Korean Grammar Notes

Korean particles have two forms. Which one you use depends on the last sound of the word before it.

Korean syllables can end in a consonant. That final consonant is called 받침 (batchim).

학교 ends in ㅛ — a vowel. No batchim. 학생 ends in ㅇ — a consonant. It has batchim.

Most particles have two forms, one for each case. The rule is always the same: the form that starts with a consonant goes after a vowel, and the form that starts with a vowel goes after a consonant. Korean is avoiding two vowels or two consonants crashing together.

You do not have to memorise which particle is which. Say it out loud — the wrong one is hard to pronounce.

• 학교가hakgyo-gathe school (subject)vowel ending → 가
• 학생이haksaeng-ithe student (subject)consonant ending → 이
• 커피를keopi-reulcoffee (object)vowel ending → 를
• 물을mul-eulwater (object)consonant ending → 을

ㄹ counts as a consonant, so 물 takes 을 — even though it sounds smooth either way.

Marks what the sentence is about. Often translates to nothing at all in English.

은/는 announces the topic: "as for X…". English has no equivalent particle, so it usually disappears in translation.

Use 은 after a consonant, 는 after a vowel.

Three jobs: 1. Introducing what you are talking about — 저는 학생입니다. 2. Contrasting two things — 커피는 좋아해요. 차는 안 좋아해요. 3. Returning to something already known — once a thing is established, it takes 은/는.

• 저는 미국 사람입니다.jeo-neun miguk saram-imnida.I am American.
• 오늘은 바빠요.oneul-eun bappayo.Today I am busy.as for today — implying other days differ
• 형은 의사이고 동생은 학생이에요.hyeong-eun uisa-igo dongsaeng-eun haksaeng-ieyo.My older brother is a doctor and my younger sibling is a student.contrast

Marks who or what is doing the verb, especially when that is the new information.

이/가 marks the grammatical subject. Use 이 after a consonant, 가 after a vowel.

Reach for 이/가 when the subject is what is new or being singled out:

누가 왔어요? — 친구가 왔어요. Who came? — A friend came.

The answer to a "who/what" question almost always takes 이/가, never 은/는. The question word itself takes 이/가 too — 누가, 뭐가.

• 비가 와요.bi-ga wayo.It is raining.literally: rain comes
• 이름이 뭐예요?ireum-i mwoyeyo?What is your name?
• 시간이 없어요.sigan-i eopseoyo.I do not have time.

Old information takes 은/는. New information takes 이/가.

This is the single hardest thing in beginner Korean, and no rule covers every case. But one idea covers most of them.

이/가 introduces. 은/는 continues.

옛날에 한 남자가 살았어요. Once there was a man. ← first mention: 가 그 남자는 아주 가난했어요. The man was very poor. ← now known: 는

Same in conversation. When you walk in and someone asks what happened, the new thing takes 가. Once it is on the table, it switches to 는.

A second use: 은/는 always wins when you are contrasting. Even a brand-new noun takes 는 if you are setting it against something else.

Getting this wrong does not make you unintelligible. It makes you sound like you are emphasising something odd — as if an English speaker said "THE man was poor" with no reason.

• 한국 음식이 맛있어요.hanguk eumsik-i masisseoyo.Korean food is delicious.stating a fact, new
• 한국 음식은 맛있어요.hanguk eumsik-eun masisseoyo.Korean food (unlike some other food) is delicious.implies a comparison

Beginners overuse 은/는 because it is taught first. When in doubt about a plain statement of fact, 이/가 is safer.

Marks the thing the verb acts on. 을 after a consonant, 를 after a vowel.

Korean puts the verb last, so the object comes before it:

저는 책을 읽어요. I book read.

Because the particle tells you what the object is, word order can move without confusion. 책을 저는 읽어요 is still "I read a book" — unusual, but clear.

In casual speech 을/를 is often dropped entirely: 밥 먹었어? "Did you eat?" This is normal and not sloppy.

• 물을 마셔요.mul-eul masyeoyo.I drink water.
• 한국어를 배워요.hangugeo-reul baewoyo.I study Korean.
• 친구를 만났어요.chingu-reul mannasseoyo.I met a friend.만나다 takes 를, unlike English "meet with"

A place you go to, a place something exists, or a point in time.

