Questions tagged [particle]

Particles (조사, 토씨) are function words attached to nouns to mark their roles in a sentence, e.g. subject, object, direction, location, instrumentation, etc. Examples include 이/가, (ㄹ)을, (ㄴ)은, (으)로 and 에서. 체언이나 부사, 어미 따위에 붙어 그 말과 다른 말과의 문법적 관계를 표시하거나 그 말의 뜻을 도와주는 품사. 크게 격 조사, 접속 조사, 보조사로 나눈다.

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Grammatical Nuisance: The particle "in order" to in Korean ? [기 위해; 러 and 려고]

What different nuisance is conveyed in the following forms: 공부하기 위해 학교에 가고 있다 공부하러 학교에 가고 있다 공부하려고 학교에 가고 있다 The translations for both are: I’m going to school to study But is there any meaning ...
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Can the 는 be replaced in 는 동안(에)?

Can the 는 be replaced with ㄴ/은/던 for past and ㄹ/을 for future? The way I see it, it’s (noun)+동안, and the 는 makes the verb a noun. So the other ways should work, right? However, I haven’t been able to ...
0 votes
1 answer
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Meaning of Korean phrases structure suffixes

Do korean structure suffixes have any meaning alone or they only have meaning when used with verbs, adjectives, etc? For example V+곤 하다. Does "곤 하다" have any meaning alone as an expression? ...
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1 answer
186 views

Difference between 에게는 and 는

Sentence: 그런데 부족함이라고는 전혀 없는 더즐리 부부에게는 누구에게도 알리고 싶지 않은 비밀이 하나 있었다 Why is it 부부에게는 and not just 부부는 ?
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Does ~다가 always require an action in the following clause? (Possibly found an exception)

I am listening to Talk to Me in Korean's Iyagi #20 about dreams. I have multiple questions, but unless the mods recommend otherwise, I'll tackle them in separate question entries. So here is the ...
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1 vote
2 answers
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Particle variants after non-hangul script

I am currently extracting the scripts from a game in all locales to aid my study while playing it (e.g. faster dictionary lookup). I am actually doing this to study Japanese but the completionist in ...
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1 answer
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What purpose does 기 serve in this context?

I was watching a Kpop group answer some questions and one of the questions they got was “what do you want to do this year?” Their answer was to meet their fans (팬 만나기). So what purpose does the 기 ...
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1 answer
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Three instances of the 은 particle in a row

I'm having a hard time trying to guess the meaning of the third 은 in this sentence: 남산은 놉은 산은 아니지만 참 아름답습니다. I know that this sentence means "Namsan is not a tall mountain, but it's really ...
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2 answers
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Does 은/는 always imply contrast? How do you know when it doesn’t?

I have looked at many different sources and they seem to be saying similar things. That these particles are used for emphasis on the predicate, contrast, and old information. What I’m confused about ...
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Using the subject marker with 있어요

I have seen these sentences in my textbook (Korean Made Easy for Beginners): 이 근처에 화장실 있어요? 마크 씨, 동생 있어요? So, I wonder if we could use the subject marker here: 이 근처에 화장실이 있어요? 마크 씨, 동생이 있어요? If ...
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1 answer
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What is wrong with: 저는 펜을 있어요

The sentence in the subject line is one of the four choices given in Question #1 of the the first mini-test of HTSK - the objective is identify the one and only one sentence with correct particle ...
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1 answer
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만 vs 는/은 Difference in meaning

I thought I understood to some extent how the topic marking particle (는/은) worked, but I came across these two examples and now it's confused me again. 1.오늘만 일찍 왔어요 2.오늘은 일찍 왔어요 The way I translated ...
4 votes
4 answers
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Usage of object marking particle '을'

What meaning does the object marking particle(을) give in the sentence : "그가 중국에서 2년을 살았습니다."? If the sentence translates to "He lived in China for 2 years" in English, why is 을 ...
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1 answer
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Particle 로 or 으로 after consonant?

I stumbled upon what seems to be a contradiction in my beginner's course textbook. The book explains that the particle which indicates direction, "로", must be replaced by its variant "...
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Doubt about "Both X and Y"

As a beginner in Korean but with a knowledge of basic Japanese grammar, so far I tried to draw analogies between the grammars of both languages. Maybe it's not the right approach, but even so, I would ...
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What is the meaning of ~에를 and how is it different from just ~에?

In the following sentence: 오늘은 날씨가 너무 더워서 밖에를 못 나가겠어요. According to my dictionary, it seems to mean the location to which the verb does an action. But then what it the difference from just using 에? ...
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3 votes
1 answer
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Does the suffix 다 identify verbs and adjectives?

