Usage of -가:              NV-가

-가 (or -이) is the subject marker in Korean.
It is used to indicate who or what is performing an action.
It helps distinguish subjects clearly from other parts of the sentence.

Indicating the Subject of a Sentence
If a noun ends in a vowel, use -가 (고양이 → 고양이가).
If a noun ends in a consonant, use -이 (사람 → 사람이) instead. 

Example:
사람이 와요. → “The person comes.” (사람 ends in a consonant, so -이 is used.)
고양이가 귀여워요. → “The cat is cute.” (고양이 ends in a vowel, so -가 is used.)

Emphasizing the Subject
-가 (or -이) helps differentiate between who or what is performing an action.

Example:
내가 했어요. → “I did it.” (Emphasizes that I did it, not someone else.)
선생님이 가르쳐요. → “The teacher teaches.”

Contrast with -은 / -는 (Topic Markers)
The topic markers -은 / -는 are used when making comparisons or general statements.
The subject marker (-가) focuses on the subject’s action or description.

Example:
고양이는 귀엽다. → “Cats (in general) are cute.”
고양이가 귀엽다. → “This cat is cute.”

See also:

-이, -은, -는

The suffix -를 is a direct object marker, used to indicate the noun that receives the action of a verb. It is attached to nouns that end in a vowel. If the noun ends in a consonant, the object marker -을 is used instead.

Usage of -를:  NV–를

Marking the Direct Object of a Sentence
-를 is attached to nouns ending in a vowel.
-을 is used for nouns ending in a consonant.

Example:
영화를 봤어요. → “I watched a movie.” (영화 ends in a vowel, so -를 is used.)
책을 읽었어요. → “I read a book.” (책 ends in a consonant, so -을 is used.)

Emphasizing the Object of an Action
Helps clarify what the subject is acting upon.

Example:
나는 사과를 먹었어요. → “I ate an apple.” (사과를 → The apple is the object.)
그는 나를 좋아해요. → “He likes me.” (나를 → “Me” is the object.)

Comparison with Other Particles
Unlike -이 / -가 (subject markers) or -은 / -는 (topic markers), -을 / -를 marks the object of the verb.

Example:
나는 김치를 먹어요. → “I eat kimchi.” (김치를 → direct object)
김치가 맛있어요. → “Kimchi is delicious.” (김치가 → subject)

Summary
-를 is the direct object marker, used when a noun ends in a vowel.
-을 is used when the noun ends in a consonant.
It identifies what the verb is acting upon.

Common examples:
문장을 쓰다 (“to write a sentence”)
사과를 먹다 (“to eat an apple”).

The particle -에 is used to indicate place, time, or direction. It is similar to “at,” “in,” “to,” or “on” in English, depending on the context.

Uses of -에:

Indicating Location (“at/in”)
학교에 있어요. → “I am at school.”
방에 들어갔어요. → “I went into the room.”

Indicating Time (“on/at”)
저는 3시에 도착할 거예요. → “I will arrive at 3 o’clock.”
월요일에 만나요. → “Let’s meet on Monday.”

Indicating Direction (“to”)
집에 가요. → “I am going home.”
회사에 출근해요. → “I go to work.”

Comparison with -에서:
-에 marks location (where something is or happens).
-에서 marks where an action takes place.

Example:

집에 있어요. → “I am at home.” (Static location)
집에서 공부해요. → “I study at home.” (Action happening at home)

The Korean suffix -에게 is a dative marker used to indicate the recipient or target of an action. It is similar to the English prepositions “to” or “for”, depending on the context.

Usage of -에게:

1. Indicating the Recipient of an Action
   • Used when giving, telling, or showing something to someone.
   • Example:
     • 친구에게 선물을 줬어요. → “I gave a gift to my friend.”
     • 선생님에게 질문했어요. → “I asked a question to the teacher.”
2. Expressing Direction Toward Someone
   • Indicates who is affected by an action.
   • Example:
     • 그녀에게 편지를 썼어요. → “I wrote a letter to her.”
     • 아이에게 책을 읽어 줬어요. → “I read a book to the child.”
3. Comparison with -한테 (Casual Form)
   • -에게 is generally formal, often used in writing or polite speech.
   • -한테 is its casual equivalent, used in informal conversations.
   • Example:
     • 친구에게 말했다. (Formal) → “I spoke to my friend.”
     • 친구한테 말했다. (Casual) → “I spoke to my friend.”
4. Difference Between -에게 and -에게서
   • -에게 means “to” someone (giving/delivering something).
   • -에게서 means “from” someone (receiving something).
   • Example:
     • 나는 친구에게 편지를 썼어요. → “I wrote a letter to my friend.”
     • 나는 친구에게서 편지를 받았어요. → “I received a letter from my friend.”

