Lesson 5 - Subject/Topic Particles Flashcards
Subject Particle 이/가
Puts focus on noun before it (often the subject).
이 after consonant, 가 after vowel
When you first mention a subject, when it is new info, you usually attach subject particle 이/가 to it.
Topic Particle 은/는
3 functions:
Marks its noun as the sentence topic (what the sentence is about).
Points out a contrast, or
Marks its noun as old/given/assumed info.
If the subject is repeated, it has become old info and usually becomes the topic, therefore using the topic particle 은/는 later on in the conversation.
Relationship between subject and topic particles
The subject of the conversation does not need to be referred to continuously, you can just drop it. However, if it is mentioned again, then it is marked as old info by the topic particle.
Thus the topic particle flags the word/phrase in front of it as the least unknown ingredient or oldest piece of info in your conversation. It is the most likely to drop if you want to make the sentence brief, which is why it’s almost always near the beginning of the sentence.
The important things in a Korean sentence tend to accumulate towards the end, near the verb—the single indispensable element.
When 나 (I), 너 (you), 저 (I (humble)), and 누구 (who?) come before the subject particle 이/가, they change into:
나 —> 내가
너 —> 네가
저 —> 제가
누구 —> 누가
Certain words frequently appear as subjects, such as words that inherently ask for new info, such as:
누구 who?
무슨 what (kind of)?
무엇 what?
어느 which?
By the same token, when you answer a question having one of these words, you use a subject to supply the new info, rather than using a topic.
Ex: 누가 학생이에요? 내가 학생이에요.
Who is the student? I am the student.
If the question word occurs outside of the subject or topic, then the subject upon its first mention will have 이/가 and if mentioned thereafter, 은/는.
Ex: 한국말 선생이 어느 분이에요? 한국말 선생은 김 선생이에요.
The Korean teacher is who? (The Korean teacher) is Mr.Kim.
