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Hangul and Particles
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Read Korea's scientific alphabet in a weekend, then master 은/는 vs 이/가 and 을/를・에/에서.
The world's most scientific alphabet
한글 (hangeul) was DESIGNED in 1443 by King Sejong's scholars — consonant shapes mimic the mouth making them (ㄱ is the tongue blocking the throat). 14 consonants + 10 vowels stack into syllable blocks: 한 = ㅎ+ㅏ+ㄴ. It is fully phonetic — learn the 24 letters in a weekend and you can sound out every sign in Seoul. Literacy in Korea is near 100%, and hangul is why.
Letters that change their sound
Four quirks to learn early: ㅇ is silent at a syllable's start (아 = a) but "ng" at the end (강 = gang). Plain stops voice between vowels: 가방 sounds like "gabang". Double consonants (ㄲ ㄸ ㅃ ㅆ ㅉ) are tense and clipped: 딸 (ttal — daughter) vs 탈 (tal — mask). And final consonants neutralise: 빛 (light) ends in an unreleased "t".
은/는 vs 이/가
Like Japanese: 은/는 (eun/neun) marks the TOPIC, 이/가 (i/ga) the SUBJECT. 저는 학생입니다 (as for me — student): neutral. 제가 학생입니다 (I am the one): emphasis. Vowel-ending nouns take 는/가 (저는, 제가), consonant-ending take 은/이 (민준은, 민준이). Question "who?" answers with 가: 누가 와요? — 제가 와요.
을/를・에/에서・도
을/를 marks the object: 책을 읽어요 (read a book). 에 marks destination/time: 학교에 가요 (go to school), 8시에 (at 8). 에서 marks where action happens: 도서관에서 공부해요 (study at the library). 도 means also: 저도 학생이에요 (I too am a student). Questions need no か — intonation rises: 학생이에요?
| Particle | Job and example |
|---|---|
| 은/는 | topic — 저는 학생입니다 |
| 이/가 | subject — 제가 학생입니다 |
| 을/를 | object — 책을 읽어요 |
| 에 | destination/time — 학교에 가요 |
| 에서 | place of action — 도서관에서 공부해요 |
| 도 | also — 저도 학생이에요 |