All TOPIK levels
Beginner · Levels 1–2
TOPIK 1 Grammar List (TOPIK I)
The grammar for TOPIK I, the beginner test: 71 particles and grammar patterns from levels 1 and 2 of the official curriculum, each with its own lesson, examples and practice. Start with level 1, then move on to level 2.
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.
Level 1Beginner
Particles 14
은 / 는Topic Particleseun / neunSets the topic of the sentence. What are we talking about?이 / 가Subject Particlesi / gaIdentifies the grammatical subject of the sentence.을 / 를Object Particleseul / reulMarks the object receiving the action of the verb.에 / 에서Location Particlese / eseoMarking location and time. The difference depends on static vs dynamic verbs.과/와 / 하고 / 이랑Connectiongwa/wa / hago / irangMeans 'and' or 'with'.의PossessiveuiIndicates possession or relationship. Equivalent to 's or 'of'.(으)로Direction/Means(eu)roIndicates direction (towards) or method (using/by).도Also / ToodoMeans 'also' or 'too'. Replaces subject/object particles.만OnlymanIndicates exclusivity. Means 'only' or 'just'.부터 / 까지Range (From/To)buteo / kkajiDefines a range in time or place (From... To...).께서Honorific SubjectkkeseoA highly polite version of the subject particle (이/가).에게 / 한테 / 께Dative (To a person)ege / hante / kkeIndicates the recipient of an action (giving to, talking to).에게 and 한테 are level 1 in the official curriculum, and 께 is level 2.보다ComparisonbodaMeans 'than'. Used to compare two nouns.이에요/예요To Be (Is / Am / Are)ieyo/yeyoSays what something is: "I'm a student", "it's a book". It goes right after the noun.
Grammar patterns 20
(으)ㄹ 수 있다 / (으)ㄹ 수 없다Can / Cannot(eu)l su itda / (eu)l su eopdaExpresses ability or possibility.(으)러Purpose (Going to)(eu)reoIndicates the purpose of going or coming somewhere.고 싶다Desire (Want to)go sipdaExpresses the speaker's desire to do something.고 있다Progressive (Ing)go itdaIndicates an action currently in progress.지 않다Negation (Not)ji antaLong form negation pattern.(으)ㄹ까요?Suggestion (Shall we?)(eu)lkkayoAsking for someone's opinion or suggesting doing something together.(으)려고 하다Intention (Planning to)(eu)ryeogo hadaExpressing an intention or plan to do something.The official curriculum lists (으)려고 at level 1.아/어/여야 하다Obligation (Must)a/eo/yeoya hadaExpressing obligation or necessity.기 전에Before doinggi jeoneIndicates an action happens before another.(으)ㄴ 후에After doing(eu)n hueIndicates an action happens after another.못 / 지 못하다Cannot (Inability)mot / ji motadaExpresses inability — you want to, but something prevents it.아/어서Because / And Thena/eoseoLinks two clauses as cause-and-effect, or as a connected sequence of actions.(으)니까Because (Judgement)(eu)nikkaGives a reason based on the speaker's own judgement or discovery.고And (Linking)goJoins two verbs or adjectives with "and", or two actions with "and then".지만But (Contrast)jimanJoins two clauses where the second one goes against the first: "A, but B".(으)세요Please Do (Polite Request)(eu)seyoAsks someone politely to do something, or asks about them with respect: 앉으세요 (anjeuseyo), "please sit".겠Will / Must Be (Future & Guessing)getGoes inside the verb to say what you will do, or what you guess is true: 맛있겠다 (masitgetda), "that looks delicious".습니다/ㅂ니다Formal Speech (습니다)seumnida/mnidaThe formal polite ending, used in news, announcements, presentations and first meetings: 감사합니다 (gamsahamnida).(으)ㅂ시다Let's (Group Suggestion)(eu)psidaSuggests doing something together: 갑시다 (gapsida), "let's go". Used with a group or with people your own age.(으)시Honorific (Showing Respect)(eu)siGoes inside the verb to show respect for the person doing it: 오셨어요 (osyeosseoyo), "(she) came".
Level 2Beginner
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.