Even though I've read this article, I would still like to clarify something about the 다 particle/suffix (not sure of the terminology, as a beginner). So far, and as someone with a basic knowledge of ...
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2 votes
1 answer
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Absence of subject marker?

This sentence with a relative clause is intriguing me: 비행기를 보는 사람이 많습니다. [pihaenggi-reul po-neun saram-i manh-seumni-da] I know that this means "There are many people who are looking at the ...
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1 vote
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usage of 은/는 and 이/가 [duplicate]

In one of my lessons, in response to asking if they had an umbrella they responded "우산 없어요." They asked "그럼 이것은요?" I don't understand why they used 은 instead of 이 or an object particle.
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what does the particle ~하고 means?

I was trying to translate IU’s song entitled “Love Poem” then, I encountered the word “기도하고”. I know that “기도” means prayer but what does it mean if you put the particle “하고”?
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2 answers
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Usage of subject markers and topic markers

Q1: In certain sentences, either the subject or topic marker can be used for a particular noun, depending on the context and nuance. For example: 내 남동생이 예전에 노란 카나리아 한 마리를 키웠었는데, 아빠가 실수로 죽였어. 왜냐면 ...
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2 votes
2 answers
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I'm confused about subject and topic markers

As the title says, I'm confused about subject/topic markers. So I have a few questions about how they are used. Q1. Why is 출구는 used for A1, A3-5, but 출구가 is used for A2? A: (1)“Where should I go to ...
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Question about using particle 에 with Korean adverb 이제?

So I'm using the website, 'howtostudyKorean' and I have a question about a sentence I recently encountered. Here's the sentence. 저는 이제 수업을 시작할 거예요. Now this sentence is supposed to say, according to ...
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3 answers
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Usage of -이자 and -인 as suffix for nouns

I am using Google Translate to say the following sentence in Korean: Hello! I am Brian, a 2nd year computer science college student and a newcomer to Seoul. And this sentence came out: 안녕하세요! ...
3 votes
2 answers
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Is it true that Korean nouns and pronouns use different particles?

I've heard that there's some particle in Korean that can only be attached to nouns but never pronouns - and pronouns use some different particle instead. Is it true?
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Sentences with two subject markers [duplicate]

For example, the sentence: 내가 애기가 있어요. has two subject markers (가). What are rules or situations to know about when two subject markers are used and why?
3 votes
1 answer
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Strange use of (으)로

I want to ask about the use of (으)로 in the baduk (Go) book I'm reading now (이창호 타이틀 명국집2). The numbers (e.g. 백50) refer to the moves as they are labeled on the diagrams in the book. I'm used to the ...
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2 answers
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How do I use 도 (also, too)?

So I somewhat know how to use 도 without changing verbs to their noun form but when it comes to using it to change verbs into their noun form, that's where any understanding goes out the window. I ...
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2 votes
3 answers
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A subject marker question

A. 저는 여기가 처음이에요. B. 저는 이전에 여기 온 적있어요. Questions 여기 has a subject marker in the first sentence. Why is 여기 the subject? Shouldn't "I"(저) be the subject? Why is 여기 a subject in sentence A but not the ...
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1 answer
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Linguistic related question: 한국어 어절

I am majoring in Korean language and now stuck with the word 한국어 어절. While searching I found that 어절 is a combination of word and particle(조사) but so far it is not very clear. Could anyone help to ...
2 votes
1 answer
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What is the difference between ‘만’, ‘뿐’, ‘밖에’?

What is the difference in part of speech, meaning, and usage between ‘만’, ‘뿐’, and ‘밖에’?
3 votes
1 answer
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meaning of 입니까?

I saw this post where someone asked about the meaning of 지금 다른 나라는 며칠입니까. And I was wondering what does 입니까 mean and is it okay to use 지금 다른 나라는 며칠이에요? And can you also say 나라에 or 나라에서 (not sure when ...
6 votes
1 answer
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What does the particle -이자 mean?

If you pass 이자 (alone or attached to a noun) to Google Translate or Naver Translate, they both translate it as "interest" but the same two apps also use it as a particle (a postfix) that seems to mean ...
4 votes
1 answer
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Using 은/는 or 에 for a place

Question and answer: 백화점은 어땠습니까? 1.백화점에 사람 아주 많았습니다. 2.백화점은 사람 아주 많았습니다. The question and the answer #1 is from a Korean textbook (not written by a native Korean). I am not sure if the answer #2 is ...
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4 votes
2 answers
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I do not understand the need of two subject particles in 사람의 이름이 생각이 안 나요

I do not understand the need of two subject particles in 사람의 이름이 생각이 안 나요. There is only one verb but two subjects. Is it because 생각이 나다 is a fixed expression ? TIA.
7 votes
3 answers
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two subjects in 당신은 이름이 뭐예요?

