Making time was really important in Korean 🇰🇷

Sentence info.

시간 (sigan) – "time"
을 (eul) – object marker attached to "시간" to indicate "time" is the object
내는 (naeneun) – the present participle form of "내다" which in this context means "to set aside" or "to make". It functions as a modifying clause meaning "making"
게 (ge) – contraction of "것이" meaning "the thing that" or simply nominalizing the verb phrase "시간을 내다"
정말 (jeongmal) – "really"
중요했어요 (jungyohesseoyo) – past tense, polite form of "중요하다" meaning "was important"

Combined literal translation: "Making time was really important."

Tips to remember:
• Notice that attaching 을 to 시간 makes it the object of what follows, here understood to be the act of "making time."
• The adjective 중요하다 becomes 중요했어요 in past polite form, matching the level of formality and indicating that the importance was in the past.
• The participle 내는 is used to turn the verb “내다” into an adjectival form that describes a concept, resulting in “making time” as a noun phrase.
• 게 is a common contraction used to nominalize verb phrases in casual contexts. Knowing this contraction helps in forming subjects from actions.

Alternate ways to express "Making time was really important." in Korean:
• 시간 내는 것은 정말 중요했어요. (sigan naeneun geoseun jeongmal jungyohesseoyo) – Using "것은" instead of "게" for clear nominalization.
• 시간을 내는 일이 정말 중요했어요. (siganeul naeneun iri jeongmal jungyohesseoyo) – Using "일" ("work" or "matter") to indicate "the act of making time" was important.
• 시간을 마련하는 게 정말 중요했어요. (siganeul maryeonhaneun ge jeongmal jungyohesseoyo) – Replacing “내는” with “마련하는” ("to arrange" or "to prepare") which can also imply "making time."

Romanized version of the original sentence:
"Sigan-eul naeneun ge jeongmal jungyohesseoyo."

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