If you’re learning Korean, you’ve probably struggled with 은/는 and 이/가. You’re not alone. This is confusing for most Korean learners, sometimes even for advanced learners.

Most textbooks tell you: “은/는 is a topic marker, 이/가 is a subject marker.” But that doesn’t really help, does it? You still get confused.

My name is Anna, and I have been teaching Korean for over 14 years. I’ve helped hundreds of students finally understand these particles. The secret isn’t memorizing grammar rules. It’s understanding two things that native speakers use without even thinking: Context (what you were talking about before) and Intonation (how you say it).

Let me show you what I mean.

The Real Problem: Why Textbooks Don’t Help

Before we get into the solution, let’s talk about why this is so hard in the first place.

Your native tongue probably doesn’t work this way (you are lucky if it does)

If you speak English, Spanish, French, or most European languages, you’re probably used to having a certain word order that means one thing: “The dog bit the cat” means something different from “The cat bit the dog.” The words stay in the same place, and that’s why you don’t even have to wonder whether it meant something else.

Korean doesn’t work like that. Korean uses these little markers called particles. And the same sentence can mean different things depending on which particle was used.

Let’s look at these two sentences:

강아지가 귀여워요 (The puppy is cute)

강아지는 귀여워요 (The puppy is cute)

In English, they may seem the same. In Korean? They can mean completely different things depending on what you were talking about before that sentence.

Korean needs context to make sense

Here’s something important: Korean is what linguists call a “highly contextual language.” That’s a fancy way of saying sometimes you can’t understand one sentence by itself. You need to know what came before it.

Let’s note that this is not always the case. Sometimes things are just straightforward. But we’ll focus on 은/는 and 이/가 for now.

How you say it matters

The same exact sentence can mean different things depending on your tone of voice. But it’s also very intuitive. When you hear it a few times, you just start to understand it. This is why I always encourage everyone learning Korean to watch K-dramas without relying heavily on subtitles.

The Three Things That Actually Matter

After years of teaching and studying how native Koreans actually speak, I’ve found that three things determine which particle to use. Let me break them down for you.

Number 1: Is This New or Already Known?

This is the most important question. Are you bringing something new into the conversation for the first time, or are you talking about something everyone already knows about? Was that person or topic already mentioned, or not?

이/가 = Introducing someone new

Imagine you’re at a gathering with your friends. Someone new walks in, someone you know but others don’t. You’d introduce them, right? “Hey everyone, this is my friend Sarah.” That’s what 이/가 does.

이/가 brings something new into the conversation. It’s like saying “Hey, meet this person/thing - we haven’t talked about them yet.”

Example:

• 옛날 어느 마을에 나무꾼이 살았어요 (Once upon a time, there lived a woodcutter in a village)

Here, 나무꾼이 introduces the woodcutter into your story. This is the first time we’re meeting him. He’s new to the conversation.

Another example:

• 어제 제 동생이 왔어요 (Yesterday, my younger brother or sister came)

Here, 동생이 introduces your brother or sister as new information.

은/는 = Talking about someone everyone already knows

Now let’s say you are with your friends again. Your friend Sarah has been there for an hour. Everyone knows her. Now you’re talking about her. “Oh, Sarah? She’s a teacher.” That’s what 은/는 does.

은/는 is for when everyone already knows who or what you’re talking about. You’re adding more information about something that’s already in the conversation.

Example:

• 그 나무꾼은 아주 착했어요 (That woodcutter was very kind)

You already introduced the woodcutter in the first sentence. Now, 나무꾼은 helps you tell us more about him. Everyone already knows which woodcutter you mean - the one from the first sentence.

Let’s look at another example:

• 제 동생은 대학생이에요 (My younger sibling is a college student)

Here, 동생은 talks about the sibling you already mentioned. Everyone knows which sibling you mean, so now you’re adding more information about them.

Some more examples to compare:

New information (이/가):

 비가 와요 (It’s raining (Rain is coming)) - You’re introducing “rain” as a new topic

선생님이 오셨어요 (The teacher came) - You’re introducing “teacher” as new information

 누가 왔어요? (Who came?) - You’re asking about a new subject

Already known information (은/는):

비는 와요 (As for rain, it’s coming) - You were already talking about the weather

선생님은 오셨어요 (As for the teacher, he came) - You were already talking about this teacher

저는 학생이에요 (I am a student) - You’re talking about yourself in an ongoing conversation

Number 2: What Do You Want to Emphasize?

