Sejong 1 Bootcamp Week #2

Bootcamp Schedule
Week 1: Vocabulary

Week 2: 은/는,을/를,이/가

Week 3: 아요/어요, ㅂ니다/습니다, -ㅂ니까/습니까, -았/었, 이에요/예요

Week 4: -(으)세요, 에 있다/없다, 안, 에 가다 ,에 vs 에서

Week 5: Sino and Native Korean Numbers, 에, 시, 분

Week 6: 하고, 그리고, 그래서, -(으)ㄹ까요, -(으)ㄹ 거예요

Basic Information
Sentence Word Order
Subject – Object – Verb (for example: I hamburger eat)
Or
Subject – Adjective (for example: I beautiful)

Every Korean sentence and clause must end in one of the following:
– A verb
– An adjective, or
– 이다 (neither a verb or adjective)
Subjects vs Objects
The subject does the action of the verb.
Example: I went to the park.
The object refers to whatever the verb is acting on.
Example: My mom loves me.
A sentence with a verb does not require an object.
Example: I slept.
In a sentence with an adjective, there are subjects but no objects.
Example: School is boring.
How to say “I” and “me”
In Korean they are the same words, but they mean I or me depending on the particle.
저 means “I/me” and is used in formal situations
나 means “I/me” and is used in informal situations
~는 can be attached to 저 and 나 to indicate “I” is the topic of a sentence
For example: 저는, 나는
~를 can be attached to 저 and 나 to indicate that “me” is the object of a sentence
For example: 저를, 나를
~가 can be attached to 저 and 나 to indicate “I” is the subject of a sentence or clause
When ~가 is attached 나 changes to 내, and 저 changes to 제. For example: 내가, 제가
 Grammar Points:
는/은, 를/을, 이/가
Topic particles
는 or 은 - indicates the topic of the sentence

Last letter of the last syllable of the subject is a vowel + 는

Example: 저는

Last letter of the last syllable of the subject is a consonant + 은

Example: 책은
Object particles
를 or 을 - indicates the object of the sentence

Last letter of the last syllable of the subject is a vowel + 를

Example: 저를

Last letter of the last syllable of the subject is a consonant + 을

Example: 책을
Verb vs Adjective Ending
Verbs - these sentences will have an object

1) I speak Korean = I는 Korean을 speak

는 is attached to “I” (the topic)

을 is attached to “Korean” (the object)

Adjectives - these sentences do not have an object

1) My girlfriend is pretty: My girlfriend은 is pretty

“은” is attached to “my girlfriend” (the topic)

Subject particle
이 or 가 - indicates the subject of the sentence

Last letter of the last syllable of the subject is a vowel + 가

Example: 소파가

Last letter of the last syllable of the subject is a consonant + 이

Example: 책이
Example #1: 는/은 vs 이/가
The cat is behind the house = 고양이는 집 뒤에 있어요

The cat is behind the house = 고양이가 집 뒤에 있어요

These 2 sentences could be identical. But they could also be different....

The translation does not change by altering the subject particle. Rather, the only
thing that changes is the subtle feeling or nuance that something is being
compared.
Example #1: 는/은 vs 이/가
는/은 can indicate that something is being compared with something else
고양이는 집 뒤에 있다 = The cat is behind the house
The speaker is saying that the cat is behind the house (in comparison to something else
that is not behind the house).
The difficulty here is that there is only one sentence; which gives the listener no context
to understand what “the cat” is being compared with.
However, if I were to make up a context that fits into this situation, it could be that “The
dog is in the house, and, the cat is behind the house.”
However, saying: 고양이가 집 뒤에 있다 = The cat is behind the house …is simply
stating a fact, and “the cat” is not being compared to anything.
Example #2: 는/은 vs 이/가
커피가 냉장고에 있다 = The coffee is in the fridge

This sentence is simply stating that the coffee is in the fridge, and there is no
intention of comparison

