TOPIK I · LEVEL 1
제일/가장
제일 and 가장 mean 'the most, the best': put before an adjective, verb or adverb, they make it superlative.
정도·비교Degree & comparisonHan: 제일 already means 'most'; 더 is only for comparing two things.
Examples
일 년 중에서 팔월이 가장 더워요.August is the hottest month of the year.
민지 씨는 무슨 계절을 제일 좋아해요?Minji, which season do you like best?
우리 반에서 아지즈 씨가 제일 키가 커요.Aziz is the tallest in our class.
Don’t mix up
제일/가장vsN보다 더더 compares two things (김밥보다 라면이 더 싸요); 제일/가장 picks one out of three or more.
제일/가장vs아주/정말아주 and 정말 mean 'very, really' with no comparison: 아주 맛있어요 'It’s very tasty' vs 제일 맛있어요 'It’s the tastiest.'
How to build it
(N 중에서 / N에서) 제일/가장+adjective/verb/adverb
과일 중에서 사과를 제일 좋아해요. 우리 반에서 가장 빨리 걸어요.
- Put 제일/가장 right before the word it strengthens: 제일 맛있어요, 가장 빨리, 제일 좋아해요. The group comes first with 중에서 or 에서: 반에서 제일 커요.
- They mean the same. 제일 is more common in conversation; 가장 is neutral and the usual choice in writing, news and TOPIK texts.
- Don’t add 더 after them: 제일 맛있어요, not 제일 더 맛있어요. 제일 can also be a noun, 'number one': 건강이 제일이에요 'Health comes first.'
Classic mistake
Wrong: 저는 한국 음식 중에서 비빔밥을 제일 더 좋아해요.
Right: 저는 한국 음식 중에서 비빔밥을 제일 좋아해요.
제일 already means 'most'; 더 is only for comparing two things.
Practise 제일/가장 on real TOPIK questions
Hannim plans each day up to your exam date: questions on this pattern, reviews, full mock papers and graded writing. 7 days free, no card.
Start 7-day free trialMore level 1 grammar
All TOPIK grammar- 몇몇 asks 'how many' or 'what number' and always comes right before a counter such as 개, 명, 시 or 살.
- 한자어 숫자 (일, 이, 삼)Sino-Korean numbers (from Chinese) are used for money, dates, minutes, phone numbers, floors, numbered things, and every number from 100 up.
- 고유어 숫자 + 단위 (하나, 둘, 셋)Native Korean numbers (하나, 둘, 셋…) are used to count things and people with a counter word, and for hours and age.
- -(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.
- -(으)ㄹ 거예요Use -(으)ㄹ 거예요 to say what you plan to do in the future, or to make a guess about something you are not sure of.
- -(으)시--(으)시- goes inside a verb or adjective to show respect to the person doing the action (the subject).
- -(으)려고Links an intention to the action taken to achieve it: 'in order to, so as to'. Neutral, everyday register.
- -(으)세요-(으)세요 is the polite honorific ending: it shows respect to the subject in statements and questions (선생님은 책을 읽으세요), and with action verbs it politely tells or asks the listener to do something (앉으세요).