Sometimes, the difference isn’t about new versus old. It’s about what you want people to focus on.

이/가 = “This specific one, not that one”

이/가 is like pointing at a photo and saying “That one right there!” It picks out one specific person from all other people in that photo.

Example:

Someone asks: “Who is Min-jun?”

You stand up and say: 제가 민준입니다 (I am Min-jun (I am the one who is Min-jun))

You’re emphasizing “I” specifically. You’re saying “I am the one” - not someone else. It’s like raising your hand in class.

Another example:

• 제가 만들었어요 (I made it) - Emphasizing “I” specifically made it, not someone else
• 그 강아지가 예뻐요 (That puppy is cute) - Emphasizing it’s specifically that puppy, not the other one

은/는 = “Compared to other things”

은/는 is like holding two things side by side and comparing them. Even if you don’t say the other thing out loud, everyone understands you’re comparing and expressing your opinion about it.

Example:

You’re at a restaurant with friends. You’re trying different things. You point to one and say: 불고기는 맛있어요 (The bulgogi is delicious…)

You’re comparing the bulgogi to the other dishes on the table. The hidden meaning everyone understands even though you didn’t mention it is: “…but maybe the other dishes aren’t as good.” You’re making a comparison, even if you don’t say it.

Another example:

• 저는 집에 가요 (I’m going home) - Comparing yourself to others who are staying
• 불고기는 맛있어요 (Bulgogi is delicious) - Comparing it to other dishes

Here are Some More examples:

Emphasis (이/가):

 제가 했어요 (I did it) - Emphasizing “I” specifically did it

그 책이재미있어요 (That book is interesting) - Emphasizing it’s specifically that book

누가 왔어요? (Who came?) - Asking specifically about the person who came, the subject.

Contrast (은/는):

저는 집에 가요 (I’m going home) - Contrasting with others staying

불고기는 맛있어요 (Bulgogi is delicious) - Contrasting with other dishes

Number 3: The Way, You Say It Changes the Meaning

The exact same sentence where you use different intonation can mean different things depending on HOW you say it (your intonation, your tone of voice has extra information in it).

Normal way:

그 책이 재미있어요 (That book is interesting) - Just a simple statement

When Emphasized: - 그 책이 재미있어요! (THAT book is the one that’s interesting! Not the other one you thought!)

When you emphasize the particle 이, you’re adding extra focus. You’re correcting someone or making a strong point. It’s like saying “No, you got it wrong - THIS book, not that book!”

How intonation works:

1. Normal intonation = Just talking normally, no special meaning
2. Emphasized particle = Correcting someone or tying to show a difference, as if you say “No, THIS one!”

Real conversation example:

Imagine you and your friend are sitting at a coffee shop and he takes out two books out of his bag. You look at one that catches your attention and ask:

Friend A: 그 소설이 재미있어요? (Is that novel interesting?)

Friend B: 아니요, 이 책이 재미있어요! (No, THIS book is interesting!) (While pointing at the other book).

Here, Friend B emphasizes 이 to correct Friend A. Friend A was talking about a novel, but Friend B is talking about a different book.

What Happens When Koreans Drop Particles?

Sometimes you might notice that native Koreans often drop particles during daily conversations. How are you supposed to understand the context then?

When particles are dropped:

• 저 집에 가요 (I’m going home) - Just a neutral statement, no special meaning
• 저는 집에 가요 (As for me, I’m going home) - Can add a contrast meaning
• 제가 집에 가요 (I am the one going home) - Emphasizes “I” specifically

When Koreans drop particles, it’s usually one of these cases:

1. Neutral statements - When you’re just stating a fact without any special meaning
2. Casual speech - In everyday conversation, particles are often dropped (everything is mostly clear)
3. When context is super clear - If everyone knows exactly what you mean, you can drop them

It’s important to note that when you drop particles, you lose the emphasis. You get a neutral statement. But your tone of voice (intonation) can still add meaning even without particles.

Example:

• 물 있어요 (There is water) - Neutral, no special meaning
• 물이 있어요 (Water exists) - Can emphasize “water” or introduce it as new
• 물은 있어요 (As for water, there is some) - Can contrast with other drinks you don’t have

Have questions? Leave them in the comments. I’m here to help.

Good luck with your Korean learning. 화이팅!