Which Korean Particles to Learn First: A Beginner's Guide
Francisco Pieklo
Editor
Which Korean Particles to Learn First: A Beginner's Guide
Start with four: 이/가 i/ga, 은/는 eun/neun, 을/를 eul/reul and 에/에서 e/eseo. Between them they show up in almost every sentence you'll hear, and once they feel natural, the rest are easy to add one at a time.
Below I go through those four, then the next ones worth learning, grouped by what they do. (And yes, Korean has particles a lot like Japanese does.) If you want every particle in one place instead, there's a full Korean particles list with a lesson for each.
What Are Korean Language Particles?
Unlike English, which relies on word order (Subject → Verb → Object), Korean attaches small words to the end of nouns to show what role each noun plays in the sentence. These small words are called particles.
- English: "The dog bit the man." (Word order tells you who bit whom).
- Korean: 개가 남자를 물었어요 (gaega namjareul mureosseoyo), "the dog bit the man." (Particles tell you who bit whom).
Without particles, you often couldn't tell who did what to whom.
The Core 4: Subject, Topic, Object, Location
Start with these four. Between them, they show up in almost every sentence you'll hear.
1. Subject Particles (이 / 가, i / ga)
Marks who is doing the action or existing.
- Nuance: Focuses on the subject itself ("It was ME who did it").
- Usage: Ends in consonant → 이 (i) / Ends in vowel → 가 (ga)
- Read our full guide on Subject Particles
2. Topic Particles (은 / 는, eun / neun)
Sets the stage or "topic" of the conversation.
- Nuance: Focuses on the description ("As for me, I am..."). Also used for contrast.
- Usage: Ends in consonant → 은 (eun) / Ends in vowel → 는 (neun)
- Read our full guide on Topic Particles
3. Object Particles (을 / 를, eul / reul)
Marks the object receiving the action.
- Nuance: Attached to the thing being eaten, read, hit, or loved.
- Usage: Ends in consonant → 을 (eul) / Ends in vowel → 를 (reul)
- Read our full guide on Object Particles
4. Location Particles (에 / 에서, e / eseo)
Marks where something is or where an action happens.
- 에 (e): Static location (existence) or destination. "I am at home" (집에 있어, jibe isseo).
- 에서 (eseo): Dynamic location (action spot) or starting point. "I study at home" (집에서 공부해, jibeseo gongbuhae).
- See the difference: 에 vs 에서 (e vs eseo)
Korean Linking Particles (And / With)
Another common confusion point is "and" or "with". In English, we just say "and". In Korean, it depends on whether you're writing or speaking, and how casual you're being.
1. 과 / 와 (gwa / wa, Formal)
- Usage: Ends in consonant → 과 (gwa) / Ends in vowel → 와 (wa)
- Nuance: Used in writing, speeches, or formal situations.
2. 하고 (hago, Everyday)
- Usage: Attached to any noun.
- Nuance: The everyday choice. It's fine in speech and in most writing, but forms and formal writing use 과/와 (gwa/wa).
3. (이)랑 (irang / rang, Casual)
- Usage: Ends in consonant → 이랑 (irang) / Ends in vowel → 랑 (rang)
- Nuance: Very common in daily speech between friends or family.
Example:
- 선생님과 학생 (seonsaengnimgwa haksaeng, “teacher and student” - Formal)
- 커피하고 케이크 주세요 (keopihago keikeu juseyo, “coffee and cake, please” - Everyday)
- 친구랑 나 (chingurang na, “my friend and I” - Casual)
20 Essential Particles
Here they are, including the Core 4 from above.
| Particle | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 은/는 eun / neun | Topic / Contrast | 저는 학생이에요 jeoneun haksaengieyo · “I'm a student” |
| 이/가 i / ga | Subject identifier | 제가 했어요 jega haesseoyo · “I did it” |
| 을/를 eul / reul | Object marker | 밥을 먹어요 babeul meogeoyo · “I eat rice” |
| 에 e | Location / Time / Destination | 학교에 가요 hakgyoe gayo · “I go to school” |
| 에서 eseo | Action Spot / From | 도서관에서 공부해요 doseogwaneseo gongbuhaeyo · “I study at the library” |
| 의 ui | Possessive ('s) | 나의 책 naui chaek · “my book” |
| 도 do | Also / Too | 저도 가요 jeodo gayo · “I'm going too” |
| 만 man | Only | 물만 주세요 mulman juseyo · “just water, please” |
| 부터 buteo | From (Time) / Start | 1시부터 hansibuteo · “from 1 o'clock” |
| 까지 kkaji | Until / End | 내일까지 naeilkkaji · “until tomorrow” |
| 에게/한테 ege / hante | To (Giving to someone) | 친구에게 주다 chinguege juda · “to give to a friend” |
| (으)로 (eu)ro | Direction / Means | 버스로 가요 beoseuro gayo · “I go by bus” |
| 보다 boda | Comparison (Than) | 저보다 커요 jeoboda keoyo · “bigger than me” |
| 마다 mada | Every / Each | 아침마다 운동해요 achimmada undonghaeyo · “I exercise every morning” |
| 처럼/같이 cheoreom / gachi | Like / As | 가수처럼 노래해요 gasucheoreom noraehaeyo · “sings like a singer” |
| 때문에 ttaemune | Because of | 일 때문에 바빠요 il ttaemune bappayo · “I'm busy because of work” |
| 아/야 a / ya | Vocative (Calling) | 수진아, 밥 먹어! sujina, bap meogeo · “Sujin, come and eat!” |
| 쯤 jjeum | About / Approximately | 2시쯤 만나요 dusijjeum mannayo · “let's meet around 2 o'clock” |
| 들 deul | Plural Marker | 학생들이 공부해요 haksaengdeuri gongbuhaeyo · “the students are studying” |
| 께서 kkeseo | Honorific Subject | 부모님께서 오셨어요 bumonimkkeseo osyeosseoyo · “my parents came” |
Strictly speaking, three of these aren't particles in the way they're used here. 때문 (ttaemun) is a noun, so 때문에 (ttaemune) is a noun plus the particle 에 (e). Korean dictionaries count 쯤 (jjeum) as a suffix, and 들 (deul) too when it makes a noun plural, like in 학생들 (haksaengdeul, “students”). I've kept them in because they attach to nouns the same way particles do, so learners usually pick them up together.
Commonly Asked Questions
How many Korean particles are there?
It depends on who's counting. Korea's official dictionaries list 157, 360 or 594 particles depending on which one you check, and lists for learners often mix in grammar patterns that aren't particles at all. I go through where those numbers come from in How Many Korean Particles Are There?.
What you can pin down is what you actually need. This site has 117 lessons on particles and grammar patterns, and you don't need anywhere near all of them at the start. About twenty do the heavy lifting, and the Core 4 above show up in almost every sentence.
So the useful question is not how many exist. It is which ones to learn first, and that answer is short.
How do I practice these?
Memorizing a korean particles list is only the first step. To truly learn korean particles, you need context.
- Read example sentences for each of these in our Particle Library.
- Compare the pairs learners mix up most in our side-by-side guides.
What if it feels like too many?
Take your time, and start with the "Core 4" mentioned above. Once you are comfortable with Subject, Topic, Object, and Location particles, the rest will feel much easier to pick up.
Ready to start mastering them? Pick a particle from the menu and start your lesson today!