Korean Grammar - TOPIK I

Welcome to the Korean Grammar for TOPIK I! 🎓 Here you'll find clear, simple explanations of essential Korean grammar patterns — perfect for beginners and intermediate learners. Each part includes examples, usage tips, and common expressions to help you speak and understand Korean more naturally. Whether you're preparing for TOPIK or just improving your everyday Korean, this is your go-to grammar guide. Ready to explore? Let's get started! 🚀

• Part 1 - Hangul (Korean Alphabet)
• Part 2 - Basic sentence endings & structures
• 2.1 입니다 / ㅂ니다 / 습니다 — formal polite ending for statements
• 2.2 이에요 / 예요 — polite informal ending for statements
• 2.3 이/가 아닙니다 — formal polite negative statement (is not)
• 2.4 이/가 아니에요 — informal polite negative statement (is not)
• 2.5 있어요 / 없어요 — to express existence, possession (have / don’t have)
• 2.6 입니까?/ 읍니까? / 습니까? — formal polite question (Is it...? Do you...?)
• 2.7 이에요? / 예요? — polite question (Is it...? )
• 2.8 있어요? / 없어요? — question about existence/possession (Do you have...? Is there...?)
• Part 3 - Particles
• 3.1 은 / 는 — topic particle (marking what sentence is about)
• 3.2 이 / 가 — subject particle (marking subject of sentence)
• 3.3 을 / 를 — object particle (marking object of action)
• 3.4 에 — time/place particle (at, to, on)
• 3.5 에서 — place particle (at, in, from — for actions)
• 3.6 에서 ~까지 — from place to place (location)
• 3.7 부터 ~까지 — from time to time (duration)
• 3.8 도 — also, too
• 3.9 만 — only
• 3.10 하고 / 와 / 과 — and, with (nouns)
• 3.11 (이)랑 — and, with (casual, spoken)
• Part 4 - Basic question words & patterns
• 4.1 뭐 / 무엇 — what
• 4.2 누구 — who
• 4.3 어디 — where
• 4.4 언제 — when
• 4.5 몇 — how many, what time
• 4.6 어떻게 — how
• 4.7 어느 / 무슨 — Which / What Kind of
• Part 5 - Polite requests & commands
• 5.1 ~(으)세요 — polite command or request (please do...)
• 5.2 ~지 마세요 — negative command (please don’t...)
• 5.3 ~주세요 — request (please give/do...)
• 5.4 ~주세요 (object) — asking for objects
• 5.5 ~주세요 (action) — asking for actions
• 5.6 - ~십시오 — Formal Polite Command / Request ("Please do...")
• 5.7 - ~지 마십시오 — Formal Negative Command ("Please don’t...")
• Part 6 - Present tense verbs
• 6.1 아요 / 어요 / 해요 — present tense polite informal verb ending
• Part 7 - Past tense verbs
• 7.1 았어요 / 었어요 / 했어요 — past tense polite informal verb ending
• Part 8 - Future tense / intention
• 8.1 ~(으)ㄹ 거예요 — future tense or intention (will do...)
• Part 9 - Location & existence
• 9.1 에 있다 / 에 없다 — to be (exist) or not be (not exist) in a location
• Part 10 - Expressing ability
• 10.1 ~(으)ㄹ 수 있어요 / ~(으)ㄹ 수 없어요 — can / cannot do something
• 10.2 못 해요 — can’t do
• 10.3 잘 해요 — do well
• Part 11 - Expressing want
• 11.1 ~고 싶어요 — want to do something
• 11.2 ~고 싶지 않아요 — don’t want to do something
• Part 12 - Negative sentences
• 12.1 안 + verb — not + verb (simple negative)
• 12.2 ~지 않아요 — not do something (more formal/neutral negative)
• Part 13 - Connecting actions
• 13.1 ~고 — and (connecting two actions)
• 13.2 ~아서 / ~어서 / ~해서 — so, because, and then (sequence or cause)
• Part 14 - Listing nouns
• 14.1 ~하고 ~하고 — and, and (listing nouns)
• 14.2 ~(이)나 — or; this or that (nouns)
• Part 15 - Comparison
• 15.1 보다 ~ 더 — more ~ than (comparison)
• 15.2 제일 / 가장 — the most
• Part 16 - Time expressions
• 16.1 전에 — before
• 16.2 후에 / 다음에 — after
• 16.3 동안 — during, for (duration of time)
• Part 17 - Frequency
• 17.1 자주 — often
• 17.2 가끔 — sometimes
• 17.3 항상 — always
• 17.4 거의 안 — rarely, almost not
• 17.5 전혀 안 — never
• Part 18 - Expressing experience
• 18.1 ~(으)ㄴ 적이 있어요 / 없어요 — have done / haven't done something before (experience)
• Part 19 - Permission & prohibition
• 19.1 ~아/어도 돼요 — may, it’s okay to do (permission)
• 19.2 ~(으)면 안 돼요 — must not do, not allowed (prohibition)
• Part 20 - Plans & promises
• 20.1 ~(으)려고 해요 — intend to, planning to do
• 20.2 ~기로 했어요 — decided to, promised to do
• Part 21 - Because
• 21.1 ~(으)니까 — because, so
• 21.2 ~아/어서 — because, so (more connected, soft reason)
• Part 22 - If
• 22.1 ~(으)면 — if, when (conditional)
• Part 23 - Assumption
• 23.1 ~는 것 같다 – Assumption
• Part 24 - Trying something
• 24.1 ~아/어/해 보다 — try doing something
• Part 25 - Already / not yet
• 25.1 벌써 — already
• 25.2 아직 / 아직 안 — still, not yet
• Part 26 - Expressing surprise
• 26.1 ~네요 — expresses surprise, admiration
• Part 27 - Expressing suggestion
• 27.1 ~(으)ㄹ까요? — shall we? shall I? do you want to...?
• Part 28 - Should / Must / Have to
• 28.1 ~해야 해요 — should / must / have to
• Part 29 - Making propositions
• 29.1 ~아/어/해요 (together) — let’s do
• 29.2 ~자 / (으)ㅂ시다 — let’s do (informal / formal)
• Part 30 - Expressing “even if” / concession
• 30.1 ~아/어도 — even if, even though
• Part 31 - Quoting speech
• 31.1 ~라고 해요 — indirect quote (they said X) for nouns
• 31.2 ~(으)ㄴ다고 해요 — indirect quote (they said that...) for present tense
• 31.3 ~았/었다고 해요 — indirect quote (they said that...) for past tense
• 31.4 ~(으)ㄹ 거라고 해요 — indirect quote for future tense
• 31.5 ~자고 해요 — indirect quote for suggestion (they suggested that...)
• 31.6 ~지 말라고 해요 — indirect quote for negative command (they told not to...)
• 31.7 ~느냐고 해요? — indirect quote for questions
• Part 32 - Connecting sentences / background
• 32.1 는데 / (으)ㄴ데 / 인데 — give background, contrast, lead to next sentence ("but, and, so, by the way")
• Part 33 - Time clause
• 33.1 (으)ㄹ 때 — when, at the time of doing something
• Part 34 - Passive voice
• 34.1 이/히/리/기 + 되다 — action happens to subject / passive meaning
• 34.2 verb + 아/어지다 — passive voice for adjectives
• Part 35 - Honorifics
• 35.1 (으)시 — honorific verb ending
• 35.2 께서 — subject particle honorific (instead of 이/가)
• Part 36 - Causative
• 36.1 - 이/히/리/기 + 하다 — Cause someone to do / Make happen