Topic Marker, Subject Marker, Object Marker (은/는, 이/가, 을/를) | Korean FAQ

It's time for a particle review of the three Korean markers - the Topic Marker (은/는), the Subject Marker (이/가), and the Object Marker (을/를). Let's compare and contrast each of them, and talk about how they're used.
Want to start learning Korean? Check out my book, "Korean Made Simple" on Amazon: amzn.to/2bDBi6h (affiliate)
Please consider supporting me on Patreon: / gobillykorean
Become a member of GoBillyKorean: / @gobillykorean
Learn Korean with GoBillyKorean! Subscribe for weekly videos! goo.gl/9Dm5g
Here's a longer live class lesson I did about these three markers: • Korean Topic, Subject,...
Music by Kevin MacLeod: "Beachfront Celebration," “MJS Strings,” and “Brightly Fancy.” (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/b...)

[@jess0219]

Thank you for this! This is the best explanation I've ever heard!! After 2 years of feeling lost when it comes to particles, I finally feel like I have a grasp on them.

[@BatmanYZFr1]

you said "after 2 years"...Thanks Jessig 0219. I've been studying Korean now for 2 and a half years and this still tricks me up. I thought after 2 years and still not sure ,it had to be me. Good to know I'm not alone om this. I know you are doing so many things now Billy but this video is gold. thank you as well.

[@bellakitsu7191]

찌뺳이 =)✌

[@talkitoutwithme]

Same here ㅠㅠ

[@stephentsang9194]

glad I found this after 15mos then. Thanks again Billy 씨

[@triptinath5675]

Girl, you didn't understand particles for 2 years...I have been learning Korean for 2 months now and couldn't grasp the concept of particles, I thought I was behind..Glad to know it's common

[@Jtke9112]

7:24 "The subject marker marks the subject NOT of a sentence BUT OF THE VERB." This clarification alone helps so much! Thank you!

[@468strings7]

Many students subscribe to the theory of only having a native (born) teacher. I myself have taken numerous classes with Korean teachers; however, because of language or cultural differences, they cannot always answer my questions. This is never a problem with Billy, since he has already traveled the road we are just now starting on, he understands (and sometimes predicts) our questions. And, unlike many other professional KZbinrs, he frequently responds to comments, adding additional insight. 선생님 고맙습니다.

[@Yo-cn3nc]

Yep...That is exactly what I think and feel, actually I just posted in Spanish something like what you said.

[@jk_jnbts8708]

right

[@sheetalkumari8581]

Soooo true....

[@sheetalkumari8581]

Thank u Billy, u r our saviour. Bestest teacher I ever had.

[@mibellanote]

Exactly! Sometimes its better to hear from someone who speaks your native language explain how they learned a concept of another language. There are just ways we say things that explain a concept better. Like this video was so clear compared to videos on this topic explained by a native korean speaker.

[@nextdoorlee]

Being a Korean myself, this is something I have never thought of before. I am sure not many Koreans have unless they are linguists. But, yes, his explanation is quite accurate. This video will be of much help to those who study Korean. 한국사람으로서 이건 내가 한번도 생각해본 적이 없는 문제인데, 생각해보니 꽤 정확한 이야기인 것 같아요. 한국어를 공부하는 사람들에게 이 동영상은 큰 도움이 될 것 같아요.

[@meb2831]

Hii may i ask you something??

[@darioj606]

I have struggled with the topic marker for a while, this explanation was the first that actually cleared it up for me. Thank you a lot!

[@LLLadySSS]

Woah there if you keep giving clear explanations like this all the time I'm gonna start thinking Korean is super easy lololol

[@enicole1203]

The distinction between 은 and 이/가 as a change in the conversational topic helps a lot. I think the 'as for/when it comes to' phrase will be really helpful in remembering

[@user-se5rk5ko2z]

Is anybody else’s head hurting like hell over subject particles 😩

[@eugeniadonkor2837]

Same bestie 😩

[@aesthetorzoio1850]

Got a whole headache over this 🥴

[@nurfatinlyana]

Me

[@wallie963]

This is honestly THE best video about particles I’ve ever watched. The 이/가 vs 은/는 section was explained beautifully, you really hit the nail out of my head. Thank you, Sir!

[@aKModern]

the expression is "hit the nail on the head" =]

[@Simply_roach]

@@aKModernthat not what they are trying to say, they are trying to say he removed something that really disturbed him/her

[@drjing]

I’m really happy I see this video early in my journey of learning korean. Thanks Billy!!

[@SnackyKorea]

i'm korean but still learn Korean from him a lot. he's a great teacher.

[@dawnslibrary]

I had a lot of trouble understanding this topic but this video has helped me a lot! I finally understand now ^^. Thank you Billy!!

[@DavidManvell]

Wow. Dude. This is by far downright the best exclamation of these markers I have ever seen. I wish I had seen this a year or two ago.

[@saratolca]

I've seen many videos about particles but this is the first one that really made me understand them. Thank you so so much. 감사합니다 !!!

[@mariamorgan4462]

Sammme 💜💜

[@topstorekorea]

Wow, excellent! As a Korean American who began learning Japanese with an American textbook, I really had a hard time distinguishing between “Wa” and “Ga” which is exactly same as the Korean “Neun,” and “Ga” which is described as a topic marker and subject marker respectively. Only when I learned Japanese with a Korean textbook that I truly understand its meaning and application. Things I realized about learning a foreign language is that when you can “feel” it, it is very easy to understand and memorize. For instance, everyone knows what feels to be “hot, cold, hurt, happy” and so on. But something abstract that require analysis, such as topic marker and subject marker, it will take a long time to understand fully. I applaud the teacher for making this difficult topic much easier to understand.

[@GabyC82]

In 12 minutes I understood what I couldn't in one year. Thank you so much for the explanation.

[@jaydaphom2314]

IDC what ppl say THIS IS the BEST particle video. I have seen 10 in total particle videos and this is the ONLY one that I fully understand.

[@aasthajain5283]

OH MY GOD. You're really good at this. I am learning from korean teachers and still can't understand this. Even though I am in intermediate level, it's still difficult to understand. And it ruins the whole thing if we did these wrong. However, you just explained it very well. Even better than natives I would say.

[@ljp2]

this was so helpful! I actually asked my korean professor how to differentiate between 이/가 and 은/는 because I seriously couldn't understand it at all but this explanation made it clear thank you

[@sakuzzn]

i’ve been learning korean (seriously) since april of this year, and i’ve been introduced to the idea of 은/는 & 이/가 many times, but it was still a little confusing. this is the first time i’ve completely understood the difference between the two.. your examples & visualization helped so much😭 thank you! 감사합니다! 🫶🏽

[@pixel_cats]

Like many other commenters, I have read and watched countless resources on particles and just ended up so confused my brain hurt haha. You broke them down into simple terms and simple sentences. I finally feel like it's starting to make sense to me. I will definitely be sharing this video if I see anyone else needing help with them. Thank you so much for your videos!!

[@SkzHwangHyunjinLee]

Teaching is a skill and Billy really has it 💫 Thank you so so much Billy 🥹

[@beatriznapoli7417]

Best.explanation.ever

[@jus_t2309]

i know right omg

[@aileenmacdonald9528]

This is the third video I have watched and I think I’m beginning to get it. The sign as a visual is a real winner. Thank you for that!!!!!!!

[@yaribeiro1869]

So cool to have channel's like you to explain this beautiful language 😊( love your videos)

[@DeevenaJemima]

Very useful as always. Thank you for making the lesson so easy to understand.

[@Kay-cq9zw]

This was really helpful! Thank you so much!

[@kamansvlog1622]

Just found this channel and love it! The pace is nice and the explanations are so clear to me.

[@anasakura7150]

Again, crystal clear. 감사합니다 선생님 !

[@SavingDom]

This was amazingly clear, thank you!

[@lucyhall]

Best description I've heard!! Thank you!

[@vee1444]

This is the best explanation I've seen so far. I was struggling to understand. Now I going to go back on sentences I didn't understand to apply this to.

[@AvrilLavigneandAFI]

This was extremely helpful! I've been very confused about this concept for a while now, and this truly cleared it up! Thank you so much!!!

[@llacc]

Wow it really does take practice. This is one of the few videos of teachers that explains 은 는 이 가 well. Thank You so much, now I'm getting the hang of 은 는 이 가.

[@sharielm363]

Love the way this way broken down! Thank you!

[@sofiasemblante]

I have watched many videos about this one, and this is so far the best and the ONLY video that made me understand about the topic. Thank you, Billy!

[@itzelmarquez1528]

Omg this analogy was so helpful, thank you so much

[@joybillonid3464]

I'm amazed how Billy easily explained this particles! Glad I saw this!

[@user-ed2qj2pe1e]

this is literally the best explanation ever thank you so so so much

[@beatrizhuete1478]

Ohhhh! It makes a lot more sense now! That sign idea is a good idea! Thank you!

[@softforsunwoo458]

this video was really helpful !!! Thank you so much

[@ScabysOP]

Thank you for this video. I have been struggling with particles for a while and this made everything much clearer.

[@MaajidahOmar]

Amazingly explained I enjoyed your other video on this as well . Would live to see more on this

[@victoriadeoliveira9171]

Billy, thank you so much for this video! I was having a hard time trying to differentiate those markers but you just made everything so clear. Thanks a million ♥

[@HeartNSeoul-sd5ym]

This was so incredibly helpful, thank you very much! I was really stuck on these endings and your explanation *finally* clarified things for me. I will search for your videos from now on.

[@kittychara]

Your explanation helps a lot. Thank you.

[@jhasmindelacruz7449]

You're really helping me a lot, Teacher! Thank you so much

[@milonee0233]

This video has helped me so much I genuinely struggled getting my head around it all but this is such a clear explanation. Thank you!

[@aesthetorzoio1850]

This made so much sense 감사합니다 🙏🏾

[@kristinachicken]

Your videos are so helpful! Thank you so much for teaching us Korean, you're great 😊😊

[@KLee-pc4qc]

Thanks so much for this info! It's super helpful and much easier to understand than explanation I've seen elsewhere.

[@jlw10043]

Billy, as always, is a life saver. I am so thankful for his classes and books. Patreon supporter forever.

[@rrafauu]

This is a great video! Thank you so much 🤍

[@chazelle_]

This was an excellent explanation... very helpful thank you!

[@joslynwhiteman8802]

You've just explained this so well. I've been struggling with this for so long! By far the best explanation on this!!!

[@sam3864]

thank u sm.. i was so confused on this for the longest time but it make so much more sense now!

[@CarryDH]

You are a lifesaver! I was waiting for a video about this by you, cause your explanations are the only ones I understand right away. Was struggling so much, know I get it. Thank you 😊 !!!

[@tan_the_man]

This strangely makes a lot of sense and no sense at all.😂 I think I'm slowly starting to understand particles a little better which is both exciting and a little scary. Thank you so much for this!❤️ The topic marker example made so much sense!

[@lumpthedog2003]

I needed this. Thanks Billy 😊

[@bangtan_army9271]

Thank youuuuuu so much for the lesson! The video is really so informative💜

[@meganstolze4083]

BEST EXPLANATION! THANK YOU

[@Thrannn]

Watched so many videos. This one explains it the best!

[@Idamotta]

This helped A LOT! Thank you!!

[@Karoliska90]

Great explanation! Thank you

[@paolaochoa5076]

Omg! Finally I could understand this particles. Thank you so much!!

[@dragoon2024]

This is the first video which has really helped me. Thank you so much!

[@jewels315]

THANK YOU SO MUCH! I’ve been struggling with this big time. Your explanation is fantastic! 🙏 정말 감사합니다!!

[@pri5808]

this helps a lot! thank you billy

[@missingpearls]

I’ve been studying korean for 3 years now and I always had so much trouble trying to understand these particles. The way you explained when and how to use and differentiate them is the best

[@livia6408]

wow just wow! I have been trying to understand this for ages and you clarified it well. Cannot thank you enough!

[@tasyaarmani5317]

this is by far the best explanation i've come across.. thank you!!!

[@JustaMomentinTime]

This is the clearest explanation I've come across and it's finally making sense now 😭 Thank you 💕

[@panman3893]

I’ve done many lessons, and watched many videos about this but I think this video properly cleared it up for me! 감사합니다!

[@nanakoshinomiya7947]

THANK YOU SO MUCH! I've been struggling a lot with that, but I finally understood the difference between those two!!

[@CinnabarCalisthenics]

The topic marker sign metaphor was very helpful. Thanks!

[@kpotatov]

Omg thanks for the explanation. This clears up so much confusion for me omg

[@tiffanyyy_y_7649]

best video i've watched until now thank you

[@wolf-bass]

Your explanations are so clear and well thought out… an amazing teacher! 빌리고 선생님은 최고예요!

[@hollywooddagger5854]

Every time i watch a video on this i feel like i get it a little bit more :) using the analogy of the hanging sign and explaining subject markers mark the subject of "verbs" were the best explanations i heard!!! thank youuu

[@MookyCookieOfficial]

I was so confused for a long time, but this video really helped me a lot! 감사합니다!

[@user-ig2dn6cv9w]

Thank you so much:). This is a great explanation.

[@ItsAriaFord]

This completely cleared up the confusion I was having!! I’ve watched so many videos like this before and this was the one that finally clicked!! Thank you so much :))

[@everykoala2302]

after watching two of your videos, I now rely on you for all my korean questions! Your explanations are so easy to understand!

[@davidblackthorn4239]

This video was actually very helpful. I've been struggling with topic markers and subject markers. Thank you so much for taking your time for creating this video. 감사합니다

[@shreyajain2351]

This is the perfect explanation, thanks

[@shiftzy7528]

This is the video that got me to subscribe. I was struggling alot with these, but this is a reallllly useful and easy explanation. You are so good it putting these into examples, I genuinely dont think it could be put any better. 10/10

[@LeeEnseo]

I'm just so in love with your way of teaching Thank you so much

[@janicep6835]

I’ve watched so many videos and finally I understand this complicated topic. Thanks!

[@kokobop6983]

I'm so happy that I was finally able to understand this! I feel like Billy's lessons are so detailed and that's awesome. Thanks for your hard work! 화이팅!

[@djestherwalter5019]

Thank you explaining this challenging topic! Best explanation I have found, even from my tutors!

[@vaishnavichampakaram8998]

Thank you for this! I’ve read many sources to learn this but you’ve made it so simple ❤

[@seanmacginnis8281]

Thank you so much Billy! I was stuck on this for 2 hours, and your 12 minutes video completely explained it and simplified it. I can't describe how much I appreciate you rn 🤲

[@johnlee5405]

Finally a video that gives a simple, good, fast and straight forward explanation. Great summary for those that have learnt it.

[@avocadoyoon736]

감사합니다 ☺️ you really helped me a lot! I have been struggling with this for a bit of time! But you explained it very well, and simple! Keep it up! 👍🏻

[@trashcanbees2739]

This is extremely helpful! Thank you!

[@chingla7054]

omg, you explained it well, thank you so much for this.

[@spellnjjy__]

I was really confused but when I watched your video, I understand it. You explain it sooo well! 👍🏻

[@jds4eva]

This is a great explanation. I will definitely have to come back to rewatch as I try to drill this concept into my head. Thanks for making this video!

[@BakaEroAKTF]

Thank you so much for the explanation. It really helps me understanding those particles better and which one to use in which situations.

[@krisman23]

This was very well explained. its making more sense now. thanks

[@ytclips8932]

Excellent explanation thank you so much