Korean Particle Picker
은 or 는? 이 or 가? The answer is decided entirely by the last letter of the word in front. Type the word and see every particle attached correctly.
One question decides almost everything
Korean particles come in pairs, and choosing between them is not a matter of meaning or feeling. It is a single mechanical test: does the syllable in front end in a consonant? That final consonant has a name — 받침, batchim, literally "supporting floor" — and its presence or absence picks the particle every time.
책 ends in ㄱ, so it takes 은, 이, 을. 사과 ends in a vowel, so it takes 는, 가, 를. There is no exception based on the word's meaning, no formal-versus-casual variation, no regional difference. Once you can spot a batchim, you have the rule.
The reason for the pairing is pronunciation. A word already ending in a consonant takes the particle that begins with a vowel, and a word ending in a vowel takes the one beginning with a consonant — so a vowel and a consonant always alternate and the join stays easy to say.
와 and 과 run the other way
Here is the trap. Every pair follows the alternation above — except that 와/과 looks backwards compared to the others:
| Ends in | 은/는 | 이/가 | 을/를 | 와/과 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a vowel — 사과 | 사과는 | 사과가 | 사과를 | 사과와 |
| a consonant — 책 | 책은 | 책이 | 책을 | 책과 |
In the first three columns the vowel-initial form (은, 이, 을) follows a consonant. In the last column it is 와, the vowel-initial form, that follows a vowel. The alternation still works out in speech, but the pattern you memorised for the first three will lead you wrong here. It is the single most common particle mistake among learners past the beginner stage.
(으)로 has a real exception
The one particle that does not split cleanly two ways is (으)로, which marks direction, means or material. It takes 로 after a vowel, 으로 after a consonant — except after ㄹ, where it drops back to 로.
So it is 서울로 and 연필로 and 물로, never 서울으로. The reason is that 으로 after ㄹ would give you two ㄹ sounds fighting each other. Every other batchim takes 으로: 손으로, 집으로, 학생으로.
은/는 and 이/가 are not interchangeable
The tool tells you which form to use, but not which particle to choose — and 은/는 versus 이/가 is a genuine decision, not a mechanical one. Roughly: 이/가 marks the subject, the one doing the action. 은/는 marks the topic, what the sentence is about, and often carries a hint of contrast.
제가 학생이에요 answers "who is the student?" — it points at you. 저는 학생이에요 answers "tell me about yourself" — it sets you as the topic. Both are correct sentences; they answer different questions. Learners usually get the form right long before they get this choice right, and that is normal.
Numbers take particles too
A digit gets the particle that matches how it is read aloud, not how it looks. 2026 is read 이천이십육, which ends in ㄱ, so it takes 은 — 2026년은. The number 2 is read 이 with no batchim, so it takes 는. Type a number above and the tool shows the reading it used.
Related tools
Write your name in Hangul with My Name in Korean, count things with the Korean numbers converter, and read prices aloud with Korean won in words.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know whether to use 은 or 는?
Look at the last syllable of the word in front. If it ends in a consonant, use 은. If it ends in a vowel, use 는. 책은 but 사과는. The same test picks 이 versus 가 and 을 versus 를.
What is a batchim?
받침 is the final consonant of a Korean syllable block, written underneath the vowel. 책 has the batchim ㄱ; 사과 has none. Whether a syllable has one decides which form of a particle follows it.
Why is it 서울로 and not 서울으로?
(으)로 is the one particle with a real exception. It takes 로 after a vowel and 으로 after a consonant, except after ㄹ, where it goes back to 로. Two ㄹ sounds in a row would be awkward to say, so 서울로, 연필로 and 물로 are correct.
Why does 와/과 seem backwards?
Because it is, relative to the others. 은/는, 이/가 and 을/를 put the vowel-initial form after a consonant, but 와/과 puts 와 after a vowel and 과 after a consonant. 사과와 배, but 책과 연필.
What is the difference between 은/는 and 이/가?
Form is mechanical, choice is not. 이/가 marks the subject, the one performing the action. 은/는 marks the topic, what the sentence is about, and often implies contrast. 제가 학생이에요 identifies who; 저는 학생이에요 introduces you as the topic.
Do numbers take particles?
Yes, matching how the number is read aloud. 2026 is 이천이십육, ending in ㄱ, so it takes 은. The number 2 is 이 with no final consonant, so it takes 는.
Which particles never change form?
도, 에, 에서, 의, 만, 부터, 까지, 한테 and 보다 attach the same way regardless of what comes before them. Only the paired particles depend on the batchim.