TOPIK I · LEVEL 1
-은/는
-은/는 marks what the sentence is about (the topic), often something already known, or something you are contrasting with another thing.
조사ParticlesHan: A question word used as the subject asks for new information, so it normally takes 이/가: use 누가 (누구 + 가) instead of 누구는.
Examples
제 이름은 김민수예요.My name is Kim Minsu.
저는 우즈베키스탄 사람이에요.I am Uzbek.
오늘은 날씨가 좋아요.The weather is nice today.
사과는 좋아해요. 그런데 바나나는 안 좋아해요.I like apples. But I don't like bananas.
Don’t mix up
-은/는vs-이/가이/가 marks the subject as new or focused information, 은/는 marks a known topic: 저기 학생이 있어요 (new) vs 그 학생은 제 친구예요 (known).-은/는vs-도도 means "also/too" and replaces 은/는, it does not combine with it: 저는 학생이에요. 친구도 학생이에요.How to build it
N (ending in a consonant)+은
N (ending in a vowel)+는
책 → 책은, 저 → 저는
- Choose by the last sound of the noun: 은 after a final consonant (선생님은), 는 after a vowel (친구는).
- A question word that is the subject normally takes 이/가, not 은/는: 누가, 뭐가, 어디가. (은/는 appears with question words only as a topic or contrast, as in 이건 뭐예요?)
- When answering "who/what did it?", the new information takes 이/가, not 은/는: 누가 왔어요? — 민수가 왔어요.
- Using 은/는 on two things in a row signals contrast: 커피는 마셔요. 차는 안 마셔요.
Classic mistake
Wrong: 누구는 선생님이에요?
Right: 누가 선생님이에요?
A question word used as the subject asks for new information, so it normally takes 이/가: use 누가 (누구 + 가) instead of 누구는.
Practise -은/는 on real TOPIK questions
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All TOPIK grammar- -(으)로-(으)로 marks the direction you head toward, the means or tool you use, or what something is made of.
- -(이)나(이)나 links two nouns as alternatives ("A or B"), and after a number it shows an approximate amount in questions or a surprisingly large amount in statements.
- -도-도 attaches to a noun to say that this thing is 'also' included, adding it to something already mentioned.
- -만Attach 만 to a noun to say 'only this one and nothing else'.
- -에에 marks the place where something is, the place you go to, or the time when something happens.
- -의-의 links two nouns to show possession or belonging: A의 B = A's B.
- -을/를을/를 sits right after a noun to show it is the thing the action is done to, the direct object.
- -이/가이/가 attaches to a noun to show it is the subject, the one who does something or is described, and often presents it as new or focused information.
- -와/과 (하고/랑)와/과, 하고 and (이)랑 join two nouns as "A and B" or show the person you do something "with".