3 Sentence Summary of This Lesson:
- Korean uses subject markers '이' (after batchim) and '가' (without batchim) to label the subject of a sentence.
- The choice between '이' and '가' depends on whether the preceding word's final letter has a batchim consonant.
- This distinction creates smooth, natural-sounding Korean speech.
As you might have read in the ‘Understanding Basic Korean Grammar’ lesson, in Korean sentences, we indicate what the subject is with a label.
To indicate that a word is the subject in the sentence, we attach the markers ‘이’ and ‘가’.
Why are there two?
→ Because of Batchims.
If the letter that comes right before the marker has a batchim, you will use ‘이’. If it doesn’t, you will use ‘가’.
e.g.) 나비가 → The last letter of the word is ‘비’, so attach ‘가’.
칫솔이 → The last letter of the word is ‘솔’, ‘ㄹ’ being the batchim, attach ‘이’
The reason for this distinction is to make sure that the sound flows smoothly, instead of choppy.
Try the following exercise.
Fill in the blanks with 이/가.
- 파도__ 쳐요.
Answer
가
- 이빨__ 아파요.
Answer
이
- 나무__ 있어요.
Answer
가
- 물__ 깨끗해요.
Answer
이
- 땅콩__ 맛있어요.
Answer
이
- 친구__ 왔어요.
Answer
가
- 강아지__ 귀여워요.
Answer
가
- 불__ 뜨거워요.
Answer
이
- 학교__ 멀어요.
Answer
가
- 키__ 커요.
Answer
가
* For more practice exercises, visit the ‘Practice Hub’.
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