Particles in Depth

Korean Grammar 4

Course 4 Β· Chapter 9 Β· Particles in Depth

πŸ”— Particles in Depth β€” 쑰사 심화

Particles are the small words attached to nouns that show their job in the sentence. By now you know the basic ones. This chapter sharpens the choices that even advanced learners get wrong: 은/λŠ” versus 이/κ°€, the family of "to / at / from" particles, the focus particles that add "only", "even" and "from… until", how particles stack, and what happens to them with passives and causatives.

The rule in one box 이/κ°€ presents the subject as new or answering a question; 은/λŠ” marks a topic or a contrast. 에 goes with things and places, μ—κ²Œ/ν•œν…Œ with people and animals, 께 with respected people, and μ—μ„œ with where an action happens or where something comes from. Focus particles replace 이/κ°€ and 을/λ₯Ό but stack after 에, μ—μ„œ, μ—κ²Œ.

은/λŠ” versus 이/κ°€

이/가은/λŠ”
introduces something newtalks about something already known
answers "who / what?"sets a topic ("as for…")
focuses on the subjectcontrasts it with something else
SituationExample
Answering "who?"λˆ„κ°€ μ™”μ–΄μš”? – λ―Όμˆ˜κ°€ μ™”μ–΄μš”. Minsu came.
Story: new, then knownμ˜›λ‚ μ— ν•œ 왕이 μ‚΄μ•˜μ–΄μš”. κ·Έ 왕은 μ•„μ£Ό λΆ€μžμ˜€μ–΄μš”. Once upon a time a king lived. That king was very rich.
Contrastμ»€ν”ΌλŠ” λ§ˆμ‹œμ§€λ§Œ μ°¨λŠ” μ•ˆ λ§ˆμ…”μš”. I drink coffee, but not tea.
After λ˜λ‹€ / μ•„λ‹ˆλ‹€μ˜μ‚¬κ°€ λ˜μ—ˆλ‹€. 학생이 μ•„λ‹ˆλ‹€.
Topic + subjectμ €λŠ” 머리가 μ•„νŒŒμš”. As for me, my head hurts.

에 / μ—μ„œ / μ—κ²Œ / ν•œν…Œ / 께

ParticleUseExample
에time; destination; where something exists; thing receiving an action학ꡐ에 κ°€μš”. 집에 μžˆμ–΄μš”. 꽃에 물을 μ€˜μš”.
μ—μ„œwhere an action happens; "from" a place; an organisation as the actorλ„μ„œκ΄€μ—μ„œ κ³΅λΆ€ν•΄μš”. μ„œμšΈμ—μ„œ μ™”μ–΄μš”.
μ—κ²Œ"to" a person or animal (written)μΉœκ΅¬μ—κ²Œ 선물을 μ€¬μ–΄μš”.
ν•œν…Œthe same, spokenμΉœκ΅¬ν•œν…Œ μ „ν™”ν–ˆμ–΄μš”.
께honorific "to"μ„ μƒλ‹˜κ»˜ λ“œλ Έμ–΄μš”.
μ—κ²Œμ„œ / ν•œν…Œμ„œ"from" a personμΉœκ΅¬ν•œν…Œμ„œ νŽΈμ§€λ₯Ό λ°›μ•˜μ–΄μš”.

The honorific subject particle κ»˜μ„œ replaces 이/κ°€ for a respected person: μ„ μƒλ‹˜κ»˜μ„œ μ˜€μ…¨μ–΄μš”.

Focus particles

ParticleMeaningExample
만only물만 λ§ˆμ…”μš”. I drink only water.
밖에only (with a negative)ν•˜λ‚˜λ°–μ— μ—†μ–΄μš”. There is only one.
도also, too저도 κ°ˆκ²Œμš”. I'll go too.
μ‘°μ°¨even (unexpected, usually negative)이름쑰차 λͺ°λΌμš”. I don't even know the name.
λ§ˆμ €even / the last one too (feels sad or severe)λ„ˆλ§ˆμ € λ– λ‚˜λŠ”κ΅¬λ‚˜. Even you are leaving.
λΆ€ν„°from (a starting point)μ•„μΉ¨λΆ€ν„° λΉ„κ°€ μ™€μš”. It has rained since morning.
κΉŒμ§€until; also "even"μ €λ…κΉŒμ§€ μΌν–ˆμ–΄μš”. I worked until evening.

Stacking particles

You can add 은/λŠ”, 도 or 만 after 에, μ—μ„œ, μ—κ²Œ, ν•œν…Œ, λΆ€ν„°, κΉŒμ§€ to add contrast or emphasis, but they replace 이/κ°€ and 을/λ₯Ό rather than sitting beside them.

CombinationExampleMeaning
μ—μ„œ + λŠ”μ§‘μ—μ„œλŠ” μ‘°μš©ν•΄μš”.At home it is quiet (but not elsewhere).
μ—μ„œ + λ„νšŒμ‚¬μ—μ„œλ„ μΌν•΄μš”.I work at the office too.
μ—κ²Œ + λ§Œλ„ˆμ—κ²Œλ§Œ λ§ν• κ²Œ.I'll tell only you.
을/λ₯Ό + 만 β†’ λ§Œμ±…λ§Œ μ½μ–΄μš”.I read only books.
이/κ°€ + 도 β†’ 도비도 μ™€μš”.It rains too.

