Particles and Verb Ending Expressions

Location Particle 에

The particle 에 is attached after a place noun to indicate the place where movement arrives. Verbs of movement such as '가다'(to go), '오다'(to come), and '들어가다'(to enter) take 에 after the destination. The destination 에 has the same form regardless of whether the preceding word ends in a consonant, so it is attached as is, as in '은행에'(to the bank) and '시장에'(to the market). When describing the place where an action takes place, '에서'(at, in) is used, so the destination 에 and the location 에서 must be distinguished according to the meaning of the sentence. It can also be confused with the directional 로. '구청으로 가다'(to go toward the district office) is also possible, but when referring to the place one has arrived at, 에 is the default.

Object Particle 을/를

The object particle 을/를 is attached after a noun that receives the action of the verb, that is, the object. It takes the form 을 after a word ending in a consonant and 를 after a word without a final consonant. It is used with transitive verbs such as '커피를 마시다'(to drink coffee) and '책을 읽다'(to read a book), and since '책' has a final consonant, it takes 을. Vehicle nouns can also become the object of '타다'(to ride), as in '버스를 타다'(to take a bus), and are used with the object particle. Learning content can also be taken as an object, as in '음식을 배우다'(to learn cooking), and since '음식' has a final consonant, it combines with 을.

Means and Instrument Particle 로/으로

The particle 로/으로 indicates a tool, means, or method used in an action. It is attached after an object used to perform an action, as in '연필로 쓰다'(to write with a pencil) and '가위로 종이를 자르다'(to cut paper with scissors). 로 is used after a word without a final consonant or with a ㄹ final consonant, and 으로 is used after other words with a final consonant. In '젓가락으로 밥을 먹다'(to eat rice with chopsticks), '젓가락' has the final consonant ㄱ, so 으로 is attached. If 와/과 is used in the same position, it marks a companion and the meaning of means disappears, so be careful.

-고 있다 (State Expression)

'-고 있다' attaches to a verb stem to indicate that an action is in progress, or a state in which the result of an action continues. It is often used to describe states of possession or wearing, such as '가지고 있다'(to have), '알고 있다'(to know), and '입고 있다'(to be wearing). Here '가지다'(to have) must combine with '있다' in the form '가지고', with -고 attached to the stem. Using '가져서'(having taken) or '가지' as is does not make the sentence correct. Although -고 has the same form in '-고 다니다', it is a different construction. '들고 다니다'(to carry around) indicates a repeated action of moving while holding an object in one's hand.

Companion Particle 와/과

'와/과' is a companion particle indicating the person or thing accompanying the subject. It often appears with '같이'(together) and '함께'(with), and it attaches 와 after a word without a final consonant and 과 after a word with one. It marks the person who acts together, as in '가족과 함께 여행하다'(to travel together with family) and '친구와 같이 식사하다'(to have a meal together with a friend). Because the companion is marked with 와/과 and the object of an action with 을/를, confusing the two particles changes the meaning of the sentence.

-(으)ㄹ 수 있다

'-(으)ㄹ 수 있다' attaches after a verb to express ability, possibility, or permission. When the verb stem ends in a consonant, '-을 수 있다' is used, and when it has no final consonant, '-ㄹ 수 있다' is used. '읽다'(to read) becomes '읽을 수 있다'(can read), and '가다'(to go) becomes '갈 수 있다'(can go). Here -(으)ㄹ is an adnominal form that modifies the following '수', so a -아/어 form or a past adnominal form cannot come before '수 있다'.

-게 (Adverbial Ending)

-게 is an adverbial ending that attaches to an adjective stem and modifies the following verb. '싸다'(to be cheap) becomes '싸게', and '깨끗하다'(to be clean) becomes '깨끗하게', as in '싸게 사다'(to buy cheaply), indicating the manner or degree of an action. -고 lists actions and -니까 indicates a reason, so when expressing manner, -게 must be used rather than -고 or -니까.