에 has one form only — no batchim pair to worry about.

Three uses: 1. Destination with 가다 / 오다 — 학교에 가요. 2. Existence with 있다 / 없다 — 집에 있어요. 3. Time — 세 시에 만나요.

The key contrast is with 에서 (next note): 에 is where something *is* or *goes*; 에서 is where something *happens*.

• 학교에 가요.hakgyo-e gayo.I go to school.
• 책상 위에 있어요.chaeksang wi-e isseoyo.It is on the desk.
• 월요일에 시작해요.woryoil-e sijakhaeyo.It starts on Monday.

오늘, 내일, 어제, 지금 never take 에. 오늘에 갔어요 is wrong — just 오늘 갔어요.

The place an action takes place, or the place you came from.

에서 marks the location of an action:

집에서 공부해요. I study at home.

Compare with 에:

집에 있어요. I am at home. ← existing 집에서 먹어요. I eat at home. ← doing

Ask yourself whether the verb is something you *do*. 있다, 없다, 살다 and 가다 take 에. Everything you actively do takes 에서.

에서 also means "from" a place: 한국에서 왔어요. I came from Korea.

• 카페에서 일해요.kape-eseo ilhaeyo.I work at a cafe.
• 어디에서 왔어요?eodi-eseo wasseoyo?Where are you from?
• 집에서 학교까지 30분이에요.jib-eseo hakgyo-kkaji samsip-bun-ieyo.It is 30 minutes from home to school.

살다 (to live) takes 에 or 에서 depending on the sentence: 서울에 살아요 is the normal form.

Does the verb describe existence and movement, or an activity? That decides it.

One test settles almost every case.

Can you picture the action happening inside that place?

도서관에서 공부해요. Studying happens inside the library. → 에서 도서관에 가요. Going does not happen inside — it ends there. → 에

Verbs that take 에: 가다, 오다, 있다, 없다, 살다, 다니다, 도착하다. Verbs that take 에서: 공부하다, 일하다, 먹다, 만나다, 놀다, 사다, and most others.

Getting this wrong is one of the most noticeable beginner mistakes, and also one of the easiest to fix.

• 식당에 가서 밥을 먹었어요.sikdang-e gaseo bab-eul meogeosseoyo.I went to a restaurant and ate.going → 에
• 식당에서 밥을 먹었어요.sikdang-eseo bab-eul meogeosseoyo.I ate at a restaurant.eating → 에서

The tool you use, the direction you head, or the language you speak in.

Use 으로 after a consonant, 로 after a vowel. ㄹ is the exception — it takes 로, not 으로 (서울로, not 서울으로).

Three uses: 1. Means or tool — 젓가락으로 먹어요. I eat with chopsticks. 2. Direction — 왼쪽으로 가세요. Go to the left. 3. Language or material — 한국어로 말해요. I speak in Korean.

Direction with 로 is looser than destination with 에. 학교에 가요 means you arrive at school. 학교로 가요 means you head that way.

• 버스로 가요.beoseu-ro gayo.I go by bus.
• 이걸로 주세요.igeol-lo juseyo.I will take this one, please.
• 영어로 써 주세요.yeongeo-ro sseo juseyo.Please write it in English.

ㄹ-final nouns drop the 으: 지하철로, 연필로, 서울로.

Three ways to say "and" between nouns. They differ in formality, not meaning.

All three join nouns, and all three also mean "with".

와 / 과 written, formal. 와 after a vowel, 과 after a consonant. 하고 neutral, very common in speech. One form only. (이)랑 casual, friendly. 이랑 after a consonant, 랑 after a vowel.

Note that 와/과 is backwards from most particles — 와 goes after a vowel even though it starts with a consonant. This one you do have to memorise.

These join nouns only. To join two clauses you need -고 (see the connecting-endings note).

• 커피와 빵keopi-wa ppangcoffee and bread
• 친구하고 갔어요.chingu-hago gasseoyo.I went with a friend.
• 동생이랑 놀았어요.dongsaeng-irang norasseoyo.I played with my younger sibling.