Summary:

• -에게 marks the recipient of an action (similar to “to/for”).
• Used in formal speech and writing.
• The casual equivalent is -한테.
• -에게서 is used when describing receiving something from someone.

The suffix -을 is an object marker that is attached to nouns ending in a consonant to indicate that they are the direct object of a verb. It functions similarly to -를, which is used when the noun ends in a vowel.

Usage of -을:  NC-을

Marking the Direct Object of a Verb
-을 is attached to nouns that end in a consonant.
If the noun ends in a vowel, -를 is used instead.

Example:
책을 읽다 → “To read a book” (책 ends in a consonant, so -을 is used.)
영화를 보다 → “To watch a movie” (영화 ends in a vowel, so -를 is used.)

Emphasizing the Object of an Action
-을 helps clarify what is being acted upon in a sentence.

Example:
나는 밥을 먹었어요. → “I ate rice.” (Emphasizes that rice was eaten.)
그는 문제를 해결했다. → “He solved the problem.”

Comparison with Topic and Subject Markers
Unlike -은 / -는 (topic markers) and -이 / -가 (subject markers), -을 / -를 specifically marks the object of an action.

Example:
나는 책을 읽어요. → “I read a book.” (책을 → direct object)
책이 재미있어요. → “The book is interesting.” (책이 → subject)

Summary:
-을 is the direct object marker used when a noun ends in a consonant.
-를 is used when the noun ends in a vowel.
It helps indicate what an action is being performed on.
Common examples: 책을 읽다 (“to read a book”), 문제를 해결하다 (“to solve a problem”).

The suffix -의 is a possessive marker that is used to indicate ownership, relationship, or association between two nouns.
It functions similarly to the English apostrophe ‘s or the word “of” in phrases like “John’s book” or “the color of the sky.”

Usage of -의:

Expressing Possession (Belonging)
-의 is placed between two nouns to show that the first noun owns or is related to the second noun.

Example:
나의 책 → “My book” (나 = “I” → 나의 = “mine”)
선생님의 연필 → “The teacher’s pencil” (선생님 = “teacher” → 선생님의 = “teacher’s”)

Indicating Relationships
-의 can indicate associations between things, such as kinship, attributes, or concepts.

Example:
아버지의 친구 → “Father’s friend” (아버지 = “father”)
서울의 날씨 → “Seoul’s weather” (서울 = “Seoul”)

Describing Attributes (Adjectival Use)
-의 helps describe qualities, often similar to “of” in English.

Example:
하늘의 색 → “The color of the sky” (하늘 = “sky”)
생명의 의미 → “The meaning of life” (생명 = “life”)

Spoken vs. Written Korean (Omission in Speech)
In spoken Korean, -의 is often dropped in casual conversation, but in written Korean, it remains more formal.

Example:
Instead of “나의 책”, Koreans often say “내 책” (“My book”) in daily conversation.

Summary
-의 is the possessive marker in Korean, similar to ‘s in English.
It shows ownership, relationships, or attributes.

In spoken Korean, it is often omitted for simplicity.

Examples:
나의 가족 (“My family”)
학교의 이름 (“The name of the school”)
친구의 집 (“Friend’s house”).

-이 is the subject marker used when a noun ends in a consonant.
It indicates who or what is performing an action.
It helps emphasize the subject of the sentence.

-이 is used with consonant-ending nouns (e.g., 사람이, 책이).
-가 is used with vowel-ending nouns (e.g., 고양이가, 학교가).

The suffix -이 is a subject marker that is attached to nouns ending in a consonant to indicate that they are the subject of a sentence. It works in the same way as -가, which is used for nouns ending in a vowel.

Usage of -이:   NC-이

Marking the Subject of a Sentence
-이 is attached to nouns that end in a consonant to show that they are performing the action or being described.

If a noun ends in a vowel, -가 is used instead.

Examples:
학교 (“school”) → 학교가 크다. (“The school is big.”) → Ends in a vowel, so -가 is used.
사람 (“person”) → 사람이 왔다. (“The person came.”) → Ends in a consonant, so -이 is used.

Emphasizing the Subject
-이 helps clarify who or what is performing an action, especially when making a distinction.

Example:
책이 떨어졌다. → “The book fell.” (Emphasizes that the book fell, not something else.)
고양이가 뛰어다닌다. → “The cat is running around.”

Comparison with Topic Markers (-은 / -는)
While -이 (or -가) specifically marks the subject, the topic markers -은 / -는 are used for contrast or general statements.

Example:
한국어는 어렵다. → “Korean (in general) is difficult.”
한국어가 어렵다. → “Korean is difficult.” (Focusing on Korean itself, rather than a comparison.)

See also

-가, -은, -는