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KOREAN POSSESSIVE PARTICLE
Korean language uses particles to indicate the different roles of nouns within a sentence.
We already mentioned in another lesson, that particles 이/가 are used for subjects, and 을/를 are used for objects.
We will walk you through on how to use the Korean particle 의.
BASIC STRUCTURE WITH 의
The basic structure for using 의 is very simple – you just have to add 의 next to the possessing noun as a suffix.
PATTERN
Noun + 의
The structure is very similar to how the possessive form ‘s is used in English.
Let’s take a few examples:
종국의 컴퓨터
Jong-Guk’s computer미나의 가방
Mina’s bag학교의 정원
School’s gardenThis basic structure also applies to plurals and pronouns.
Here are a few examples of using 의 with pronouns:
나의 행복
My happiness너의 주소
Your address저의 책임
My responsibilityFinally, it is interesting to note that 의 can be used with interrogative pronouns as well.
The basic structure is the same:
누구의 자동차 입니까?
Whose car is it?언제의 기록 입니까?
From when the record is?USING CONTRACTIONS
In spoken Korean, a contraction form can be used when the possessive particle is used with pronouns.
For example:
| EXAMPLE | ENGLISH | |
|---|---|---|
| 나의 집 (naui jip) | → 내 집 (nae jip) | My house |
| 너의 가방 (neoui gabang) | → 네 가방 (nae gabang) | Your bag |
| 저의 이름 (jeoui ireum) | → 제 이름 (je ireum) | My name |
FOCUS ON 우리
The word 우리 it the 1st person plural subject pronoun.
With 우리, the possessive particle is generally not used when the possessed nouns refer to a place, transportation or a member of family.
For example:
우리나라
Our country우리집
Our house우리동네
Our town우리엄마
Our motherOn the other hand, here are examples where 의 is used with 우리:
| EXAMPLE | ROMANISATION | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 우리의 행복 | uriui haengbok | Our happiness |
| 우리의 관계 | uriui gwangye | Our relationship |
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MORE RESOURCES
Want to learn more? Check out these other free resources:
- Learn about the Mandarin possessive particle 的
- Learn about the Japanese possessive particle の
FAQs
What is the meaning of “의” in Korean?
“의” is a Korean particle that can be translated to “of” or “apostrophe s” in English.
It is used to show possession or to indicate a relationship between two nouns.
How do you use “의” in a sentence?
To use “의” in a sentence, you need to place it after the noun that is possessing something or that has a relationship with another noun.
For example, “제 친구의 차는 빨강색입니다.” (My friend’s car is red.)
Here, “의” follows the noun “친구” (friend) to indicate that the car belongs to the speaker’s friend.
Can “의” be used with verbs in Korean?
No, “의” cannot be used with verbs in Korean.
It is only used to indicate possession or a relationship between two nouns.
To indicate an action or a verb’s subject or object, other particles like “을/를” or “이/가” are used.
For example, “나는 한국어를 공부합니다.” (I study Korean.)
Here, “을” is used to indicate the object “한국어” (Korean) that the speaker studies.
What are some other Korean particles?
Where to get more free Korean lessons?
You can get more free Korean lessons on our Korean Grammar Bank.
We regularly add more lessons, so make sure to bookmark this page and come back to see what’s new.
Can I learn Korean with LTL Language School?
Yes!
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Feel free to contact us if you need to speak directly with a LTL Student Advisor.