Example Sentences#

1. 하린: 아직 별다른 건 없는데…¹
   Harin: Nothing in particular yet…

   • 건 is a contraction of 것은, where 것 is a bound noun meaning ‘thing’, often used to nominalize a clause, and 은 is the topic particle.

2. 처음에는 너무 넓어서 두려웠고, 계속 달리기만 했어.²
   At the beginning it was so big that I was afraid, and I kept running and running.

   • 처음 means ‘the first time’ or ‘beginning’.
   • 에 is a particle indicating a point in time.
   • 는 is a topic marker.

3. 걷고 나면 보이는 길은 왜일까³
   Why do the roads only reveal themselves after I walk?

   • 길 means ‘path’ or ‘road’.
   • 은 is a topic marker.

4. 체셔 고양이: “그건 네가 어디로 가고 싶은지에 달려 있어,” 고양이가 말했다.⁴
   Cheshire Cat: “That depends on where you want to go,” said the cat.

   • 그 means ‘that’.
   • 건 is a contraction of 것은, where 것 means ‘thing’ and 은 is a topic marker.

5. 마을 사람들은 그에게 큰 불행이라고 말했습니다.⁵
   The villagers said to him it was a great misfortune.

   • 사람 means ‘person’.
   • 들 is a plural marker.
   • 은 is the topic marker.

6. 바람은 살짝 불어와⁶
   A gentle breeze is blowing

   • 바람 means ‘wind’.
   • 은 is the topic marker.

7. 나연: 아, 이런 큰 공연 있을 때는 진짜 미리 계획 세우고 일찍 가야지.⁷
   Nayeon: Ah, for big concerts like this, you really have to plan ahead and go early.

   • 때 means ‘time’ or ‘occasion’.
   • The expression -ㄹ 때 is commonly used to indicate the duration, period, or occasion of a certain situation.
   • 는 is a topic marker, indicating what the sentence is about or the topic of discussion. It can emphasize an element, contrast it with another, or set the context for what follows, highlighting the theme rather than the actor and conveying a sense of ‘as for…’ or ‘regarding…’.

8. 태민: 나는 나의 아저씨가 진짜 좋았어.⁸
   Taemin: I really liked ‘My Mister’.

   • 나 is the informal first-person pronoun meaning ‘I’.
   • 는 is a topic marker.

9. 저는 인류 전체를 사랑할수록 특정 사람을 덜 사랑하게 됩니다.⁹
   The more I love humanity, the less I come to love any particular person.

   • 저 is the formal first-person pronoun meaning ‘I’.
   • 는 is a topic marker.

10. 어느 날, 라사로와 맹인은 알모록스라는 마을에 도착했다.¹⁰
    One day, Lazaro and the blind man arrived in a village called Almorox.

    • 맹인 means ‘blind person’.
    • 은 is a topic marker.

11. 비가 와도 우산은 필요 없어¹¹
    Even if it rains, I don’t need an umbrella

    • 우산 means ‘umbrella’.
    • 은 is the topic marker.

12. 세상에서 가장 다행스러운 것은 인간의 마음이 모든 것을 연결하지 못하는 능력이라고 생각합니다.¹²
    I think the most fortunate thing in the world is the human mind’s inability to connect everything.

    • 것 is a bound noun meaning ‘thing’, often used with modifiers to nominalize the preceding clause or phrase.
    • 은 is a topic marker.

13. 두 명의 스님, 한 명은 나이 든 스님이고 다른 한 명은 젊은 스님이 함께 여행하고 있었다.¹³
    Two monks, one old and one young, were traveling together.

    • 명 is a dependent noun used to count people.
    • 은 is a topic marker.

14. 난 태어날 때부터 자유 원했어¹⁴
    I wanted freedom since the day I was born.

    • 난 is a contraction of 나는, where 나 is the informal first-person pronoun meaning ‘I’ and 는 is a topic marker.

15. 고요한 마을에는 타로라는 성실한 돌을 다듬는 사람이 살고 있었습니다.¹⁵
    In a quiet village, there lived a diligent stone carver named Taro.

    • 마을 means ‘village’.
    • 에 is a particle indicating location.
    • 는 is a topic marker.

16. 산에는 무서운 호랑이가 살고 있었습니다.¹⁶
    In that mountain lived a fearsome tiger.

    • 산 means ‘mountain’.
    • 에 is a particle indicating location.
    • 는 is a topic marker, here topicalizing the locative phrase for emphasis or contrastive focus.

17. 그건 간식이지.¹⁷
    That’s a snack.

    • 그 is a demonstrative pronoun meaning ‘that’.
    • 건 is a contraction of 것은, where 것 is a bound noun meaning ‘thing’ and 은 is the topic particle.

18. 넌?¹
    How about you?

    • 넌 is a contraction of 너는, where 너 is the informal second-person pronoun meaning ‘you’ and 는 is the topic particle.

19. 하지만 이 긴 벽들이 너무 빨리 가까워져서 이제는 마지막 방에 있고, 저기 구석에 내가 달려가는 덫이 있어.”²
    But these long walls closed in so quickly that now I am in the last room, and over there in the corner is the trap I am running towards.”

    • 이제 means ‘now’, indicating a change from a previous state or emphasizing a current state after a transition. It can also convey the sense of ‘from now on’.
    • 는 is a topic marker.

20. 남겨진 마음은 어디로 가는 걸까?³
    Where does a heart left behind go?

    • 마음 means ‘heart’ or ‘mind’, often used to refer to feelings or emotions.
    • 은 is a topic marker.