What is the difference between 은/는 and 이/가?

은/는 marks the topic, the thing the sentence is about ("as for X"). 이/가 marks the grammatical subject, and often adds a sense of "it's X, specifically." As a starting rule: use 은/는 when you introduce or contrast something, and 이/가 when you point out new information. Even advanced learners keep refining the distinction, so don't wait to feel certain before you start speaking.

Can you drop particles in Korean?

In casual speech, yes. Koreans drop 을/를 freely and 이/가 often, so 밥 먹어요 ("eating rice") sounds natural. Learn the full forms first, because they keep the grammar visible and never sound wrong; dropping them comes for free once you have an ear for it.

What is a batchim, and why does it matter for particles?

A batchim is a final consonant at the bottom of a syllable block, like the ㄴ in 한. Most Korean particles come in two forms, and which one you use depends only on whether the noun ends in a batchim or a vowel. If you can't yet tell where a syllable ends, start with the free Korean alphabet guide.

How many particles does Korean have?

Dozens, but you only need a handful to build real sentences. This guide covers the core set: the copula 이에요/예요, the topic 은/는, the subject 이/가, the object 을/를, and the place particles 에 and 에서. Those carry most everyday speech.

Is 은/는 the same as "the" in English?

Not quite. English "the" marks something as already known; 은/는 marks what a sentence is about and can also draw a contrast ("as for me…, but as for you…"). They overlap sometimes, which is why word-for-word translation misleads. It's better to learn 은/는 by what it does than by an English label.

Do particles change for plural nouns?

No. Particles attach the same way whether the noun is singular or plural, and Korean tends to leave plurality off the noun anyway. The batchim rule alone changes the particle form.

Free guide · 15 minute read

Korean particles explained: 은/는, 이/가, 을/를, and more

Updated 2026-08-09

Particles attach to the end of a noun and state its job: who is doing something, what they are doing it to, where it happens. English uses word order for the same work, which is why particles feel strange at first. Korean is consistent about them, and one rule decides most of the choices you will ever make.

That rule depends on how a noun ends, so you need to be able to read Hangeul first. If you cannot yet, start with the free Korean alphabet guide and come back. This page covers the particles you need for real sentences, with an interactive tool so you can watch the rule work, and a short quiz at the end.

The one rule: batchim or no batchim

A batchim is a final consonant at the bottom of a syllable block. 학 has one, the ㄱ. 사 does not, because it ends in the vowel ㅏ. Almost every particle comes in a pair, and one question picks between them: does the noun end in a batchim or a vowel?

Learn this one branch and you have most of the Korean particle system.

A noun ending in a consonant takes the form that starts with a vowel, because the two are easier to say together. A noun ending in a vowel takes the other. That is the entire mechanism behind 은/는, 이/가, 을/를 and the copula. Hear the end of a noun and you have learned particles.

이에요 / 예요: saying “is”

Start with the copula, the “is” that turns a noun into a sentence. Attach 이에요 or 예요 straight onto the noun. There is no separate verb:

학생이에요.
(I) am a student.
의사예요.
(She) is a doctor.

The batchim rule decides which form. 학생 ends in a consonant, so it takes 이에요. 의사 ends in a vowel, so it takes 예요. Pick a noun and watch the ending choose for you.

person, last syllable 람 breaks into:

ㄹㅏㅁ

ends in a consonant, so it HAS a batchim

"is": 이에요/예요사람이에요

은 / 는: marking the topic

은/는 marks the topic, the thing the sentence is about. A loose translation is “as for …”:

저는 학생이에요.
As for me, I am a student.
물은 차가워요.
As for the water, it is cold.

Same rule: 저 ends in a vowel, so 저는; 물 ends in ㄹ, a batchim, so 물은. Try a few nouns.

person, last syllable 람 breaks into:

ㄹㅏㅁ

ends in a consonant, so it HAS a batchim

topic: 은/는사람은

은/는 vs 이/가

This question comes up often enough to deserve its own section. Both particles can sit on the person or thing doing something, and the difference is real but subtle. 은/는 sets the topic. 이/가 marks the grammatical subject and often carries a flavour of “this one, specifically”.

