Understanding the Korean Topic Particle (은/는)
In Korean, the topic particle 은/는 is used to show what the sentence is about. It's like putting a spotlight on the main idea or subject in a sentence. This particle helps listeners or readers know what to focus on.
Important Points
- The topic particle 은/는 helps highlight the subject of a sentence.
- Use 는 if the word ends with a vowel.
- Use 은 if the word ends with a consonant.
- It can show contrast between two subjects.
- It can also be used to introduce a new topic.
Examples
- 저는 학생이에요. (저는 means ‘As for me’, I am a student.)
- 고양이는 귀여워요. (고양이는 means ‘As for the cat’, it is cute.)
- 오늘은 날씨가 좋아요. (오늘은 means ‘As for today’, the weather is nice.)
The topic particle 은/는 is very helpful when you want to compare or contrast things. For example, if you want to say 'I like apples, but I don't like bananas,' you can use 는 and 은 to make the contrast clear.
Examples
- 사과는 좋아하지만 바나나는 싫어해요. (사과는 vs 바나나는)
- 저는 학생이고, 친구는 선생님이에요. (저는 vs 친구는)