UNIT 9: The Case Particle 이/가

The case particle 이/가 is the two-form subject particle. Therefore, the use of case particle 이/가 indicates the subject (i.e., the noun to which this subject particle is attached) of the sentence. If the noun ends in a consonant then the subject particle to be used is 이 (e.g., 지갑이 “wallet - particle”). On the other hand, the subject particle 가 is used when the noun ends in a vowel (e.g., 강아지가 “puppy - particle”).

The Subject Particle 이/가 in Negation

Mainly, the primary function of the case particle 이/가 is to indicate the subject of the sentence but, its usage extends beyond subject marking. Consequently, the use of subject case particle 이/가 in negation is distinctly different from its primary function. The noun it marks is and will not be the subject of the sentence. Consider this following instance,

        라이카는 아는 사람이 아니에요  “As for Lyca, (she) is not an acquaintance”

라이카 is not the subject but the topic of the sentence since it is marked by the topic particle 는.  Notice that the subject of the sentence is omitted and, 아는 사람 which is marked by the particle 이 is not the subject of the sentence.

Double Subject Constructions

 There are some cases that Korean sentences have two nouns marked by the subject particle 이/가. Consider the following instance,

       동급생이 네 명이 떠났다.  “Four classmates left”

Notice that there are two subjects in the sentences that are marked by the subject particle, 동급생 and 명. This case is called “double-subject construction” by Korean grammarians. Having double subjects in a sentence is very common in Korean. But, the interpretation of it is not that the sentence has two subjects but rather to emphasize and/or focus on one of the two subjects. In the aforementioned sentence, the focus is on the number four “네 명” rather than classmates “동급생”. Consider another instance,

       젠네가 가방이 작다  “Jenny’s bag is small”

In this instance, the relationship between these two marked nouns, 젠네 and 가방, is that of the possessor-possessed.

It is quite confusing to which of the two marked nouns should be considered as the emphasized subject. Consequently, Koreans use context and other linguistic cues (e.g., intonation) to identify where the emphasis lies. The significance of contextual understanding is indeed also apparent that Korean subjects, as well as particles, are frequently omitted in colloquial settings (i.e., daily conversation).