Learning a new language isn’t just about picking up vocabulary and pronunciation. It also means getting comfortable with brand-new grammar. Korean grammar, in particular, can look very different from English, and seeing the contrast side by side is one of the best ways to understand it.
In this post, we’ll break down a single English sentence
“Tomorrow it might be colder than today, so I think we’ll have to dress warmly.” and show how it transforms into Korean, revealing key grammar points along the way.
Let’s break it down!
1. Topic Marker: -은
In Korean, for most sentence structures, the initial word introducing the sentence is followed by a topic marker to indicate emphasis on that topic. This allows the listener to understand what/where/who the action is occurring to.
In this circumstance, the particle 은 (eun) is the topic marker used after the word 내일 (nae-il), meaning “Tomorrow” in English. This structure indicates that the rest of the sentence is referring to information about tomorrow opposed to today.
2. Comparing a Topic using an Irregular Verb: 춥다
After the topic is introduced, we see the word 오늘 (oneul) for “Today” followed by a comparative word for “than”. In Korean, when comparing the topic to a similar subject, they are aligned next to each other separated by a particle. The comparative word for “than” indicates that the emphasis is on the two subjects referenced, and the verb following lets the listener know what difference is focused on.
For this sentence, the difference focused on is “Tomorrow becoming colder than today”, so for this circumstance, the irregular verb for "to be cold" is paired with an ending that shows transformation. The ending paired with the irregular verb means “to become”, which explains that the topic is transforming in the direction that the verb indicates.
3. Possibility: -(으)ㄹ 수도 있다
In this sentence, the speaker is unsure of the certainty of this change, as explained by the use of the word “might” in the English translation. For the Korean sentence structure, we see this grammar point of uncertainty placed after the verb. This is placed at this point in the sentence to alleviate the intensity of the speaker’s knowledge. Since the speaker does not know if the information they are saying is a fact, indicating “it might or might not” lifts stress if it is not accurate.
4. Transition: -(으)니까
After the speaker introduces the topic information being emphasized, in this circumstance, they are offering an opinion based on what has been provided. The transition word indicates “because/since”, which is used to combine two sentences, the first being what is emphasized and the second being the opinion offered. If the first sentence is A and the second is B, then the transition word in this circumstance is stating that “because A is occurring, B should happen”.
5. Object Marker and Adverb: -을
Beginning the second sentence, we can see an object marker followed by a descriptive verb which is used as an adverb in this circumstance. This not only initiates the opinion sentence but lets the listener know what change is being suggested.
6. Suggestion Words: -아/어/야 될 것 같다
Once the change is introduced, words that describe a necessity or “need” to do an action are used. This necessity word is followed by the use of an opinion indicating “I think it will”, which lets the listener know that the speaker is urging the change based on a necessity for it.
7. Ending the Sentence: -요
Finally, the sentence is completed with a polite ending. A polite ending is used to show respect as well as considering that the speaker is pushing an opinion; this ending will soften the abruptness. See if you recognize any of these grammar points in other sentences and try it out for yourself.
Want to learn more Korean systematically?
Learning Korean doesn’t have to be hard—TTMIK makes it fun and simple!
With TTMIK, you’ll learn Korean systematically, from your very first word to advanced fluency, guided by a step-by-step curriculum made by expert teachers. No more scattered lessons—just clear progress, more confidence, and a whole lot of fun. 🚀
Join us today and see how far your Korean can go!