Do not use 와/과 to join sentences. "I ate and I left" needs -고, not 과.

Replaces 은/는, 이/가 and 을/를 rather than stacking on them.

도 means "also". One form, no batchim pair.

The important part is what it does to other particles. 도 replaces the topic, subject and object markers:

저는 학생이에요. → 저도 학생이에요. (not 저는도) 커피를 마셔요. → 커피도 마셔요. (not 커피를도)

But it stacks on place particles:

학교에도 갔어요. I went to school too. 집에서도 공부해요. I study at home too.

In a negative sentence 도 means "either": 저도 안 갔어요. I didn't go either.

• 저도 가고 싶어요.jeo-do gago sipeoyo.I want to go too.
• 이것도 주세요.igeot-do juseyo.Give me this one as well.
• 한 명도 없어요.han myeong-do eopseoyo.There is not even one person.

Limits to one thing. Like 도, it replaces the subject and object markers.

만 means "only" or "just". One form.

Like 도, it pushes out 은/는, 이/가, 을/를:

물만 마셔요. I drink only water. (not 물을만)

And like 도, it stacks on place particles: 집에서만 공부해요.

You will often see 만 with 있다: 하나만 있어요. There is only one.

• 한 번만 해 주세요.han beon-man hae juseyo.Please do it just once.
• 너만 알고 있어.neo-man algo isseo.Keep it to yourself.literally: only you know it

Marks possession, and is usually left out in speech.

의 links two nouns: A의 B means "B of A".

친구의 책 my friend's book

In everyday speech it is usually dropped — 친구 책 is more natural. Keep it in writing, and keep it when leaving it out would be ambiguous.

Two contractions are worth memorising because they are extremely common:

저의 → 제 my (humble) 나의 → 내 my (casual)

When 의 is a particle it is pronounced 에, not 의. 친구의 sounds like 친구에.

• 제 이름은 민수예요.je ireum-eun Minsu-yeyo.My name is Minsu.
• 한국의 역사hanguk-ui yeoksathe history of Korea

The person receiving something. 에 is for places; people need these.

Korean does not use 에 for people. Giving a book to a friend needs 에게 or 한테.

에게 written and formal 한테 spoken and casual — same meaning 께 honorific, for someone older or senior

Add 서 to reverse the direction: 친구한테서 받았어요. I received it from a friend.

The verb decides which you need. 주다 (give), 보내다 (send), 말하다 (tell), 전화하다 (call) all take a person marked this way.

• 친구한테 전화했어요.chingu-hante jeonhwahaesseoyo.I called a friend.
• 선생님께 여쭤봤어요.seonsaengnim-kke yeojjwobwasseoyo.I asked the teacher.honorific 께 with humble 여쭤보다

학교에 갔어요 (place) but 선생님한테 갔어요 (person). Using 에 for a person is a clear mistake.

A span, in time or in space. Often used as a pair.

부터 marks a starting point, 까지 an end point. Both have one form.

For time, use 부터 … 까지: 아홉 시부터 여섯 시까지 일해요.

For place, use 에서 … 까지: 집에서 학교까지 걸어가요.

That difference matters. 집부터 is unusual; 집에서 is what a speaker actually says.

까지 alone can also mean "even": 너까지? Even you?

• 월요일부터 금요일까지woryoil-buteo geumyoil-kkajifrom Monday to Friday
• 언제까지 해야 돼요?eonje-kkaji haeya dwaeyo?By when do I have to do it?

The most formal everyday ending. News, presentations, the army, customer service.

Attach -습니다 to a stem ending in a consonant, -ㅂ니다 to one ending in a vowel.

먹다 → 먹습니다 가다 → 갑니다

Questions swap 다 for 까: 갑니까?

This is the register of announcements and first meetings. Between friends it sounds stiff, almost military. Most learners should be fluent in -아요/-어요 first, and use -습니다 for introductions and formal writing.

입니다 is the same ending on 이다 (to be): 저는 학생입니다.

