Lesson 9 A

Question 1

What are 은 and 는?

Answer 1

은 and 는 are topic marking particles. The main role of topic marking particles is letting the other people know what you are talking about or going to talk about.

Question 2

What is the difference between 은 and 는?

Answer 2

은 is used when a consonant is ending the previous word and 는 is used when there is no final consonant (only vowel).

Question 3

고등학생

Answer 3

A high school student

Question 4

학생

Answer 4

A student

Question 5

저는 학생이에요.

Answer 5

I am a student.

Question 6

저는 고등학생이 아니에요.

Answer 6

I am not a high school student.

Notice the subject marking particle after 고등학생

Question 7

여자

Answer 7

A girl

Question 8

저는 여자예요

Answer 8

I am a girl

Question 9

그

Answer 9

He

Question 10

친절하다

Answer 10

To be kind

Question 11

연필

Answer 11

A pencil

Question 12

이것은 연필이에요.

Answer 12

This is a pencil.

Question 13

먹다

Answer 13

To eat

Question 14

그는 친절해요.

Answer 14

He is kind.

Question 15

그녀

Answer 15

She

Question 16

영수는 먹어요.

Answer 16

Young-su eats.

Question 17

공부하다

Answer 17

To study

Question 18

그녀는 공부해요.

Answer 18

She studies.

Question 19

사과

Answer 19

An apple

Question 20

이거 사과예요.

Answer 20

This is an apple.

Question 21

내일

Answer 21

Tomorrow

Question 22

일하다

Answer 22

To work

Question 23

내일은 저는 일해요.

Notice the particles!

Answer 23

As for tomorrow, I work.

Here, 내일 is a topic, but not the subject of the verb 일하다 because it is not “tomorrow” that works but “I” that work.

Question 24

A student

Answer 24

학생

Question 25

A high school student

Answer 25

고등학생

Question 26

I am a student.

Answer 26

저는 학생이에요.

Question 27

I am not a high school student.

Remember the particles!

Answer 27

저는 고등학생이 아니에요.

Question 28

A girl

Answer 28

여자

Question 29

Find the topic and say the sentence in Korean:

“I am a girl”

Answer 29

저는 여자예요.

저 (I / Me) is the topic and it is marked with the particle 는.

Question 30

Find the topic and say the sentence in Korean:

“I am a student”

Answer 30

저는 학생이에요.

저 (I / Me) is the topic and it is marked with the particle 는.

Question 31

Find the topic and say the sentence in Korean:

“I am not a high school student”

Answer 31

저는 고등학생이 아니에요.

저 (I / Me) is the topic and it is marked with the particle 는.

Question 32

He

Answer 32

그

Question 33

To study

Answer 33

공부하다

Question 34

She

Answer 34

그녀

Question 35

She studies.

Answer 35

그녀는 공부해요.

Question 36

To eat

Answer 36

먹다

먹어요

Question 37

This is a pencil.

Answer 37

이것은 연필이에요.

Question 38

Young-su eats.

Answer 38

영수는 먹어요.

Question 39

He is kind.

Answer 39

그는 친절해요.

Question 40

A pencil

Answer 40

연필

Question 41

To be kind

Answer 41

친절하다

Question 43

This is an apple.

Answer 43

이거 사과예요.

Question 44

How does the sentence 이거 사과예요 change when the particle 는 is added (이거는 사과예요)?

Answer 44

(The other things are not apples, but) THIS is an apple.

Question 45

An apple

Answer 45

사과

Question 46

이거 커피예요.
(= This is coffee)
이거는 물이에요.
(= That was coffee, but THIS ONE, it’s water.)
이거는 오렌지주스예요.
(= And THIS ONE, it’s different again, it’s orange juice.)
이거는 뭐예요?
(= And what about this one? What is it?)

Answer 46

는 emphasises the difference of the subject compared to something else.

Question 47

When are 는 and 은 used?

Answer 47

In Korean, although 은 and 는 are generally topic marking particles, people often save 은/는 for really emphasizing the topic in contrast to the other parts of the sentence.

Question 48

오늘 날씨 좋네요.

Answer 48

The weather’s good today.

Question 49

The weather’s good today.

Answer 49

오늘 날씨 좋네요.

Question 50

오늘은 날씨 좋네요.

Answer 50

(The weather hasn’t been so good lately, but) TODAY, The weather is good.

Question 51

오늘 날씨는 좋네요.

Answer 51

Today (not necessarily everything else too, but) at least the weather is good.