TOPIK II · LEVEL 3
-(이)야
-(이)야 emphasizes a topic as obvious or as the only one meant: 'as for N, of course …'.
조사ParticlesHan: (이)야 replaces 은/는; don't stack them.
Examples
저야 언제든지 괜찮아요.As for me, any time is fine.
돈이야 벌면 되지만 건강은 한번 잃으면 끝이에요.Money you can earn again, but once health is lost, that's it.
말이야 쉽지만 실제로 하기는 어려워요.Saying it is easy, but actually doing it is hard.
Don’t mix up
-(이)야vs-은/는은/는 marks a topic neutrally; (이)야 adds 'of course / as for that one'.How to build it
N(vowel)+야
N(consonant)+이야
나 → 나야, 돈 → 돈이야
- Often with 물론, 당연히 or a following contrast: 말이야 쉽지만 'saying it is easy, but…'.
- Mostly spoken.
Classic mistake
Wrong: 저는야 괜찮아요.
Right: 저야 괜찮아요.
(이)야 replaces 은/는; don't stack them.
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All TOPIK grammar- -(이)라도N(이)라도 means "at least N": you settle for something that is not ideal but is better than nothing.
- -뿐Attached to a noun, it means 'only N, nothing but N', usually as N뿐이다 'it is only N' or N뿐만 아니라 'not only N'. More emphatic than 만.
- -요 (높임 조사)A particle added to a word, phrase or connective ending to make a short or unfinished utterance polite (해요-style): 저요, 커피요, 왜요?, 그래서요.
- -보고Colloquial particle marking the person a remark, request or label is aimed at: 'to (someone)', with verbs of saying. Often carries a note of complaint or surprise.
- -에다가-에다가 marks the place where something is put or added ('onto / into'), or something added on top ('in addition to').
- N대로The particle 대로 on a noun means 'according to N, just as N says' (약속대로, 계획대로), 'as one likes' in 마음대로, and, in N은 N대로, 'each on its own, separately'.
- -(으)ㅁ-(으)ㅁ turns a verb or adjective into a noun; it is used in notes, notices, memos and written records.
- -(으)며-(으)며 is a formal, written 'and' (listing) or 'while' (two actions at once).
- -(으)ㄹ 겸-(으)ㄹ 겸 gives one of two or more purposes for a single action: 'partly to …, and also to …'.