커피는 냉장고에 있다 = The coffee is in the fridge

This sentence could simply be stating that the coffee is in the fridge. It is also
possible that the speaker is trying to distinguish between the location of another
object. For example, perhaps the tea is on the table, but the coffee is in the fridge.
Another use of 이/가
The word “있다” has many meanings. To a beginner Korean learner, we can
simplify and generalize these meanings into two forms or usages:
1) 있다 = to have
저는 펜이 있어요. = I have a pen ← this is what we’re interested in right now
2) 있다 = to be at a location
저는 은행 안에 있어요. = I am inside the bank
Don’t worry about #2, we will go over 있다 in more details later, this is just to show
you another application of 이/가
Why do we use 이/가 with 있다?
The usage of 있다 in Korean is an adjective.
Sentences with adjectives cannot act on an object. Thus, you cannot have a
word with the particle ~을/를 attached to it if the predicating word in a sentence is
an adjective (because ~을/를 indicates an object in a sentence).
To get around this, we can attach ~이/가 to the object instead of ~을/를 in
sentences with 있다.
This is one usage of the particle ~이/가; that is, to indicate the thing that a
person “has” in sentences with “있다.”
Example: I have a pen = 저는 펜이 있어요
 Summary
Yes, some of these usages we haven’t seen yet, this is just for you to get an
overview of all the possible ways we can use topic vs subject particles
Uses of 는/은:
1. Without context, with action verbs

Example: 저는 밥을 먹어요. = I eat rice

2. To compare something

Example: = 저는 밥을 먹어요. (Compared to my friend), As for me, I eat rice

3. To state a general fact that everyone knows

Example: 로키산은 높다. = The Rocky Mountains are high.

Uses of 이/가 Part 1
1) Without context, with descriptive verbs + 있다
Examples: 펜이 책상 위에 있어요. = The pen is on the desk.
지민이 예뻐요. = Jimin is pretty
2) Placed on objects in sentences that are predicated by descriptive verbs + 있다
Example: 저는 가방이 있어요. = I have a bag
3) To stress that the subject does the action
Example: 누가 케이크를 먹었어요? = Who at the cake?
제가 케이크를 먹었어요. = I ate the cake
Uses of 이/가 Part 2
4) To indicate something based on recent experience/observation.

Example: 날씨가 좋다! = The weather is nice!

5) Placed on object before 아니다 to indicate what something is not.

Example: 저는 학생이 아니에요 = I am not a student

6) Placed on the object predicated by to indicate what something becomes

Example: 저는 의사가 되고 싶어요. = I want to become a doctor

Helpful Cheat Sheets
By @mono
 Optional: More 이/가 vs 는/은 examples
Warning: This is going to be very TMI and these examples are beyond the scope of Sejong 1
but if you need lots of examples to understand 이/가 vs 는/은 (like me) - then read on.
Context is important
One thing that really confused me was seeing both “~는/은” and “~이/가” used as
the subject particles in the thousands of example sentences we see in textbooks.

I could never figure out which one to use… and it turns out… there isn’t a way to
figure it out without context.

As almost all example sentences are just written as one sentence (without any
background, prior context, or explanation of the situation), and there is no way to
tell if something is being compared to – and thus – their usage is usually arbitrary.
A note from HTSK
From HTSK:

“The good thing is, even if you make a mistake with the usages of ~이/가 and ~는/은, 99.9% of
the time, the listener will be able to understand exactly what you are trying to express.

Likewise, if you listen to somebody speaking, you will be able to understand what they are trying
to say regardless of if you have learned the more complex usages of ~이/가 and ~는/은.

The difference between these two particles is about nuance and does not dramatically change
the meaning of the sentence.

Making a mistake between other particles, however, would cause other people to misunderstand
you. For example, using ~를/을 instead of ~는/은 would (most likely) make your sentence
incomprehensible.”
Example #1: The mountains are high
는/은 (general statement) vs 이/가 (specific statement)

Rocky (로키) 산은 높아요 = The Rocky Mountains are high (the Rocky Mountain is high)

This would be said as a general fact. Everybody would typically know that the Rocky Mountains are high,
so this could be said in a general way as seen as above.

This can be contrasted with ~이/가. Used this way, ~이/가 wouldn’t be used to describe a general fact
about something. Rather, it would be used to describe a specific situation that (usually) the speaker
just realized or observed.

For example, if you were hiking with your friend, and suddenly got a glimpse of a nearby mountain, you
could say: 와! 산이 높다! = Wow! The mountain is high!

Note here that even though the speaker is talking about this one specific mountain, he or she is not
comparing it with something else (for example, another mountain), as this would require the use of ~는/은
(albeit, in its other usage - comparison)
Nuance, not translation
The difference between ~이/가 and ~는/은 is more about nuance, and not about creating a
different translation in your head.

