attach the subject particle 이 or 가 correctly to a noun
- use the polite -요 style with a market vendor
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
이거 신선해요?
Is this fresh?
i-geo sin-seon-hae-yo?
The most common general question while pointing at an item. 이거 means "this thing." Rising intonation makes it a question.
이 사과 신선해요?
Is this apple fresh?
i sa-gwa sin-seon-hae-yo?
Put a noun before 신선해요 to ask about a specific item. Korean nouns do not change for plural, so 이 사과 can mean "this apple" or "these apples."
언제 땄어요?
When was it picked?
eon-je tta-sseo-yo?
Use this for fruit, vegetables, or anything harvested. 땄어요 is the polite past form of 따다 (to pick).
오늘 땄어요?
Was it picked today?
o-neul tta-sseo-yo?
A yes-or-no version of the previous question. 오늘 means "today." Very useful at a morning market.
이거 신선해요? 언제 땄어요?
Is this fresh? When was it picked?
i-geo sin-seon-hae-yo? eon-je tta-sseo-yo?
Ask both questions together. This is natural and common when you are deciding whether to buy.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is a noun plus the subject particle 이 or 가, then the verb. Use 가 after a vowel and 이 after a consonant: 사과가 신선해요? (Are the apples fresh?) and 수박이 신선해요? (Is the watermelon fresh?). Note that 이거 (this thing) does not normally take the subject particle; instead you say 이게 신선해요? or 이거는 신선해요?. For the second question, put a time word before the verb: 언제 땄어요? (When was it picked?), 오늘 땄어요? (Was it picked today?), 어제 땄어요? (Was it picked yesterday?). The verb 따다 becomes 땄어요 in the polite past tense.
When to use it
Use 신선해요? for fish, meat, vegetables, fruit, and even bread. Use 땄어요? mainly for produce that is harvested, such as 사과 (apples), 딸기 (strawberries), or 채소 (vegetables). If you are asking about fish or meat, a more natural question is 언제 잡았어요? (When was it caught?) or 언제 들어왔어요? (When did it come in?). At a large supermarket, staff may not know the exact picking date, so 이거 신선해요? is often the safer first question.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
이거 신선해요?
Is this fresh?i-geo sin-seon-hae-yo?네, 오늘 아침에 땄어요.
Yes, it was picked this morning.ne, o-neul a-chi-me tta-sseo-yo.아, 그래요? 그럼 이거 주세요.
Oh, really? Then please give me this one.a, geu-rae-yo? geu-reom i-geo ju-se-yo.네, 여기 있어요.
Sure, here you are.ne, yeo-gi i-sseo-yo.A little context goes a long way
The polite -요 style is safe with market vendors you do not know. With a vendor you see often, you may hear the casual form 신선해? or 언제 땄어? from them, but you should keep using -요 until they invite you to speak casually. Saying 이거 주세요 (Please give me this one) after checking freshness is normal and polite; you do not need a long apology or explanation.
One thing to watch for
Using the wrong particle, as in 이거가 신선해요?
Try this instead: 이거 ends in a vowel, so the subject particle is 가, but 이거가 sounds awkward. Say 이게 신선해요? or keep 이거 as a topic: 이거는 신선해요? For a consonant-ending noun, use 이: 수박이 신선해요? (Is the watermelon fresh?)
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask "Is this fresh?" in polite Korean?
Show a sample answer
이거 신선해요?
이거 means "this thing," and 신선해요? is the polite question form of 신선하다. You may also hear 이것은 신선해요? or 이게 신선해요?, which are also correct.
2Which particle fits in the blank: 사과__ 신선해요?
Show a sample answer
가
사과 ends in a vowel, so the subject particle is 가: 사과가 신선해요? If the noun ends in a consonant, use 이, as in 수박이 신선해요?
3How do you ask "When was it picked?" in polite Korean?
Show a sample answer
언제 땄어요?
언제 means "when," and 땄어요 is the polite past form of 따다. For fish or meat, a more natural question is 언제 잡았어요? (When was it caught?).
Point at the item, ask 이거 신선해요? (Is this fresh?), then follow with 언제 땄어요? (When was it picked?). Keep the polite -요 style, and remember 가 after a vowel and 이 after a consonant.
Progress is saved on this browser.
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Put today’s Korean into a conversation with an AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr