Korean help pls?
i'm confused about the particles.

교실에 학생이 있어요. There is a student in the classroom.

교실에 선생님은 없어요. There is not a teacher in the classroom.
The structure of those two sentences are basically the same, the only diff is the second one is negative. but why does it use different particles after the word "student" and "teacher" ?
on student they put -이, while on teacher they put -은 ?

i thought, in this kind of sentence, on the noun they shouldve put either -i (if the noun ends with consonant) or -ga (if it ends with vocals).. but why suddenly there's -eun there?

*i got the sentence from a learning-korean website btw.. so i wonder if it's wrong?

hope anyone can explain it to me? thank you so much.if i replace it wih -i (because it ends with a consonant) so it become like this:

교실에 선생님이 없어요.

wil it be right?

Question

Korean help pls?
i'm confused about the particles.

교실에 학생이 있어요. There is a student in the classroom.

교실에 선생님은 없어요. There is not a teacher in the classroom.
The structure of those two sentences are basically the same, the only diff is the second one is negative. but why does it use different particles after the word "student" and "teacher" ?
on student they put -이, while on teacher they put -은 ?

i thought, in this kind of sentence, on the noun they shouldve put either -i (if the noun ends with consonant) or -ga (if it ends with vocals).. but why suddenly there's -eun there?

*i got the sentence from a learning-korean website btw.. so i wonder if it's wrong?

hope anyone can explain it to me? thank you so much.if i replace it wih -i (because it ends with a consonant) so it become like this:

교실에 선생님이 없어요.

wil it be right?

Answer

thank you.! ^^

Answer

안녕하세요 유메 짱. 주말 잘 지내고 계시나요? :)

the question you've asked is very confusing to Korean speakers also. ok, I will answer yes, no first. when you replace '교실에 선생님이 없어요' will be ok if it's only one sentence in that reading material but it's not good enough in that situation.

let me explain. :) -은/-는, -이/-가 can be very confusing for everyone. But think this way. In Korean grammar, we called 주격조사(which always attached with Subject, always and it shows that substantive is Subject in that sentence; 이/가, 께서, 에서(단체, 기관), 이서(사람수)). But -은/는 is a bit different, we call that in Korean Grammar, 보조사(which can be used as a subject or adverbial phrase or object as well. ; 은/는, 도, 만, 까지, 부터, 뿐.....and so on)

still confused? well..let's do step by step. :) Let's look thru sentences like followings. :

1. when we start a story, we use 이/가 at first. And then you start use 은/는(this is why your book or material you read, says, 학생이, 선생님은)

저기에 병원이 있습니다. 그 병원은 언덕 위에 있습니다. 
There is a hospital. The hospital is on the hill.(similar as a/the)

2. 이/가 are used in general statement but 은/는 are used in comparing situation.(that's why they used 선생님은 cuz they tried to compare the situation btw 학생 n 선생님)

예) 유메가 준을 불렀어요. 준이 대답했어요./ 유메가 준을 불렀어요. 준은 대답하지 않았어요. //준은 감자탕을 먹었고, 유메는 갈비찜을 먹었어요.

3. when you use 이/가, the focus of sentence is the noun before 이/가, but 은/는's focus is the content after 은/는.

예) 누가 화장실에 갔어? 유메(가 갔어)/ 유메는 뭐 해? (유메는) 화장실에 갔어.

now you can understand better, can't you? :) I will add more sentences.

철수야, 너 밥은 안 먹고 과자는 먹냐? 과자만 먹다가 탈난다. 
어제 마음껏 놀았지만, 숙제는 했다.

비교예시) 어색한 문장을 골라보세요.(pick the awkward or a bit strange sentences btw)
1) 옛날에 한 호랑이가 살았습니다. 호랑이는 배가 고파 사냥을 나갔습니다. /옛날에 한 호랑이는 살았습니다. 호랑이가 배가 고파 사냥을 나갔습니다.
2) 인간은 생각하는 동물이다/인간이 생각하는 동물이다.
3) 누가 물을 엎었니? 히로시가 엎었어요/ 누가 물을 엎었니? 히로시는 엎었어요.
4) 초인종이 울렸을 때 난(나는) 유끼꼬가 왔음을 알았다./초인종이 울렸을 때 내가 유끼꼬가 왔음을 알았다.

very difficult and confusing Korean Grammar? :) but now you got it, keep it up, 유메 짱. :)

도움이 되면 좋겠네요. 신나는 주말 보내시고 다음에 뵐게요. :)

Answers · 2

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