LEARN KOREAN (한국어) [GRAMMAR] #1

~는/은 AND ~이/가 REVISITED

Now it is time to continue what was presented back in previous lesson. You started learning about the differences between ~이/가 and ~는/은.

Now that you have increased your understanding of Korean grammar, I can continue to explain the nuances between ~이/가 and ~는/은. At this point, I encourage you to re-read the previous lesson in order to refresh yourself on what we talked about at that time.

One problem with both of these particles is that they both have many functions. Another specific function of ~는/은 is to indicate a general fact or statement. For example:

Rocky (로키) 산은 높아요 - The Rocky Mountains are high (the Rocky Mountain is high)

This would be said as a general fact. Everybody would typically know that the Rocky Mountains are high, so this could be said in a general way as seen as above. This can be contrasted with ~이/가. Used this way, ~이/가 wouldn't be used to describe a general fact about something. Rather, it would be used to describe a specific situation that (usually) the speaker just realized or observed. For example, if you were hiking with your friend, and suddenly got a glimpse of a nearby mountain, you could say:

와! 산이 높다! - Wow! The mountain is high!
Note here that even though the speaker is talking about this one specific mountain, he or she is not comparing it with something else (for example, another mountain), as this would require the use of ~는/은 (albeit, in its other usage)

Let's look at more simplified versions of the sentences above:

산은 높다
산이 높다

Remember that the difference between ~이/가 and ~는/은 is more about nuance, and not about creating a different translation in your head. If I attempted to make a translation that describes this nuance for the two examples above, I could maybe write:

산은 높다 - In general, mountains are high
산이 높다 - This mountain that I'm looking at, which I've never seen or noticed before, is high

At the same time (and this is where people really get confused with these particles) ~는/은 could be used in this situation to have a comparing function. For example, I could say:

이 산은 높아요. 하지만, 저 산은 낮아요 - This mountain is tall. But that mountain is low (small)

This is precisely what causes the confusion among foreigners when trying to distinguish the difference between ~이/가 and ~는/은. Both of them can be used to express different nuances that seem to overlap each other. For example, if I say:
"산은 높다"

What am I trying to say? Am I trying to say...:

"In general, mountains are high", or
"This mountain, in comparison to that other mountain (or maybe some other thing) is high"

The only way you can distinguish between the particular nuances being used is by understanding the situation in which they are said.

Let's look at another example. If I said:

여름 날씨는 좋다 - (in general) summer weather is good
The purpose of this sentence would be to express a general fact about summer weather. That is, that summer weather is (in general) good. However, if you just walked outside and saw/experienced that the weather is good, you would be more inclined to say:

날씨가 좋다 - The weather (right now that I am experiencing) is good

Here, the speaker is just indicating that the weather at the moment is good, and is not talking about the weather being good all the time.
This doesn't mean that "날씨는 좋다" is incorrect. You most definitely could use that sentence, but only in an appropriate situation. This was the dialogue I had with a Korean person:

•Me: When would you be able to say "날씨는 좋다". It clearly isn't used as a general statement, because weather (in general) isn't always good. So when could I say this?
•Korean person: It sounds like you are comparing it with something. Like, you are saying that the weather is good, but something else might be bad.
•Me: For example?
•Korean person: Maybe, "여기 음식이 맛이 없어요. 하지만 날씨는 좋아요." (The food here isn't delicious, but the weather is good). Here, you're saying that the weather is good, but the food is bad.
That's the thing about ~이/가 and ~는/은. It's not about understanding their meanings. Their meanings can't be translated into English. It's about understanding the nuances they possess when used in different situations.

Let's look at another example:
다이아몬드는 딱딱하다 - (in general) Diamonds are hard
(This is a statement that can be applied generally. Most people would know that diamonds are hard, and this is not new information or anything like that)

However, if somebody picked up a diamond and felt it, and realizes exactly how hard that particular diamond is, they would be more inclined to say:

다이아몬드가 너무 딱딱하다 - Diamonds are hard (due to the experience that I have right now with this diamond, I can see/realize that this diamond is very hard!)
(Please try to ignore my attempt to translate this nuance. It would never actually be translated to that.)

Now, if we changed the noun:
밥은 딱딱하다 - The rice is hard
This would not be expressed as a general statement. Why? Because rice is generally not hard. However, if you were about to have dinner with the rice on your plate and you touched it, you could say:
밥이 딱딱하다 - The rice is hard (due to what I am experiencing right now, I can say that this particular rice is hard)
(Again, please ignore this ridiculous translation)

Now this:
밥은 딱딱하다 - The rice is hard
Again, this is not a general statement. Therefore... is it wrong?
No, because there are other purposes of ~는/은. Maybe here the speaker wanted express the comparison function of ~는/은. Maybe to say that the soup is hot (and ready to eat), but the rice is hard. Remember, all of this is situational.

Another example: (빨갛다 - red, 노랗다 - yellow)
사과는 빨갛다 - (in general) apples are red, or
사과는 빨갛다. 바나나는 노랗다 - Apples are red. Bananas are yellow
사과가 빨갛다 - the apple is red (the apple that I am looking at that I just noticed)
사과가 파랗다 - the apple is blue (this would not normally be the case and therefore would never be used with ~는/은 to express a general statement meaning. However, ~이/가 is used here to specifically describe the apple that the speaker is experiencing – which may or may not follow what is typical of other apples)

의사들은 똑똑하다 - (in general), doctors are smart
그 의사가 아주 똑똑하다 - the doctor is smart (the one specific doctor who is in the room, for example)

This is why, when you want to say "it is raining" you must use the following sentence:
비가 와요 - It's raining

Instead of:
비는 와요... (incorrect)

The use of "비는 와요" would suggest that, in general, it rains; which wouldn't make sense. Instead, the fact that it is raining/rained/will rain would always fall into the particular situation that "이/가" is used for.

I said this before, but I'm going to say it again. Your understanding of exactly when to use ~는/은 over ~이/가 and vice-versa will progress with your general understanding of Korean grammar.

Also remember that sentences (in every language, including Korean) are usually much more complicated than what is presented here. In addition, very rarely are sentences said as just 'one-off' sentences. Rather, they are said in response to a question or statement, which is important information in understanding the nuances of both ~이/가 and ~는/은.

I am sorry to do this again, but you still haven't learned everything you need to know about ~이/가. Once again, I need to send you along without having learned everything.