If I attempted to make a translation that describes this nuance for the two examples on the
previous slide, I could maybe write:

산은 높다 = In general, mountains are high

산이 높다 = This mountain that I’m looking at, which I’ve never seen or noticed before, is high

At the same time (and this is where people really get confused with these particles) ~는/은 could
be used in this situation to have a comparing function. For example, I could say:

이 산은 높아요. 하지만, 저 산은 낮아요 = This mountain is tall. But that mountain is low (small)
Understanding the situation
This is precisely what causes the confusion among foreigners when trying to
distinguish the difference between ~이/가 and ~는/은.
Both of them can be used to express different nuances that seem to overlap each
other.
For example, if I say: “산은 높다” What am I trying to say?
Am I trying to say…: “In general, mountains are high”, or “This mountain, in
comparison to that other mountain (or maybe some other thing) is high”
The only way you can distinguish between the particular nuances being used is by
understanding the situation in which they are said.
Example #2: The weather is good
여름 날씨는 좋다 = (in general) summer weather is good
The purpose of this sentence would be to express a general fact about summer
weather. That is, that summer weather is (in general) good.
However, if you just walked outside and saw /experienced that the weather is
good, you would be more inclined to say: 날씨가 좋다 = The weather (right now
that I am experiencing) is good
Here, the speaker is just indicating that the weather at the moment is good, and is
not talking about the weather being good all the time. This doesn’t mean that
“날씨는 좋다” is incorrect. You most definitely could use that sentence, but only in
an appropriate situation.
Example #2: Explanation from a native speaker
Me: When would you be able to say “날씨는 좋다”. It clearly isn’t used as a general statement,
because weather (in general) isn’t always good. So when could I say this?
Korean person: It sounds like you are comparing it with something. Like, you are saying that the
weather is good, but something else might be bad.
Me: For example?
Korean person: Maybe, “여기 음식이 맛이 없어요. 하지만 날씨는 좋아요.” (The food here isn’t
delicious, but the weather is good). Here, you’re saying that the weather is good, but the food is
bad.
That’s the thing about ~이/가 and ~는/은. It’s not about understanding their meanings. Their
meanings can’t be translated into English. It’s about understanding the nuances they possess
when used in different situations.

-Source: HTSK
Example #3: Diamonds are hard
다이아몬드는 딱딱하다 = (in general) Diamonds are hard
This is a statement that can be applied generally. Most people would know that
diamonds are hard, and this is not new information or anything like that
However, if somebody picked up a diamond and felt it, and realizes exactly how hard that
particular diamond is, they would be more inclined to say:
다이아몬드가 너무 딱딱하다 = Diamonds are hard (due to the experience that I have
right now with this diamond, I can see/realize that this diamond is very hard!) (Please try
to ignore my attempt to translate this nuance. It would never actually be translated to
that.)

What happens if you change the noun from diamond to rice?

Example #4: The rice is hard
Now, if we changed the noun: 밥은 딱딱하다 = The rice is hard
This would not be expressed as a general statement. Why? Because rice is generally not
hard. However, if you were about to have dinner with the rice on your plate and you touched it,
you could say:
밥이 딱딱하다 = The rice is hard (due to what I am experiencing right now, I can say that this
particular rice is hard) (Again, please ignore this ridiculous translation)
Now this: 밥은 딱딱하다 = The rice is hard
Again, this is not a general statement. Therefore… is it wrong? No, because there are other
purposes of ~는/은. Maybe here the speaker wanted express the comparison function of
~는/은. Maybe to say that the soup is hot (and ready to eat), but the rice is hard. Remember, all
of this is situational.
Example #5: Apples are [color]
빨갛다= red, 노랗다= yellow
사과는 빨갛다 = (in general) apples are red, or
사과는 빨갛다. 바나나는 노랗다 = Apples are red. Bananas are yellow
(Comparison)
사과가 빨갛다 = the apple is red (the apple that I am looking at that I just noticed)
사과가 파랗다 = the apple is blue (this would not normally be the case and
therefore would never be used with ~는/은 to express a general statement
meaning. However, ~이/가 is used here to specifically describe the apple that
the speaker is experiencing – which may or may not follow what is typical of
other apples)
Example #6: Doctors are smart.
의사들은 똑똑하다 = (in general), doctors are smart

그 의사가 아주 똑똑하다 = the doctor is smart (the one specific doctor who is in
the room, for example)
Example #7: Why do we say 비가 와요?
When you want to say “it is raining” you must use the following sentence:

비가 와요 = It’s raining

Instead of: 비는 와요… (incorrect)

The use of “비는 와요” would suggest that, in general, it rains; which wouldn’t
make sense.

