Table of Contents
Introduction
Hello everyone, 안녕하세요! Welcome to today’s lesson where we’ll be learning the basics of Korean grammar. I’m Mario, your guide for this journey into the Korean language.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to brush up on your skills, thank you for joining and you’re in the right place!
Why do you learn Korean Grammar？
Have been learning Korean for a while? You might have already mastered all of Hangul, knowing how to read everything, and studied a ton of vocabulary words online and offline. However, you may still struggle to form sentences or doubt whether you are using the correct grammar when you speak or write Korean.
Mastering grammar is the most important foundation when learning the Korean language. So, let’s start from here, the fundamental concepts that all beginners should focus on:
Before we jump into the lesson, let’s take a moment to talk about the weather in Korea today.
지금은 서울에서 날씨가 아주 좋아요.
Right now, it’s a beautiful sunny day in Seoul.
하늘은 맑고,
with clear skies,
온도는 15도 정도에요.
and a temperature of around 15 degrees Celsius.
실내에 있으면서 새로운 것을 배우기 딱 좋은 날씨에요!
It’s the perfect weather to be indoors and learning something new!
Now, let’s get started with our first lesson on Korean’s fundamental feature.
Fundamental Feature of Korean Grammar
Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) structure
The Subject-Object-Verb structure is the most fundamental feature when it comes to forming a sentence in Korean. In an SOV language, the structure always starts with the subject, followed by the object, and lastly, the verb acting on the object. In contrast, English uses SVO structure in its grammar.
(SVO) Example in English: I eat a banana.
| SUBJECT (S) + VERB (V) + OBJECT (O) I + EAT + A BANANA Subject: I Verb: EAT Object: A BANANA |
(SOV) Example 1 in Korean: I eat a banana.
| SUBJECT (S) + OBJECT (O) + VERB (V) 저는 바나나를 먹어요 Subject: 저는 (joneun) I Object: 바나나를 (bananareul) A BANANA Verb: 먹어요 (mogoyo) EAT |
(SOV) Example 2 in Korean: I read a book.
| SUBJECT (S) + OBJECT (O) + VERB (V) 저는 책을 읽어요 Subject: 저는 (joneun) I Object: 책을 (chaegeul) A BOOK Verb: 읽어요 (ilgoyo) READ |
Practice SOV structure
Now, let’s practice a bit together. Repeat after me:
1. I eat an apple. → 저는 사과를 먹어요.
Subject: 저는 (joneun) I
Object: 사과를 (sagwareul) AN APPLE
Verb: 먹어요 (mogoyo) EAT
2. I watch a movie. → 저는 영화를 봐요.
Subject: 저는 (joneun) I
Object: 영화를 (yonghwareul) A MOVIE
Verb: 봐요 (bwayo) WATCH
3. I have a dog. → 저는 강아지가 있어요.
Subject: 저는 (joneun) I
Object: 강아지가 (gangajiga) A DOG
Verb: 있어요 (isseoyo) HAVE
Great job! You’re already getting the hang of it. Remember, practice makes perfect, so don’t be afraid to keep trying and making mistakes.
Let’s do a few more! This time, your turn to make the sentence!
1. I have a book. → _______________________
저는 (joneun) I
있어요 (isseoyo) HAVE
책이 (chaegi) A BOOK
2. I drink water. → _______________________
저는 (joneun) I
마셔요 (masyoyo) DRINK
물을 (mureul) WATER
3. I go to school. → _______________________
저는 (joneun) I
가요 (gayo) GO
학교에 (hakgyoe) TO SCHOOL
That’s all for today’s lesson on the basic SVO structure in Korean.
Now, we’ll delve deeper into another aspect of Korean grammar, the most important grammar to build a simple sentence, which is 은/는.
은/는 (Topic/Subject Particle)
In Korean, “은/는” [eun/neun] is used to mark the topic of a sentence. Think of it as shining a spotlight on the subject you want to talk about. Let me give you an example:
If we want to say,
“I am a student” in Korean → “저는 학생이에요” [jeo-neun hak-saeng-i-e-yo].
저는 [jeo-neun] → “I” (the topic)
학생이에요 [hak-saeng-i-e-yo] → “am a student.”
Similarly, if we want to say,
“Seoul is a beautiful city,” → “서울은 아름다운 도시에요” [seo-ul-eun a-reum-da-un do-si-e-yo].
서울은 [seo-ul-eun] → “Seoul” (the topic)
아름다운 도시에요 [a-reum-da-un do-si-e-yo] → “is a beautiful city.”
| after consonants + 은 | after vowels+ 는 |
| 학생은 The student is 선생님은 The teacher is 당신은 You are 수영은 Soo Young is | 친구는 My friend is 고양이는 The cat is 저는 I am 민수는 Min Su is |
First, let’s talk about “은” [eun]. We use “은” [eun] after consonants or words ending in a consonant. It helps to mark the topic of the sentence or emphasize contrast. For example:
- “저는 학생이에요” [jo-neun hak-saeng-i-e-yo] – “I am a student.”
- “저는 사과를 먹어요” [jo-neun sa-gwa-reul meo-geo-yo] – “I eat an apple.”
Now, let’s move on to “는” [neun]. We use “는” [neun] after vowels or words ending in a vowel. For example:
- “민수는 선생님이에요” [min-su-neun seon-saeng-nim-i-e-yo] – “Min Su is a teacher.”
- “서울은 큰 도시예요” [seo-ul-eun keun do-si-ye-yo] – “Seoul is a big city.”
Practice 은/는
Now, let’s practice a bit together. I’ll give you some sentences, and you tell me whether to use “은” [eun] or “는” [neun].
저 __ 선생님이에요 – I’m a teacher.
정국 __ 사과를 좋아해요 – Jongguk likes apple.
민지 __ 의사예요 – Min Ji is a doctor.
Now, let’s practice forming some sentences together. I’ll say a sentence in English, and then we’ll translate it into Korean using “은/는” [eun/neun].
Cats are cute. → _______________________
cats 고양이 (goyangi)
cute 귀여워요 (gwiyowoyo)
Mario is a singer. → _______________________
Mario 마리오 (mario)
is a singer 가수예요 (ga su ye yo)
My brother reads a book. → _______________________
my brother 동생 (dong saeng)
reads a book 책을 읽어요 (chaegeul ilgoyo)
Great job! You’re getting the hang of it!
Remember, “은” [eun] and “는” [neun] help us clarify the topic of the sentence and provide emphasis or contrast. Keep practicing, and soon you’ll use them like a pro.
That’s all for today’s lesson on “은/는” [eun/neun]. In our next lesson, we’ll be exploring another important topic in Korean grammar: “이/가” [i/ga]. Stay tuned for that!
If you have any questions or want to share your progress, feel free to leave a comment. Don’t forget to follow and subscribe to stay updated on future lessons on my Instagram!
Thank you all for joining me today. 다음에 봐요! See you next time!
