Particles - 도, 를, 에

Particles - 도, 를, 에

This is the second part of the particles section on [는, 가, 도, 를, 에]. This post is on the remaining [도, 를, 에] particles. Please read the first part on [는, 가], the Subject particles, if you missed it. 


도 [Additive Particle]

The additive particle, 도, is similar to subject particles 는/은 and 가/이 in that it is used for a subject (or topic). However, 도 adds the meaning of 'too' or 'also' to a subject.

Here are example sentences:

• 나도 학생이다 = I am a student, too
• 그도 친절하다 = He is kind, too

• 이것도 연필이다 = This is a pencil, too
• 하늘도 높다 = The sky is high, too

• 그녀도 공부한다 = She studies, too
• 존도 갔다 = John went, too
• 영수도 먹었다 = Young-su ate, too

As a further explanation, please have a look at the following example:

• 다윗은 왕이었다 = David was a king
• 솔로몬도 왕이었다 = Solomon was a king, too

도 always refers to the subject. For example, 솔로몬도 왕이었다 describes Solomon in terms of the fact that he was a king, too. Not only was David a king but Solomon was also a king.

다윗 = David
왕 = a king
솔로몬 = Solomon

Here is another example,

• 제니는 나갔어 = Jenny went outside
• 유리도 나갔어 = Yuri went outside, too

제니 = Jenny
나가다 = go outside, leave
유리 = Yuri

As you can see, 도 is used when one wants talk about the same quality or description about a different subject.

When we want to talk about additive qualities and/or descriptions about the same subject, 또한 is used.

For example,

• 다윗은 양치기였다 = David was a shepherd.
• 다윗은 또한 왕이었다 = David was also a king.

The two sentences above both describe a certain thing about the same subject, 다윗, and 또한 refers to the rest of the sentence rather than the subject. 또한 왕이었다 describes a fact that David "was also a king." Therefore David was both a shepherd and king.

또한 is used to give an additive quality or description about the same subject.

Here is one more example,

• 제니는 대학생이다 = Jenny is a college (university) student
• 제니는 또한 음악 선생님이다 = Jenny is also a music teacher

Jenny is both a college student and music teacher.

Note: In spoken Korean, 또 is usually used instead of 또한.

• 제니는 대학생이야 = Jenny is a college (university) student
• 제니는 또 음악 선생님이야 = Jenny is also a music teacher

를/을 [Object Particle] 

The object particle, 를/을, is attached to an object which the verb describes.

Here are example sentences:

• 나는 라면을 먹었다 = I ate noodles [Literally, noodles을 ate]
• 책을 읽었다 = read a book
• 콜라를 마셨다 = drank coke
• TV를 봤다 = watched TV 
• 옷을 입었다 = wore clothes
• 집을 지었다 = built a house
• 케잌을 만들었다 = made a cake

나 = I
라면 = noodles
먹다 = eat
책 = a book
읽다 = read
콜라 = coke
마시다 = drink
보다 = see, watch
옷 = clothes
입다 = wear
집 = house
짓다 = build
케잌 = a cake
만들다 = make


The usage difference between 를 and 을 is that 를 is used for nouns without a final consonant, and 을 for nouns with a final consonant for the pronunciation's sake.

• 사진을 찍었다 = took a photo
• 나무를 심었다 = planted a tree
• 빵을 샀다 = bought some bread
• 차를 팔았다 = sold a car
• 강을 건넜다 = crossed a river
• 다리를 지났다 = passed a bridge
• 숙제를 했다 = did homework

사진 = a photo
찍다 = take (a photo)
나무 = a tree
심다 = plant (verb)
빵 = bread
사다 = buy
차 = a car
팔다 = sell
강 = a river
건너다 = cross (verb, motion)
다리 = bridge
지나다 = pass (verb, motion)
숙제 = homework
하다 = do


에 [Time/Place Particle]The Time/Place Particle, 에, is used for any words related to time and place. The 에 particle phrase is usually placed at the beginning of a sentence after a subject.

• 샘은 한국에 갔다 = Sam went to Korea [Sam, to Korea, went]
• 준수는 5월에 왔다 = Jun-su came in May [Jun-su, in May, came]

샘 = Sam
한국 = Korea
가다 = go
준수 = Jun-su
5월 = May
오다 = come

Note: 1월 is January, 2월 is February and so on.


You can also make long sentences like the following examples:

• 샘 은 작년 10월 가을에 한국에 갔다 = Sam went to Korea last year in October during the autumn season  [Sam, last year, in October, in Autumn, to Korea, went]
• 준수는 2000년도 여름에 호주에 왔다 = Jun-su came to Australia in summer 2000. [Jun-su, in 2000, in summer, to Australia, came]

작년 = last year
10월 = October
가을 = autumn
2000년도 = in the year 2000
여름 = summer
호주 = Australia

Note: 에 is used for words both with or without a final consonant.

• 학교에 = to school
• 병원에 = to hospital

Please note also that when 에 is used as a Place Particle, it is usually used with 'go' and 'come' to indicate a place to which you're going or coming, and 에 functions like 'to' in English. For example, 공원에 = to a park, 영국에 = to Britain and 공항에 = to the airport.

When you want to say you did something at a particular place 'for a certain period of time,' 에서 is used for that location or place. In this case, the function of 에서 is similar to "in, at or on" in English. For example,

• 공원에서 놀았다 = played (had fun) at the park [At the park, (we) played (had fun)]
• 영국에서 지냈다 = stayed in Britain [In Britain, (I) stayed]
• 공항에서 기다렸다 = waited at the airport [At the airport, (we) waited]

공원 = a park
놀다 = play, have fun
영국 = Britain
지내다 = stay
공항 = airport
기다리다 = wait


However, in the case of 'was', you can use 에 instead of 에서 for some strange reason I do not know. The following two sentences mean exactly the same.

• 영국에서 있었다 = I was in Britain
• 영국에 있었다 = I was in Britain

But in the case of other verbs, 에 is not allowed.

• 공원에 놀았다
• 영국에 지냈다
• 공항에 기다렸다

Here are a few more examples:

• 시골에 갔다 = went to a countryside
• 친구가 병원에 방문왔다 = A friend of mine came (to visit me) to hospital
• 집에 있었다 = was home
• 대학에서 강의를 들었다 = listen to a lecture at the university
• 많은 사람들이 놀이 공원에 왔다 = A lot of people came to the theme park
• 아침에 시리얼을 먹었다 = I ate cereal in the morning [In the morning, I ate cereal]
• 오후 2시에 비가 내렸다 = It started raining at 2 o'clock in the afternoon [Lit. The rain fell]

시골 = countryside
가다 = go
친구 = a friend
병원 = a hospital
방문 = a visit
오다 = come
방문오다 = came to visit
집 = home, house
있다 = be
대학 = college, university
강의 = a lecture
듣다 = listen, hear
많다 = a lot, many
사람 = a person
사람들 = people (들 is attached to a noun to make it plural)
놀이 공원 = a theme park
아침 = morning
시리얼 = cereal
먹다 = eat
오후 = afternoon, pm
2시 = 2 o'clock (1시 is 1 o'clock, 7시 is 7 o'clock and so on)
비 = rain
내리다 = fall down