Instead, the fact that it is raining/rained/will rain would always fall into the
particular situation that “이/가” is used for.
Example #8: I ate rice
It would be very awkward if you just walked into a room, without anybody saying
anything to you, or without any prior back-story, and simply said “내가 밥을
먹었어”
Despite being able to understand you perfectly, it would sound very awkward to
Korean people.
When you use ~이/가 over ~는/은, the speaker is putting an enormous amount of
stress on the fact that it was that particular subject that did the action.
The speaker isn’t comparing anything, but specifically stressing that it was the
subject who/that does the action in the sentence (or has the properties
described by the adjective, or “is” the thing attached to 이다).
Example #8: I ate rice
Again, this is just a nuance, and cannot be expressed in translation to English.
The only way it can be explained is through descriptions.

The reason why “내가 밥을 먹었어” sounds weird is because it is just like walking
into a room and saying: “I am the one who ate rice!”

Note here that I wouldn’t actually translate “내가 밥을 먹었어” to “I am the one who
ate rice.” I would still translate it to “I ate.” I am using the translation “I am the one
who ate” to show how the stress can be on the subject.

Nobody would ever say that without anything prompting a person to say it.
Example #8: I ate rice
Instead, you would just say:

나는 밥을 먹었어 = I ate rice. Note that here, you are not comparing anything. You
are also not stating a general fact. You are just indicating the subject of the
sentence. How can I know that nothing is being compared? How can I know
that this isn’t just a general fact? How can I know that ~는/은 is just acting as
a plain old subject marker?

Answer: You can’t. The only way you can distinguish between the particular
nuances being used is by understanding the situation in which they are
used. 💡
“It’s not about understanding them – it’s about
understanding when to use them.”
Example #9: I am the class president
It would be weird in most situations to just say the following as a one-off sentence:
내가 학생이야 … this is just like walking into a room and saying “It is me who is
a/the student!”
However, imagine two students in a class arguing about who gets to sit in the front
row (the best seats in the class). After arguing for a few minutes, the class
president can come in and say:
내가 반장이야! = I am the class president! (반장 = class president) In this situation,
the speaker is stressing that it is he/she that is the class president, and therefore
has the power to solve the situation.
이/가 as a subject stressor
The particle ~이/가, in its usage as a subject stressor, is used when somebody
specifically asks “who” did a particular action. For example, in the following
dialogue:
누가 밥을 먹었어? = Who ate the rice?
내가 밥을 먹었어 = I ate the rice
This could also be shortened to only include the subject: 내가 = “I did”, or “me”
Another example: 누가 피자를 만들었어? = Who made the pizza?
내가 만들었어 = I made it (me)
Question words: 이/가 vs 는/은
Just because (in English) somebody asks a “who” question doesn’t mean that ~이/가 must be used on the
subject.

This is only relevant when the speaker is asking “who” the subject was – and not who the object was (in
effect, when “who” translates to 누가 and not to 누구”).

Asking who/what/which the subject is:

누가 안디를 좋아해? = Who likes Andi? 내가 안디를 좋아해 = I like Andi

어떤 것이 더 좋아요? = Which one is better? 이것이 더 좋아요 = This one is better

Asking who/what/which the object is:

너는 누구를 좋아해? = Who do you like? 나는 그녀를 좋아해 = I like her

The use of “는” on the subject takes the stress off of the subject and “는” just acts as a subject marker.
Summary: 는/은
1) To denote a subject of a sentence. For example: 나는 밥을 먹었다 = I ate rice
내 친구는 밥을 먹었다 = My friend ate rice 나는 세라를 좋아해 = I like Sarah This
may or may not have an overlapped meaning with the following purposes:

2) To compare something. For example: 이 산은 높다 = This mountain is high

(but maybe another mountain is low) 사과는 빨갛다. 바나나는 노랗다 = Apples are
red. Bananas are yellow.