I have just studied Korean for a short time. I am having problem with the sentence below. 당신은 이름이 뭐예요? = What is your name? My friend told me that there are two subjects in that sentence (당신 marked ...
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6 votes
1 answer
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How to make passives with the 에게 form

In these passive sentences, 에게 means "by" (by the policeman, by me) 범죄자가 경찰에게 잡혔다. 내 여자친구가 나에게 차였다. However, when I tried to make some more sentences like this, using passive verbs, I have had ...
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9 votes
3 answers
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Why use 가 in 의사가 되세요?

I'm learning about the usage on (으)세요, but my textbook explains that you cannot use 이다 in (으세요) form. So the following sentence is invalid: 의사이세요 However, the textbook says the correct form is ...
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7 votes
2 answers
539 views

The use of 는 after 에

I have read the following sentence: 휴게실에는 누가 있습니까? However, I don't understand why 는 is required here. Isn't it that 에 is enough to express the location, right? What is the difference between 에 ...
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8 votes
1 answer
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The particle (이)야 and its exact meaning

I am new to this particle and I found that its meaning varies. Currently, here is my interpretation: Emphasizing a difference (Please explain this one, I don't quite get it) Ex. 남이야 하나 마나 우린 꼭 합시다. -...
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6 votes
2 answers
1k views

Why 아무도, not 아무가 to express "nobody"?

In the following sentences: 아무도 안 앉아 있어요 아무도 안 뛰어올라요 Why does it require 도 to express nobody...? In the dictionary, 아무 means no one or nobody, so why is it not something like 아무가, which expresses ...
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7 votes
4 answers
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Expressing "from A to B" in a more concise way

In Korean, the simplest way to express 'from A to B' is no doubt 'A부터 B까지', or '부터' could be replaced by '에서' as in "A에서 B까지'. However, this requires adding a particle to both nouns. Is there a ...
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4 votes
2 answers
1k views

When should I use 이/가 as a 'copular complement particle'?

I've read that 이/가 can be used as a particle to mark the complement of the particle 이다, its negative counterpart 아니다, and the verb 되다. I have seen examples with 아니다 : 나는 아이가 아닙니다 – I am not a ...
3 votes
2 answers
138 views

How can I use ~(이)ㄹ랑 (or should I avoid it)? Is it only used for people?

너일랑 참견하지 말고 저리 가 있거라. – you stop interfering and go away! What meaning does this particle add? Is it just making the tone more aggressive, and if so, how aggressive is it? What would be some other ...
10 votes
1 answer
5k views

Are both 집에 있다 and 집에서 있다 correct? Is there a difference in meaning?

I believe that as well as meaning 'from', -에서 is used to mean 'doing an action in a place', while 에 is used to denote motion 'to' or 'into'. By this logic, 집에서 있다 seems more correct than 집에 있다, but ...
1 vote
2 answers
251 views

Does 즉슨 have any literal meaning on its own? What should I understand by the (이)ㄴ즉(슨) construction?

Here are three example sentences I have read with this construction, with possible translations: 사실인즉 : to tell the truth 말인즉 옳소 : what he says is true. 기회인즉 좋은 기회다 : about the ...
3 votes
1 answer
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When listing many objects, use one 과/나 or many?

When I have a sentence where I want to list many objects using and/or, like I have an apple, an orange, a pear, a watermelon, and a papaya. should the (ㄱ)와 or (이)나 be used after each object, or ...
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12 votes
4 answers
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What does it mean when we add 이/가 on to the object of the verb?

I've seen 그 것이 알고 싶다 translated as 'that's what I want to know', and 사과가 먹고 싶어요 translated as 'It’s the apple (in particular) that I want to eat'. In both of these sentences, it looks like 이/가 is ...
4 votes
2 answers
3k views

Is there a special meaning of '이' when added on to names?

I saw this example sentence: 만철이는 중국에 사는 조선족이랍니다 (They say that) Mancheol is a Korean who lives in China. is '이' here the subject particle '이'? I think I have also heard people say things ...
8 votes
1 answer
4k views

Are there any other honorific particles apart from 께서 and 께?

께서 is an honorific version of 이/가 : 아버님께서는 무엇을 하세요? What does your father do? 께 is an honorific version of 에게/한테: 할머님께 편지를 썼습니다. I wrote Grandmother a letter. examples from http://...