Topic and Subject Particles · 은/는, 이/가

3. Examples

Example 1 — Introducing yourself

저는 학생이에요.
jeo-neun hak-saeng-i-e-yo.
→ I am a student.

제 이름은 민수예요.
je i-reu-meun min-su-ye-yo.
→ My name is Minsu.

저는 한국 사람이 아니에요.
jeo-neun han-guk sa-ra-mi a-ni-e-yo.
→ I am not Korean.

친구는 선생님이에요.
chin-gu-neun seon-saeng-ni-mi-e-yo.
→ My friend is a teacher.

When you introduce yourself, you name a topic first. That is why 저는 and 이름은 use 은/는. The noun 이름 ends in a consonant, so it takes 은, and 저 ends in a vowel, so it takes 는.

In the third sentence, 사람이 is followed by 아니에요. The particle 이 appears there because the word before 아니다 usually takes 이/가.

Example 2 — Saying what exists

책상 위에 책이 있어요.
chaek-sang wi-e chae-gi i-sseo-yo.
→ There is a book on the desk.

동생이 있어요.
dong-saeng-i i-sseo-yo.
→ I have a younger sibling.

고양이가 귀여워요.
go-yang-i-ga gwi-yeo-wo-yo.
→ The cat is cute.

비가 와요.
bi-ga wa-yo.
→ It is raining.

These sentences give new information, so each noun takes 이/가. The listener did not know about the book, the sibling, the cat or the rain before you said it.

Note that 동생 and 책 end in a consonant, so they take 이. The nouns 고양이 and 비 end in a vowel, so they take 가.

Example 3 — Contrast with 은/는

한국어는 쉬워요. 영어는 어려워요.
han-gu-geo-neun swi-wo-yo. yeong-eo-neun eo-ryeo-wo-yo.
→ Korean is easy. English is hard.

저는 커피는 좋아해요.
jeo-neun keo-pi-neun jo-a-hae-yo.
→ I like coffee, but maybe not other drinks.

오늘은 추워요.
o-neu-reun chu-wo-yo.
→ Today it is cold.

사과는 맛있어요.
sa-gwa-neun ma-si-sseo-yo.
→ Apples are tasty.

When two things are put side by side, each one gets 은/는. This is the clearest sign of contrast. The first example compares Korean with English.

In the second sentence, 저는 is the topic and 커피는 is the contrast. It sounds natural in Korean, and you can use more than one topic particle in a sentence.

Example 4 — The same noun, two meanings

가방이 어디에 있어요?
ga-bang-i eo-di-e i-sseo-yo?
→ Where is the bag?

가방은 책상 위에 있어요.
ga-bang-eun chaek-sang wi-e i-sseo-yo.
→ The bag is on the desk.

책상 위에 가방이 있어요.
chaek-sang wi-e ga-bang-i i-sseo-yo.
→ There is a bag on the desk.

누가 와요?
nu-ga wa-yo?
→ Who is coming?

In the question, 가방이 asks about something that matters in the conversation. In the first answer, 가방은 is the known topic, and the new information is the place. In the second answer, 가방이 is new, and the place is only the background.

The question word 누구 always becomes 누가 when it is the subject. You will never use 누구는 to ask a simple question like this one.