3) To state a general fact. For example: 로키산은 높다 = The Rocky Mountains

are high 여름 날씨는 좋다 = Summer weather is good (nice) 다이아몬드는
딱딱하다 = Diamonds are hard 사과는 빨갛다 = Apples are red
 *Yes, some of these usages we still haven’t seen yet, this is just for you to
get an overview of ways to use subject particles
Summary: 이/가
1) To denote a subject of a sentence. For example: 고양이가 집 뒤에 있다 = The cat is behind the house
This may or may not have an overlapped meaning with the following purposes:
2) To indicate something based on a recent experience/observation. For example: 날씨가 좋다 = The
weather is nice! 비가 와요 = It’s raining! 사과가 파랗다 = The apple is blue
3) To stress that the subject does the action (or is the adjective). For example: 누가 그녀를 좋아해? =
Who likes her? – 내가 그녀를 좋아해 = I like her 내가 반장이야! = I am the class president!
4) Placed on objects in sentences that are predicated by adjectives. For example: 나는 학교가 싫다 = I
don’t like school 나는 그것이 좋다 = I like that 나는 펜이 있다 = I have a pen
5) Placed on the object before 아니다 to indicate what something is not. For example: 나는 학생이
아니다 = I am not a student 나는 의사가 아니다 = I am not a doctor
6) Placed on the object predicated by “되다” to indicate what something becomes. For example: 나는
의사가 되고 싶다 = I want to become a doctor 나는 선생님이 되고 싶다 = I want to become a teacher
Sources
HTSK Lesson 2 https://www.howtostudykorean.com/unit1/unit-1-lessons-1-8/unit-1-lesson-2/
HTSK Lesson 17 https://www.howtostudykorean.com/unit1/unit-1-lessons-17-25-2/lesson-22/
TTMIK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCxLNRLntc0
Go Billy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2jrWqBDilM
Exercises
1. Fill in the blanks with 이에요 or 예요
가: 쯔엉 씨는 어느 나라 사람----- ? 나: 저는 베트남 사람----- .
가: 이름이 뭐 ------? 나: 저는 리사 ------ .
2. Fill in the blanks with a topic or subject particle
가: 지훈 씨--- 한국 사람이에요?
나: 네, 지훈 씨--- 한국 사람이에요.
3. Fill in the numbers with particles. 여러분 한국 음식(1) 좋아합니까? 저(2) 한국 음식(3) 아주
좋아합니다. 비빔밥(4) 제일 좋아합니다. 비빔밥(5) 야채가 많습니다. 그리고 색(6) 예쁩니다.
그래서 저는 비빔밥(7) 자주 먹습니다.
4. Make sentences using: 은/는,을/를,이/가 , 이에요/예요 and vocab: Nationalities, Foods
Answers
1. 가: 이에요. 나: 이에요 가: 예요 나: 예요
2. 가: 지훈 씨는 한국 사람이에요? 나: 네, 지훈 씨가 한국 사람이에요.
3. 여러분 한국 음식을 좋아합니까? 저는 한국 음식을 아주 좋아합니다. 비빔밥을
제일 좋아합니다. 비빔밥은 야채가 많습니다. 그리고 색이 예쁩니다. 그래서
저는 비빔밥을 자주 먹습니다.
Do you like Korean food? I like Korean food very much. I like bibimbap the
most. Bibimbap has a lot of vegetables. And the color is pretty. That's why I
often eat bibimbap.
4. Self study students - you will get a chance to make sentences in your weekly
paragraph
Explanation

여러분 한국 음식을 좋아합니까? Do you like Korean food?

음식을 = food= Object
like = Verb
저는 한국 음식을 아주 좋아합니다. I like Korean food very much.
I = Subject
Food = Object

비빔밥을 제일 좋아합니다. I like bibimbap the most.

비빔밥을 = Object
I = Subject = Here ‘I’ the subject is omitted because we can understand the subject by context.

비빔밥은 야채가 많습니다. Bibimbap has a lot of vegetables.

비빔밥은 = New topic of the sentence. We changed the topic from ‘I’ to Bibimbap.
야채가 = Subject of the sentence.
그리고 색이 예쁩니다. And the color is pretty.
예쁩니다 = Descriptive verb
색이 = We use 이/가 with descriptive verbs/adjectives

그래서 저는 비빔밥을 자주 먹습니다. That's why I often eat bibimbap.

비빔밥을 = Object