Understanding prepositions is not about memorizing Korean translations, but about visualizing their spatial concepts. Here is a clear guide to the most essential prepositions, tailored with tech-industry examples to help you intuitively master them.
1. IN : Inside a Space, Boundary, or Medium
Think of IN as being surrounded by a 3D container, a defined area, or a specific medium/language.
Core Concept
- Inside a box, room, country, or a conceptual framework.
Developer Examples
- Languages & Mediums:
- “Please write the commit message in English.” (English is the medium/framework)
- “The backend is written in TypeScript.”
- Data & Code:
- “The user data is stored in the database.”
- “You can find the configuration in the root directory.”
2. ON : Contact with a Surface or Digital Platform
Think of ON as 2D contact (touching a surface) or being active on a network, platform, or screen.
Core Concept
- On top of a desk, on the wall, or on a digital screen/server.
Developer Examples
- UI & Web:
- “Click the button on the screen.”
- “The documentation is hosted on GitHub Pages.”
- Infrastructure & Platforms:
- “We deploy our workers on Cloudflare.”
- “The local server is running on port 8080.”
3. AT : A Specific Point or Target
Think of AT as a sharp pin on a map or a precise coordinate. It focuses on the exact location or event, rather than the inside or surface.
Core Concept
- At the intersection, at the door, or at a specific address/value.
Developer Examples
- Coordinates & Specific Positions:
- “The application crashed at line 42.”
- “Fetch the profile data at this API endpoint.”
- Time & Status:
- “The cron job triggers at midnight.”
4. BY : Proximity, Method, or Agent (The ‘How’)
Think of BY as “near something” or “through the mechanism of something.” It explains how an action gets done or who did it.
Core Concept
- Next to a window, by means of transportation, or an action done by a creator.
Developer Examples
- Mechanism & Authentication:
- “The data is filtered by the AI model.”
- “Users can authenticate by signing in with Google.”
- Authorship:
- “This open-source project was created by Seunggu.”
5. WITH : Tools, Accompaniment, or Co-existence
Think of WITH as holding a tool in your hand, or things moving together in partnership.
Core Concept
- With a hammer, walking with a friend, or an app with a specific feature.
Developer Examples
- Tools & Dependencies:
- “Build the project with the latest version of Node.js.”
- “I compiled the local code with Ollama.”
- Features & Bundles:
- “A technical blog designed with a clean, typography-focused layout.”
Quick Summary for Commits & Code Review
- In: Used for languages (
in English), files (in README.md), or environments (in production). - On: Used for branches (
on main), platforms (on GitHub), or devices (on mobile). - At: Used for precise targets (
at index 0,at line 15). - By: Used for methods (
by updating dependencies). - With: Used for tools (
built with Astro).