A1
은/는 — what the sentence is about
How the Korean topic particle 은/는 works, when to use each form, and why the topic is not the same thing as the subject.
은/는 marks what the sentence is about. It attaches directly to the noun, with no space.
저는 학생이에요.
Jeoneun haksaeng-ieyo.
I’m a student.
오늘은 추워요.
Oneureun chuwoyo.
It’s cold today.
Which form
은 after a consonant, 는 after a vowel. Korean particles come in pairs like this throughout, and the choice is purely about sound.
| 학생 → 학생은 | ends in ㅇ, a consonant |
| 저 → 저는 | ends in a vowel |
Topic, not subject
Like Japanese は, 은/는 says what is being discussed rather than who acted. English has no equivalent, so it takes a while.
코끼리는 코가 길어요.
Kkokkiri-neun ko-ga gireoyo.
Elephants have long trunks.
Read literally: as for elephants, the trunk is long. 코끼리 is the topic, 코 is the subject of 길다 — see 이/가.
Contrast
은/는 carries a hint of comparison with something unsaid, which is why it turns up whenever two things are being set against each other.
커피는 좋아하는데 차는 안 좋아해요.
Keopineun joahaneunde chaneun an joahaeyo.
I like coffee but not tea.
It replaces 이/가 and 을/를
The topic marker takes the place of the subject and object particles rather than stacking with them.
저는이 학생이에요.
저는 학생이에요.
은/는 and 이/가 cannot both attach to the same word. One ending per noun.