Word Order: English vs.
Korean
English Korean What’s the difference?
Birds fly. 새가난다. No Difference.
1 2 1 2
The boy broke the window. 그소년이유리창을깼다. In Korean,
1 2 3 1 3 2 ● A verb comes last in
the sentence.
● An object comes before
a verb.
He lives in Seoul. 그는서울에서산다. In Korean,
1 2 3 1 3 2 ● A verb comes last in
the sentence.
● An adverb comes
before a verb (서올에서
(in Seoul)).
This is a book. 이것은책이다. In Korean,
1 2 3 1 3 2 ● A verb comes last in
the sentence.
He put the cup on the table. 그는식탁에컵을놓았다. In Korean,
1 2 3 4 1 4 3 2 ● A verb comes last in
the sentence.
● An adverb and object
come before a verb.
Adverb: 식탁에 (on the
table)
An Object: 컵을 (the
cup)
She sent him flowers. 그녀는꽃을그에게보냈다. In Korean,
1 2 3 4 1 4 3 2 ● A verb comes last in
the sentence.
Or ● The word order is “free”
except for the verb.
그녀는그에게꽃을보냈다.
1 3 4 2
I believe Mary is honest. 나는마리가정직하다고믿는 In Korean,
1 2 3 4 다. ● A verb comes last in
1 3 4 2 the main clause and the
subordinate clause.
Main Clause:
나는믿는다 (I
believe…)
Subordinate Clause:
메리가정직하다 (Mary
is honest)
I am John. (저는) 존이에요. In Korean,
12 3 1 3 2 ● A subject is easily
dropped in spoken
Korean, but never
written Korean.
● Korean is a high
context language.
N 예요 vs. N 이에요: Be (am, is, are) verb
Sentence Ending What It’s For Example
N 예요 When the noun before the 앤디 + 예요 = 앤디예요 (I am
sentence ending ends in a Andy)
vowel.
N 이에요 When the noun before the 수잔 + 이에요 = 수진이에요
sentence ending ends in a (I am Susan)
consonant.
N + 이/가
Subject Marker What It’s For Example
N+이 When the noun before the 이름 + 이 = 이름이 (My name
subject marker ends in a is)
consonant. 이름이앤디에요. (My name is
Andy)
N+가 When the noun before the 학교 + 가 = 학교가 (My
subject marker ends in a school is)
vowel. 학교가미시간주립대학교예
요 (My school is MSU)
Subject + 이/가 아니에요
Subject Marker What It’s For Example
이아니에요 When the subject ends in a A: 앤트맨이에요?
consonant and you want to B: 앤트맨이아니에요.
say it is not something 아이언맨이에요
가아니예요 When the subject ends in a A: 아이유예요?
vowel and you want to say it B: 아이유가아니에요.
is not something 화사예요.
The 1st usage of 은/는
Topic Markers What It’s For Example
이 New Information 이분이선생님이에요 (They’re
a teacher)
은 Shared Information 이분은영국사람이에요
(They’re English)
이분이름은고든이에요
(They’re name’s Gordon)
는 Shared information 아이유는가수예요 (IU is a
singer)
Directionals
Directional What It’s For Example
이게 (Spoken Korean) When something is close to 이게뭐예요? (What’s this
이것이 (Written Korean) you. thing (closest to me)? (In
spoken Korean))
이것이뭐예요? (What’s this
thing (closest to me)? (In
written Korean))
그게 (Spoken Korean) When something is close to 그게뭐예요? (What’s that
그것이 (Written Korean) the person you’re speaking thing (closest to you, the
to. listener)? (In spoken Korean))
그것이뭐예요? (What’s that
thing (closest to you, the
listener)? (In written Korean))
저게 (Spoken Korean) When something is far away 저게뭐예요? (What’s that
저것이 (Written Korean) from both the speaker and over there? (In spoken
listener. Korean))
저것이뭐예요? (What’s that
over there? (In written
Korean))
이건 (Spoken Korean) When you’re answering and 이건가방이에요 (It’s a bag
이것은 (Written Korean) the item is close to you. (In spoken Korean))
이것은가방이에요 (It’s a bag
(In written Korean))
그건 (Spoken Korean) When you’re answering and 그건가방이에요 (That
그것은 (Written Korean) the item is close to the (closest to you, the listener) is
listener. a bag (In spoken Korean))
그것은가방이에요 (That
(closest to you, the listener) is
a bag (In written Korean))
저건 (Spoken Korean) When you’re answering and 저건가방이에요 (That (over
저것은 (Written Korean) the item is far away from both there) is a bag (In spoken
you and the listener. Korean))
저것은가방이에요 (That
(over there) is a bag (In
written Korean))
- 뭐예요 - What is - ?
● The interrogative pronoun ‘뭐’ means ‘what’ in English. The ending ‘예요’ is directly
attached to ‘뭐’.
● When you answer the question ‘이게/저게뭐예요?’, the subject ‘이게/저게’ is usually
omitted.
Ex:
1. 이게뭐예요? (What is this?)
(이게) 의자예요. (This is a chair)
2. 저게뭐예요? (What is that?)
(저게)가방이에요. (That is a bag)
- 있어요: To have, to be/exist
● The verb ‘있어요’ has 2 different meanings: to have (something) and to be/exist in a
location.
Ex:
1. 연필있어요? (Do you have a pencil?)
네, 있어요. (Yes, I do)
● The opposite of ‘있어요’ is ‘없어요’.
Ex:
1. 지우개있어요? (Do you have an eraser?)
아니요, 없어요. (No, I don’t)
