All TOPIK levels
TOPIK I · Beginner
TOPIK Level 2 Grammar List
37 particles and grammar patterns from level 2 of the official curriculum, each with its own lesson, examples and practice. At level 2 you can handle everyday errands like the phone, the post office or a bank, and talk about familiar topics. It builds on level 1, so start there if any of it is new to you.
These lists keep growing. I'm adding new lessons level by level from the official curriculum, so more particles and grammar patterns will show up here as they're ready.
Particles 9
(이)나Choice / Selection(i)naMeans 'Or'. Also suggests 'something like that'.마다Frequency / EverymadaMeans 'every' or 'each'.처럼 / 같이Simile / Likecheoreom / gachiMeans 'like' or 'as'. Expresses resemblance.처럼 is level 2 in the official curriculum, and 같이 is level 3.때문에Reason (Noun)ttaemuneMeans 'because of'. Attached to nouns.The official curriculum lists 때문에 in the form -기 때문에, at level 2.밖에Only (Negative)bak-keMeans 'nothing but'. Needs a negative verb (or a rhetorical question).덕분에Positive Reasondeok-bu-neIndicates a positive cause. Means 'Thanks to'.The official curriculum files 덕분 in its word list, at level 2.서부터Emphatic Fromseo-buteoA more emphatic way of saying 'starting from a place'.에게서 / 한테서From (Person)egeseo / hanteseoIndicates receiving something 'from' a person.에다가On top of / And alsoedagaIndicates adding something onto a location or existing thing.
Grammar patterns 28
아/어/여도 되다Permissiona/eo/yeodo doedaAsking for or granting permission. 'May I...?'(으)면Condition (If)(eu)myeonExpresses a condition. 'If...' or 'When...'(으)면서While doing(eu)myeonseoIndicates two actions happening simultaneously by the same subject.(으)ㄹ 때When (Time)(eu)l ttaeIndicates the time when an action or state occurs.(으)ㄴ데 / 는데Background / But(eu)nde / neundeSets up background information, contrast, or a soft lead-in before the main point.아/어 주다Doing a Favora/eo judaIndicates doing an action for the benefit of someone else.아/어 보다Trying Somethinga/eo bodaIndicates trying an action out, or having experienced it before.아/어 있다Resulting Statea/eo itdaDescribes the state that remains after an action has finished.는 것 같다Seems Like (Guessing)neun geot gatdaSays what you think is true without being sure: "I think…", "it seems…".지 마세요Don't (Telling Someone Not To)ji maseyoTells someone not to do something: "don't…", or "let's not…".네요Oh, …! (Noticing Something)neyoReacts to something you've just seen, heard or found out: 좋네요 (jonneyo), "oh, that's nice".(으)ㄹ게요I'll… (Promising)(eu)lgeyoTells the listener what you'll do, like a small promise: 전화할게요 (jeonhwahalgeyo), "I'll call you".지요/죠…, Right? (Checking)jiyo/jyoChecks something you think the listener already knows: 덥죠? (deopjyo), "it's hot, isn't it?".(으)ㄹ래요Want To? (Choosing)(eu)llaeyoSays what you want to do, or asks what the other person wants: 뭐 먹을래요? (mwo meogeullaeyo), "what do you want to eat?".거나Or (Between Verbs)geonaJoins two verbs or adjectives with "or": 자거나 쉬어요 (jageona swieoyo), "I sleep or rest".(으)ㄴ 적이 있다Have Ever Done (Experience)(eu)n jeogi itdaSays whether you've ever done something: 간 적이 있어요 (gan jeogi isseoyo), "I've been there".게 되다End Up / Come To (Change)ge doedaSays something came about, often not by your own choice: 가게 됐어요 (gage dwaesseoyo), "I ended up going".기로 하다Decide To / Agree Togiro hadaSays you've decided, or agreed with someone, to do something: 가기로 했어요 (gagiro haesseoyo), "I decided to go".다가Was Doing, Then… (Switching)dagaStops one action and switches to another, or says what happened in the middle of it: 가다가 (gadaga), "on the way".는 동안While / Duringneun donganSays something happens for as long as another action lasts: 자는 동안 (janeun dongan), "while I was sleeping".(으)ㄴ 지It's Been … Since(eu)n jiSays how long it's been since something happened: 온 지 한 달 됐어요 (on ji han dal dwaesseoyo), "it's been a month since I came".(으)ㄹ 수밖에 없다Have No Choice But To(eu)l subakke eopdaSays there's no other option, or that something is bound to be so: 갈 수밖에 없어요 (gal subakke eopseoyo), "I have no choice but to go".는/(으)ㄴ/(으)ㄹDescribing Nouns (는/은/을)neun/(eu)n/(eu)lTurns a verb or adjective into a description that goes before a noun: 먹는 사람 (meongneun saram), "a person who's eating".는 것Turning Verbs into Nouns (는 것)neun geotTurns a verb into a noun so you can like it, hate it or talk about it: 노래하는 것 (noraehaneun geot), "singing".기Turning Verbs into Nouns (기)giTurns a verb or adjective into a noun, mostly in set patterns: 먹기 싫어요 (meokgi sireoyo), "I don't feel like eating".게So That / -ly (게)geTurns an adjective into an adverb, or says what an action is for: 크게 (keuge), "loudly".(으)ㄹ까 보다In Case / I'm Thinking Of(eu)lkka bodaSays you're worried something might happen, or that you're thinking of doing something: 늦을까 봐 (neujeulkka bwa), "in case I'm late".(는)군요Oh, I See (Realizing)(neun)gunyoReacts to something you've just realized or been told: 그렇군요 (geureokunyo), "oh, I see".
Where these levels come from
Every lesson is tagged with its level in the official curriculum for learners of Korean from the National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원, gungnipgugeowon), the 국제 통용 한국어 표준 교육과정 (gukje tongyong hangugeo pyojun gyoyukgwajeong), "International Standard Curriculum of Korean". It sorts Korean grammar into six levels, matching TOPIK's six-level scale, where TOPIK I covers levels 1 and 2, and TOPIK II covers levels 3 to 6.
TOPIK's official site doesn't publish a grammar list, so this curriculum is the closest thing to an official one.