Korean GrammarA beginner’s guide to particles, word order & verb endings
Korean grammar is Subject–Object–Verb: the verb comes last, and short particles attached to each noun show its role. Once you know the core particles and the polite 해요 verb ending, you can build most everyday sentences. This free guide covers the eight essentials with examples, then links to full lessons and the level-by-level curriculum — by a certified Korean teacher (한국어교원 2급).
8 grammar points every beginner needs
| Form | Rom. | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 은 / 는 | eun / neun | Topic marker — marks what the sentence is about |
| 이 / 가 | i / ga | Subject marker — marks who/what does the action |
| 을 / 를 | eul / reul | Object marker — marks what the verb acts on |
| 에 / 에서 | e / eseo | Place & time — 에 = to/at a point, 에서 = at/from a place of action |
| -아요 / -어요 | -ayo / -eoyo | Haeyo form — the everyday polite verb ending |
| -았어요 / -었어요 | -asseoyo / -eosseoyo | Past tense — what already happened |
| 이다 | ida | To be (copula) — "A is B" |
| 안 / 못 | an / mot | Negation — 안 = don't, 못 = can't |
Grammar by level (TOPIK 1–6)
Our 152-lesson curriculum maps to the official 6-grade system. Pick a level to start.
🌱
Level 1 · TOPIK 1
Hangeul, greetings, survival basics
🌿
Level 2 · TOPIK 2
Daily life — places, transport, favors
🧩
Level 3 · TOPIK 3
Work, devices, real conversations
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Level 4 · TOPIK 4
Workplace Korean, media, idioms
🎯
Level 5 · TOPIK 5
News, business, nuance
🏆
Level 6 · TOPIK 6
Near-native — debate, literature
FAQ
- What is the basic Korean sentence order?
- Korean is Subject–Object–Verb (SOV): the verb always comes last. "I eat an apple" becomes 저는 사과를 먹어요 (I + apple + eat). Particles attached to each noun show its role, so word order is flexible except for the final verb.
- What grammar do Korean beginners need first?
- The particles 은/는, 이/가, 을/를, 에/에서, the polite 해요 verb ending, the past tense, the copula 이다, and negation with 안/못 — all listed with examples above. Master these eight and you can build most everyday sentences.
- How do Korean particles work?
- Particles are short markers attached to the end of a noun to show its job in the sentence — topic (은/는), subject (이/가), object (을/를), place/time (에/에서). They replace the word-order rules English relies on.
- Is this Korean grammar guide free?
- Yes — free with no sign-up, by a certified Korean teacher (한국어교원 2급). Each point links to a full lesson with examples and a quiz.
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Written by Alvin Lim Certified Korean Language Teacher (Level 2)