Meaning
States that precipitation in the form of rain is falling.
Cultural Background
Rainy days are often seen as romantic or nostalgic. Many K-Dramas feature a 'sharing an umbrella' scene which is a major romantic milestone. The sound of rain is said to sound like pajeon frying. This leads to a huge spike in sales for flour and makgeolli during the rainy season. On rainy days, delivery apps like Baemin or Coupang Eats often have longer wait times due to high demand and slower delivery speeds for safety. Historically, rain was a blessing from the heavens. Rituals called 'Gije-je' were performed during droughts to ask for rain.
Drop the 'It'
Never start a weather sentence with '그것' (it). Just start with the weather noun.
Watch the Particle
Always use '가' after '비'. Using '를' (object marker) would mean you are 'coming the rain', which makes no sense.
Meaning
States that precipitation in the form of rain is falling.
Drop the 'It'
Never start a weather sentence with '그것' (it). Just start with the weather noun.
Watch the Particle
Always use '가' after '비'. Using '를' (object marker) would mean you are 'coming the rain', which makes no sense.
Sound like a Native
When it starts raining suddenly, say '어! 비 온다!' (Oh! It's raining!) for a natural reaction.
The Pajeon Rule
Mentioning pajeon when it rains is the fastest way to make Korean friends laugh and agree with you.
Test Yourself
Fill in the blank with the correct subject marker and formal verb ending.
밖을 보세요. 비( ) ( ).
The subject '비' ends in a vowel, so it takes '가'. The formal ending for '오다' is '옵니다'.
Which food is culturally associated with rainy days in Korea?
비가 옵니다. 한국 사람들은 보통 무엇을 먹습니까?
Koreans traditionally eat pajeon (scallion pancakes) and drink makgeolli on rainy days.
Match the phrase to the correct situation.
When would you most likely hear '비가 옵니다'?
The '-ㅂ니다' form is very formal and standard for news broadcasts.
Complete the dialogue in a formal setting.
A: 오늘 날씨가 어떻습니까? B: ________________.
Since the question is in the formal '-습니까' style, the answer should match with '-옵니다'.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Speech Levels
Types of Rain
Intensity
- • 이슬비 (Drizzle)
- • 소나기 (Shower)
- • 폭우 (Heavy rain)
Practice Bank
4 exercises밖을 보세요. 비( ) ( ).
The subject '비' ends in a vowel, so it takes '가'. The formal ending for '오다' is '옵니다'.
비가 옵니다. 한국 사람들은 보통 무엇을 먹습니까?
Koreans traditionally eat pajeon (scallion pancakes) and drink makgeolli on rainy days.
When would you most likely hear '비가 옵니다'?
The '-ㅂ니다' form is very formal and standard for news broadcasts.
A: 오늘 날씨가 어떻습니까? B: ________________.
Since the question is in the formal '-습니까' style, the answer should match with '-옵니다'.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
12 questionsIt reflects a cultural view of nature as an active guest that visits the land.
It's grammatically correct but sounds too formal. Use '비가 와' instead.
'오다' is 'to come' (general), '내리다' is 'to fall' (descriptive/formal).
Say '비가 안 옵니다' or '비가 오지 않습니다'.
Yes, '비' can mean rain, broom, or even 'ratio' (in hanja), but context makes it clear.
It means 'It is currently raining' (progressive form).
In formal speech, yes. In very casual speech, it is sometimes dropped: '비 와'.
Use the future tense: '비가 올 것입니다'.
It's a sudden, heavy rain shower, often used in romantic literature.
Because the verb stem '오' ends in a vowel, so you add '-ㅂ니다'.
People often say '비 오네' as a casual exclamation to themselves or others.
Check if you have your umbrella and be careful of slippery floors when exiting.
Related Phrases
비가 내리다
similarRain falls
소나기가 오다
specialized formA sudden shower comes
눈이 오다
similarSnow comes
비가 그치다
contrastRain stops
우천 시
specialized formIn case of rain