Particles with passives and causatives

When a sentence becomes passive, the object becomes the subject (이/κ°€), and the doer is marked with μ—κ²Œ / ν•œν…Œ (a person or animal) or 에 (a thing).

TypeExample
Active고양이가 μ₯λ₯Ό μž‘μ•˜λ‹€. The cat caught the mouse.
Passiveμ₯κ°€ κ³ μ–‘μ΄μ—κ²Œ μž‘ν˜”λ‹€. The mouse was caught by the cat.
Passive (thing)λ°”λžŒμ— 문이 λ‹«ν˜”λ‹€. The door was shut by the wind.
Causativeμ–΄λ¨Έλ‹ˆκ°€ μ•„μ΄μ—κ²Œ μ˜·μ„ μž…ν˜”λ‹€. Mother dressed the child.
Causative, intransitive verbμ–΄λ¨Έλ‹ˆκ°€ 아이λ₯Ό μž¬μ› λ‹€. Mother put the child to sleep.
Watch out: three common slips (1) Do not write μ±…μ„λ§Œ or 비가도; the focus particle replaces 을/λ₯Ό and 이/κ°€. (2) Use 에 for places and things, μ—κ²Œ/ν•œν…Œ for people: 학ꡐ에 κ°„λ‹€, μΉœκ΅¬μ—κ²Œ κ°„λ‹€ (never μΉœκ΅¬μ— for a person). (3) 에 and μ—μ„œ are different: 집에 μžˆμ–΄μš” (it exists there) but μ§‘μ—μ„œ μ‰¬μ–΄μš” (the action happens there).

πŸ—£οΈ In Use β€” μ‹€μ œ 예문

Three short examples.

β‘  Who and as-for

λˆ„κ°€ 케이크λ₯Ό λ§Œλ“€μ—ˆμ–΄μš”? Who made the cake?
μ œκ°€ λ§Œλ“€μ—ˆμ–΄μš”. μΌ€μ΄ν¬λŠ” μ²˜μŒμ΄μ—μš”. I made it. As for cake, it's my first time.

β‘‘ Only and even

κ·Έ μ‚¬λžŒμ€ 이름쑰차 λͺ°λΌμš”. μ–Όκ΅΄λ§Œ μ•Œμ•„μš”. I don't even know that person's name. I only know the face.

β‘’ Passive

제 μš°μ‚°μ΄ λ°”λžŒμ— λ‚ μ•„κ°”μ–΄μš”. My umbrella was blown away by the wind.

πŸ“‹ Quick Reference β€” μš”μ•½ν‘œ

NeedParticle
New subject / answer to "who?"이/κ°€
Topic or contrast은/λŠ”
Destination, existence, time에
Where an action happens; from a placeμ—μ„œ
To a person / honorificμ—κ²Œ, ν•œν…Œ / 께
Only / even만, 밖에 / μ‘°μ°¨, λ§ˆμ €
From / untilλΆ€ν„° / κΉŒμ§€

✏️ Try It Yourself β€” μ—°μŠ΅

Work out the answer first, then click to check.

1. Choose 은/λŠ” or 이/κ°€: λˆ„κ΅¬___ μ™”μ–΄μš”? (Who came?)

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λˆ„κ°€. A question word takes 이/κ°€.

2. "I like coffee but not tea." Which particles?

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μ»€ν”ΌλŠ” μ’‹μ•„ν•˜μ§€λ§Œ μ°¨λŠ” μ•ˆ μ’‹μ•„ν•΄μš”. 은/λŠ” marks the contrast.

3. Choose 에 or μ—μ„œ: λ„μ„œκ΄€___ κ³΅λΆ€ν•΄μš”.

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μ—μ„œ (the action happens there).

4. Choose 에 or μ—κ²Œ: 친ꡬ___ νŽΈμ§€λ₯Ό μΌμ–΄μš”.

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μ—κ²Œ (a person).

5. Say "I gave it to my teacher" with the honorific particle.

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μ„ μƒλ‹˜κ»˜ λ“œλ Έμ–΄μš”.

6. Say "I read only books" correctly.

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μ±…λ§Œ μ½μ–΄μš”. 만 replaces 을/λ₯Ό.

7. Say "There is only one" using 밖에.

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ν•˜λ‚˜λ°–μ— μ—†μ–΄μš”. 밖에 needs a negative.

8. Make the passive of 고양이가 μ₯λ₯Ό μž‘μ•˜λ‹€.

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μ₯κ°€ κ³ μ–‘μ΄μ—κ²Œ μž‘ν˜”λ‹€.

9. Say "Mother put the child to sleep."

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μ–΄λ¨Έλ‹ˆκ°€ 아이λ₯Ό μž¬μ› λ‹€.

Coming up in Chapter 10: Reading Real Texts and Putting It Together. You will read a news paragraph, an email, a social post and a short story, see the whole grammar track on one map, work through an error clinic, and finish the course.