Korean Grammar Basics: Word Order, Particles, and Verb Forms
Korean grammar basics: verb-final word order, 은/는 vs 이/가, the particles that mark every other role, and how 아요/어요 conjugation actually works.
Word order: the verb closes the sentence
Korean runs subject-object-verb: English "I drink coffee" becomes 저는 커피를 마셔요, literally "I coffee drink". Because the verb lands last, negation, tense, and politeness are all decided at the end of the sentence.
Since particles mark the roles, order is comparatively flexible. 커피를 저는 마셔요 is also grammatical and merely shifts emphasis. The one rule that holds is that the verb comes last.
Subjects are dropped constantly. When context makes the actor obvious, leaving out 저는 is the natural choice: repeating it the way English repeats "I" sounds stilted.
Particles: the labels that assign roles
| Particle | Job | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 은 / 는 | Topic — "as for…" | 저는 학생이에요 — as for me, I'm a student |
| 이 / 가 | Subject — new or specific information | 누가 왔어요? — who came? |
| 을 / 를 | Direct object | 책을 읽어요 — I read a book |
| 에 | Destination, time, place of existence | 학교에 가요 (go to school) · 세 시에 (at three) |
| 에서 | Where an action happens; starting point | 집에서 먹어요 — I eat at home |
| 로 / 으로 | Means or direction | 버스로 가요 — I go by bus |
| 도 | Also — replaces 은/는 and 이/가 | 저도 학생이에요 — I'm a student too |
| 의 | Possession | 친구의 책 — my friend's book |
| 와 / 과 · 하고 | And; with | 친구와 같이 — together with a friend |
Most particles have two shapes chosen by whether the preceding syllable ends in a consonant: 은/이/을/과 after a final consonant, 는/가/를/와 after a vowel. It is a pronunciation rule, so it is almost exception-free.
은/는 vs 이/가
Both translate as the subject in English, but they do different jobs: 은/는 sets the topic while 이/가 identifies the subject. The practical test is newness: known information takes 은/는, new or singled-out information takes 이/가.
| Situation | Particle | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Something already on the table | 은 / 는 | 그 영화는 재미있어요 — that movie is fun |
| Introducing something new | 이 / 가 | 고양이가 있어요 — there's a cat |
| Question words and answers | 이 / 가 | 누가 왔어요? — 민수가 왔어요 |
| Drawing a contrast | 은 / 는 | 커피는 좋아해요 — I like coffee (tea, not so much) |
Conjugation: stems plus endings
Korean verbs and adjectives all end in -다 in the dictionary. You strip that and attach endings to the stem. Crucially, adjectives conjugate exactly like verbs — 좋다 behaves like 가다 — which removes a whole layer of English-style difficulty.
| Form | 가다 (to go) | 먹다 (to eat) |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 가요 (gayo) | 먹어요 (meogeoyo) |
| Past | 갔어요 (gasseoyo) | 먹었어요 (meogeosseoyo) |
| Future / intent | 갈 거예요 (gal geoyeyo) | 먹을 거예요 (meogeul geoyeyo) |
| Negative | 안 가요 / 가지 않아요 | 안 먹어요 / 먹지 않아요 |
| Suggestion | 가요 / 갈까요? (shall we go?) | 먹어요 / 먹을까요? |
Whether the ending is 아요 or 어요 depends on the last vowel of the stem: ㅏ or ㅗ takes 아요, everything else takes 어요 (가다 → 가요, 먹다 → 먹어요). Verbs ending in 하다 become 해요.
Check yourself
Which answer fits the question 누가 왔어요? (who came?)
Politeness lives inside the grammar
In Korean, politeness is expressed through conjugation rather than word choice. The same verb 가다 surfaces as 가, 가요, 갑니다, or 가세요 depending on who you are talking to. This is why the honorific system has to be learned alongside the grammar, not after it.
On top of that sits the infix -(으)시-, which raises the subject: 선생님이 가세요 for someone senior, never for yourself. The full rules are covered in the Korean honorifics guide.
If the grammar makes sense but sentences still will not come out, the issue is often order. Korean puts the verb last, so deciding how the sentence ends before you start speaking helps more than it sounds like it should.
Frequently asked questions
Is Korean grammar difficult?
The verb-final order, the particles, and the honorific system are the unfamiliar parts. In exchange there are no articles, plurals are optional, and adjectives conjugate exactly like verbs — the system is unusually consistent once learned.
How do I choose between 은/는 and 이/가?
은/는 marks the topic and 이/가 marks the subject. Practically, judge by newness: known information takes 은/는, new or singled-out information takes 이/가. Question words like 누가 always take 이/가.
Can I omit particles?
Casual speech drops 은/는, 이/가, and 을/를 often, but only when context carries the meaning. As a beginner it is safer to include them, while training your ear to handle the dropped versions.
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