• 안녕하십니까?annyeonghasimnikka?Hello. (formal)
• 감사합니다.gamsahamnida.Thank you.
• 잘 모르겠습니다.jal moreugesseumnida.I am not sure.

The ending you will use most. Polite without being stiff.

Look at the last vowel of the verb stem.

ㅏ or ㅗ → -아요 받다 → 받아요, 좋다 → 좋아요 anything else → -어요 먹다 → 먹어요, 읽다 → 읽어요 하다 → 해요 공부하다 → 공부해요

Many stems contract: 가다 → 가요 (not 가아요), 오다 → 와요, 보다 → 봐요.

The same form does four jobs. Only the intonation changes:

가요. I am going. statement 가요? Are you going? question 가요! Let's go. suggestion 가요. Go. request

That is why this ending is worth learning thoroughly before anything else.

• 어디 가요?eodi gayo?Where are you going?
• 같이 먹어요.gachi meogeoyo.Let’s eat together.
• 괜찮아요.gwaenchanayo.It is fine.

Korean verbs change ending depending on your relationship to the listener. Choosing wrong is the mistake people notice.

The same sentence has several forms:

갑니다 formal polite announcements, strangers, business 가요 polite the default for adults you are not close to 가 casual (반말) close friends, younger people, family

Getting this wrong is not a grammar error — it is a social one. Using 반말 with someone older or newly met is rude in a way that a wrong particle never is.

The safe rule for a learner: use 요 with everyone until the other person invites you to drop it (말 놓으세요). Nobody is offended by being spoken to politely.

There is also a separate honorific -시- that raises the *subject* rather than the listener: 선생님이 가세요. You can learn this later; it does not overlap with the above.

• 어디 가세요?eodi gaseyo?Where are you going? (to someone senior)
• 어디 가요?eodi gayo?Where are you going? (polite default)
• 어디 가?eodi ga?Where are you going? (to a close friend)

Do not mix levels in one conversation. Switching from 요 to 반말 mid-conversation reads as sudden coldness or over-familiarity.

Korean is subject–object–verb, and the particles matter more than the order.

English is S-V-O. Korean is S-O-V.

저는 커피를 마셔요. I coffee drink.

Because every noun carries a particle saying what role it plays, the order in front of the verb is flexible. All of these are correct:

저는 커피를 마셔요. 커피를 저는 마셔요. 저는 마셔요, 커피를.

Only one thing is fixed: the verb ends the sentence. Everything else can move for emphasis.

This has a practical consequence for listening. The most important word — the verb, and whether it is negative — comes last. You cannot start translating until the sentence is over. Learners who try to translate as they hear will always fall behind.

• 저는 어제 친구를 만났어요.jeo-neun eoje chingu-reul mannasseoyo.I met a friend yesterday.
• 어제 저는 친구를 만났어요.eoje jeo-neun chingu-reul mannasseoyo.Yesterday I met a friend.same meaning, time emphasised

Two ways to say "and". One is a list, the other is a reason or a sequence.

-고 simply lists. The two halves are independent.

밥을 먹고 커피를 마셨어요. I ate and drank coffee.

-아서 / -어서 links them causally or in sequence. The first must happen for the second to make sense.

배가 고파서 밥을 먹었어요. I was hungry, so I ate.

The difference shows up with movement verbs:

학교에 가고 공부했어요. I went to school. Also, I studied. (possibly elsewhere) 학교에 가서 공부했어요. I went to school and studied there.

Vowel choice follows the same rule as -아요/-어요: ㅏ/ㅗ take -아서, everything else -어서, 하다 becomes 해서.

One restriction worth knowing: -아서/어서 cannot carry past tense on the first clause. 먹었어서 is wrong — the tense goes on the final verb only.

• 늦어서 죄송합니다.neujeoseo joesonghamnida.I am sorry for being late.
• 싸고 맛있어요.ssago masisseoyo.It is cheap and delicious.
• 친구를 만나서 영화를 봤어요.chingu-reul mannaseo yeonghwa-reul bwasseoyo.I met a friend and we watched a film.

-아서/어서 cannot be used to give a reason for a command or suggestion. "It is cold, so close the window" needs -(으)니까, not -어서.