저는 학생이에요.
As for me, I'm a student. (introducing yourself)
제가 학생이에요.
I'm the student. (answering: which of you is the student?)

Do not try to master this before you start speaking. Reach for 은/는 when you introduce or contrast something, and 이/가 when you point out new information or answer a “which one?” question. Your ear refines the rest over months, the way it did in your first language.

을 / 를: marking the object

을/를 marks the object, the thing the verb acts on:

밥을 먹어요.
(I) eat rice.
커피를 마셔요.
(I) drink coffee.

The rule holds: 밥 ends in a batchim, so 밥을; 커피 ends in a vowel, so 커피를. The tool below shows subject and object particles side by side, attaching to the same noun.

person, last syllable 람 breaks into:

ㄹㅏㅁ

ends in a consonant, so it HAS a batchim

subject: 이/가사람이

object: 을/를사람을

에 vs 에서: two ways to mark a place

Both point at a place, and the split is clean. 에 marks a destination, or a location where something simply is. 에서 marks the place where an action happens.

학교에 가요.
(I'm) going to school. (destination)
집에 있어요.
(I'm) at home. (location)
학교에서 공부해요.
(I) study at school. (an action happens there)

One test settles it: an action verb happening at the place takes 에서, heading toward it or being there takes 에. Unlike the others, these two ignore the batchim rule and keep their shape whatever the noun ends in.

Common mistakes

Using the wrong form after a batchim. 학생는 should be 학생은, because 학생 ends in a consonant. When in doubt, say the noun and the particle together out loud; the one that sounds natural tends to be the right one.
Putting 은/는 on every noun. The topic particle marks what a whole sentence is about, not every noun in it. Overusing it makes speech sound heavy. Let 이/가 and 을/를 do their jobs.
Mixing up 에 and 에서. 학교에 공부해요 should be 학교에서 공부해요, because studying is an action happening at the school.

Quick practice

Reading about particles and picking one under pressure are different skills. Work through these, typing the last answer with the built-in keyboard.

Quick check

1 / 8

Which copula for "(she) is a doctor"? (의사 ends in a vowel)

의사___

Particles stick when you use them on real words

HanGeul teaches over 5,000 Korean words the same way this quiz works: you type the Korean, and when you miss, it points out what went wrong, then brings the word back on a schedule. The first three levels are free.

Start learning free →Next guide: Korean verb conjugation

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between 은/는 and 이/가?: 은/는 marks the topic, the thing the sentence is about ("as for X"). 이/가 marks the grammatical subject, and often adds a sense of "it's X, specifically." As a starting rule: use 은/는 when you introduce or contrast something, and 이/가 when you point out new information. Even advanced learners keep refining the distinction, so don't wait to feel certain before you start speaking.
Can you drop particles in Korean?: In casual speech, yes. Koreans drop 을/를 freely and 이/가 often, so 밥 먹어요 ("eating rice") sounds natural. Learn the full forms first, because they keep the grammar visible and never sound wrong; dropping them comes for free once you have an ear for it.
What is a batchim, and why does it matter for particles?: A batchim is a final consonant at the bottom of a syllable block, like the ㄴ in 한. Most Korean particles come in two forms, and which one you use depends only on whether the noun ends in a batchim or a vowel. If you can't yet tell where a syllable ends, start with the free Korean alphabet guide.
How many particles does Korean have?: Dozens, but you only need a handful to build real sentences. This guide covers the core set: the copula 이에요/예요, the topic 은/는, the subject 이/가, the object 을/를, and the place particles 에 and 에서. Those carry most everyday speech.
Is 은/는 the same as "the" in English?: Not quite. English "the" marks something as already known; 은/는 marks what a sentence is about and can also draw a contrast ("as for me…, but as for you…"). They overlap sometimes, which is why word-for-word translation misleads. It's better to learn 은/는 by what it does than by an English label.
Do particles change for plural nouns?: No. Particles attach the same way whether the noun is singular or plural, and Korean tends to leave plurality off the noun anyway. The batchim rule alone changes the particle form.