The Ultimate Korean Particles List: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners
Francisco Pieklo
Editor
The Ultimate Korean Particles List: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners
If you are here to learn Korean particles, you have come to the right place. For English speakers, particles (Josa - 조사) are often the strangest part of Korean grammar. However, if you have experience with other Asian languages, you might wonder: does Korean have particles like Japanese? The answer is yes—and mastering them is the single most important step to fluency.
In this Korean particles lesson, we provide you with an all Korean particles list categorized by function, so you can stop guessing and start speaking correctly.
What Are Korean Language Particles?
Unlike English, which relies on word order (Subject → Verb → Object), Korean relies on small suffixes attached to words to indicate their role in the sentence. These suffixes are called particles.
- English: "The dog bit the man." (Word order tells you who bit whom).
- Korean: "Dog-ga man-eul bit." (Particles tell you who bit whom).
Without particles, Korean sentences would just be a jumble of nouns.
The Core 4: Subject, Topic, Object, Location
Before you memorize the Korean particles full list, you must master these four. They appear in almost every sentence.
1. Subject Particles (이 / 가)
Marks who is doing the action or existing.
- Output: Focuses on the subject itself ("It was ME who did it").
- Usage: Ends in consonant → 이 / Ends in vowel → 가
- Read our full guide on Subject Particles
2. Topic Particles (은 / 는)
Sets the stage or "topic" of the conversation.
- Output: Focuses on the description ("As for me, I am..."). Also used for contrast.
- Usage: Ends in consonant → 은 / Ends in vowel → 는
- Read our full guide on Topic Particles
3. Object Particles (을 / 를)
Marks the object receiving the action.
- Output: Attached to the thing being eaten, read, hit, or loved.
- Usage: Ends in consonant → 을 / Ends in vowel → 를
- Read our full guide on Object Particles
4. Korean Particles Location (에 / 에서)
Marks where something is or where an action happens.
- 에 (e): Static location (existence) or destination. "I am at home" (집에 있어).
- 에서 (eseo): Dynamic location (action spot) or starting point. "I study at home" (집에서 공부해).
- See the difference: 에 vs 에서
Korean Linking Particles (And / With)
Another common confusion point is "and" or "with". In English, we just say "and". In Korean, it depends on who you are talking to.
1. 과 / 와 (Formal)
- Usage: Ends in consonant → 과 / Ends in vowel → 와
- Nuance: Used in writing, speeches, or formal situations.
2. 하고 (Hago)
- Usage: Attached to any noun.
- Nuance: The most versatile. Can be used in almost any situation.
3. (이)랑 (Casual)
- Usage: Ends in consonant → 이랑 / Ends in vowel → 랑
- Nuance: Very common in daily speech between friends or family.
Example:
- 선생님과 학생 (Teacher and student - Formal)
- 친구랑 나 (Friend and I - Casual)
The Master List: 20 Essential Particles
Here is the Korean particles list you need to know to reach an intermediate level.
| Particle | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 은/는 | Topic / Contrast | 저는 학생이에요. (As for me...) |
| 이/가 | Subject identifier | 제가 했어요. (I did it.) |
| 을/를 | Object marker | 밥을 먹어요. (Eat rice.) |
| 에 | Location/Time | 학교에 가요. (Go to school.) |
| 에서 | Action Spot/From | 도서관에서 공부해요. (Study at library.) |
| 의 | Possessive ('s) | 나의 책 (My book.) |
| 도 | Also / Too | 저도 가요. (I go too.) |
| 만 | Only | 물만 주세요. (Give me only water.) |
| 부터 | From (Time) / Start | 1시부터 (From 1 o'clock.) |
| 까지 | Until / End | 내일까지 (Until tomorrow.) |
| 에게/한테 | To (Giving to someone) | 친구에게 주다. (Give to a friend.) |
| (으)로 | Direction / Means | 버스로 가요. (Go by bus.) |
| 보다 | Comparison (Than) | 저보다 커요. (Bigger than me.) |
| 마다 | Every / Each | 아침마다 운동해요. (Exercise every morning.) |
| 처럼/같이 | Like / As | 가수처럼 노래해요. (Sing like a singer.) |
| 때문에 | Because of | 일 때문에 바빠요. (Busy because of work.) |
| 아/야 | Vocative (Calling) | 수진아, 밥 먹어! (Sujin, eat your food!) |
| 쯤 | About / Approximately | 2시쯤 만나요. (Let's meet around 2 o'clock.) |
| 들 | Plural Marker | 학생들이 공부해요. (Students are studying.) |
| 께서 | Honorific Subject | 부모님께서 말씀하셨어요. (My parents spoke.) |
Commonly Asked Questions
How many Korean particles are there?
There is no official number, and that is the honest answer. Grammars disagree about what counts: some treat 도 and 만 as particles, others file them as auxiliary markers, and endings like (으)면서 sit on the border depending on who is writing.
What you can pin down is what you actually need. This site has 70 particle lessons, which covers everything you are likely to meet in reading or conversation. Of those, about twenty do the heavy lifting, and the Core 4 above are the ones you cannot build a sentence without.
So the useful question is not how many exist. It is which ones to learn first, and that answer is short.
Is there a Korean particles list PDF?
We are currently compiling a rigorous Korean particles list PDF cheatsheet for our community. It will be available for download soon! For now, bookmark this page as your go-to reference.
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 every particle in our Particle Library.
- Compare the pairs learners mix up most in our side-by-side guides.
Why are there so many?
It takes time! 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!