TOPIK I · LEVEL 1
-의
-의 links two nouns to show possession or belonging: A의 B = A's B.
조사ParticlesHan: 저의 is correct but stiff; in speech learners should use the contracted 제.
Examples
제 이름은 마리나예요.My name is Marina.
이것은 제 동생의 책이에요.This is my younger sibling's book.
한국의 수도는 서울입니다.The capital of Korea is Seoul.
Don’t mix up
-의vs-에의 (possession) and 에 (place/time) sound alike [에] but differ in spelling and meaning: 친구의 집 'a friend's house' vs 집에 가요 'go home'.How to build it
N+의+N
친구 → 친구의 가방
- In speech 의 is usually pronounced [에].
- With 나/저/너 it contracts: 나의 → 내, 저의 → 제, 너의 → 네.
- In everyday speech 의 is often dropped between close nouns: 친구 집, 학교 앞.
Classic mistake
Wrong: 저의 이름은 민수예요.
Right: 제 이름은 민수예요.
저의 is correct but stiff; in speech learners should use the contracted 제.
Practise -의 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.
- -은/는-은/는 marks what the sentence is about (the topic), often something already known, or something you are contrasting with another thing.
- -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".