Nouns: Accusative Case Marker '를/을'

01

Choosing between 을 and 를

The choice between 을 (ŭleulŭlul) and 를 (rŭlreulrŭllul) depends entirely on the sound that immediately precedes it. You must look at the last letter of the noun.

• Ends in a Vowel: Add 를 (rŭlreulrŭllul).
• Ends in a Consonant: Add 을 (ŭleulŭlul).

This rule makes pronunciation smoother. Adding a vowel 을 (ŭleulŭlul) after a consonant allows the sounds to link together.

• 저는 커피를 마셔요.

  jŏ·nŭn kʰŏ·pʰi·rŭl ma·syŏ·yo.jeo·neun keo·pi·reul ma·syeo·yo.jŏ·nŭn k'ŏ·p'i·rŭl ma·syŏ·yo.ce·nun khe·phi·lul ma·sye·yo.

  I drink coffee.

• 저는 빵을 먹어요.

  jŏ·nŭn bbang·ŭl mŏg·ŏ·yo.jeo·neun bbang·eul meog·eo·yo.jŏ·nŭn ppang·ŭl mŏg·ŏ·yo.ce·nun ppang·ul meg·e·yo.

  I eat bread.

02

Sentence Structure and Word Order

Korean uses a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) sentence structure. This means the object marker and the noun it is attached to will usually appear before the verb, not after it.

• English (SVO): I (Subject) + love (Verb) + you (Object).
• Korean (SOV): I (Subject) + you (Object) + love (Verb).

• 저는 친구를 만나요.

  jŏ·nŭn chin·gu·rŭl man·na·yo.jeo·neun jin·gu·reul man·na·yo.jŏ·nŭn chin·gu·rŭl man·na·yo.ce·nun cin·ku·lul man·na·yo.

  I meet a friend.

• 우리는 영화를 봐요.

  u·ri·nŭn yŏng·hwa·rŭl bwa·yo.u·ri·neun yeong·hwa·reul bwa·yo.u·ri·nŭn yŏng·hwa·rŭl bwa·yo.u·li·nun yeng·hwa·lul pwa·yo.

  We watch a movie.

03

Common Transitive Verbs

These particles are used with transitive verbs—verbs that require a target. Common verbs that trigger the use of 을/를 (ŭl/rŭleul/rŭlŭl/rŭlul/rŭl) include:

• 먹다 (mŏg·dameog·damŏg·dameg·ta) - to eat
• 마시다 (ma·si·dama·si·dama·si·dama·si·ta) - to drink
• 보다 (bo·dabo·dabo·dapo·ta) - to see/watch
• 읽다 (ik·ddaik·ddaik·ttaik·tta) - to read
• 사다 (sa·dasa·dasa·dasa·ta) - to buy

• 책을 읽어요.

  chæk·ŭl il·gŏ·yo.jaek·eul il·geo·yo.chaek·ŭl il·gŏ·yo.cayk·ul il·ke·yo.

  I read a book.

• 옷을 샀어요.

  ot·ŭl sa·ssŏ·yo.ot·eul sa·sseo·yo.ot·ŭl sa·ssŏ·yo.ot·ul sa·sse·yo.

  I bought clothes.

04

Separable Verbs (Noun + Hada)

Many Korean verbs are formed by combining a noun with the verb 하다 (ha·daha·daha·daha·ta), meaning "to do". For example, 공부하다 (gong·bu·ha·dagong·bu·ha·dagong·bu·ha·dakong·pu·ha·ta) means "to study".

You can separate these verbs and place the object marker 을/를 (ŭl/rŭleul/rŭlŭl/rŭlul/rŭl) between the noun part and the "do" part. This emphasizes the noun as an object.

• 공부하다 (gong·bu·ha·dagong·bu·ha·dagong·bu·ha·dakong·pu·ha·ta) - to study → 공부를 하다 (gong·bu·rŭl ha·dagong·bu·reul ha·dagong·bu·rŭl ha·dakong·pu·lul ha·ta) - literally: to do study
• 운동하다 (un·dong·ha·daun·dong·ha·daun·dong·ha·daun·tong·ha·ta) - to exercise → 운동을 하다 (un·dong·ŭl ha·daun·dong·eul ha·daun·dong·ŭl ha·daun·tong·ul ha·ta) - literally: to do exercise
• 요리하다 (yo·ri·ha·dayo·ri·ha·dayo·ri·ha·dayo·li·ha·ta) - to cook → 요리를 하다 (yo·ri·rŭl ha·dayo·ri·reul ha·dayo·ri·rŭl ha·dayo·li·lul ha·ta) - literally: to do cooking

• 저는 한국어를 공부해요.

  jŏ·nŭn han·gu·gŏ·rŭl gong·bu·hæ·yo.jeo·neun han·gu·geo·reul gong·bu·hae·yo.jŏ·nŭn han·gu·gŏ·rŭl gong·bu·hae·yo.ce·nun han·ku·ke·lul kong·pu·hay·yo.

  I study Korean.

• 지금 운동을 해요.

  ji·gŭm un·dong·ŭl hæ·yo.ji·geum un·dong·eul hae·yo.ji·gŭm un·dong·ŭl hae·yo.ci·kum un·tong·ul hay·yo.

  I am doing exercise now.

05

Dropping the Particle

In casual spoken Korean, the accusative marker is frequently omitted if the meaning is clear from the context. If you are asking someone if they ate a meal, the object is obvious, so the particle is often dropped.

• 밥 먹었어?

  bap mŏg·ŏss·ŏ?bap meog·eoss·eo?bap mŏg·ŏss·ŏ?pap meg·ess·e?

  Did you eat (a meal)?

• 나 너 좋아해.

  na nŏ jo·a·hæ.na neo jo·a·hae.na nŏ jo·a·hae.na ne co·a·hay.

  I like you.