Top Mistakes Korean Learners Make

Level: TOPIK 3 (review for all levels). These errors turn up constantly on the way to intermediate Korean. Each has a clear pattern and a lesson that drills it.

By the end of this page you can…

…spot the five most common Korean errors, see why they happen, and apply a one-line fix to each.

1. 은/는 (eun/neun) vs 이/가 (i/ga)

The hardest particle choice for learners. 은/는 (eun/neun) marks the topic — what the sentence is about, often a contrast or something already known. 이/가 (i/ga) marks the subject, especially new or specific information.

• 저는 학생이에요 (Jeoneun haksaeng-ieyo) = “As for me, I’m a student” — 는 (neun) sets a known topic.
• 누가 왔어요? (Nuga wasseoyo?) = “Who came?” — 가 (ga), because the answer is new.

2. 에 (e) vs 에서 (eseo)

Both look like “at/in”, but they split by meaning. 에 (e) marks a static location or time (where something exists, when it happens); 에서 (eseo) marks where an action takes place or a starting point.

• ❌ 집에서 고양이가 있어요 (jibeseo goyang-iga isseoyo) → ✅ 집에 고양이가 있어요 (Jibe goyang-iga isseoyo). Existence takes 에 (e).
• ✅ 집에서 공부해요 (Jibeseo gongbuhaeyo) = “I study at home” — an action takes 에서 (eseo).

See the 에 (e) particle and 에서 (eseo) particle lessons.

3. 있다 (itda) vs 이다 (ida)

English “to be” hides two different Korean verbs. 있다 (itda) means “to exist / to have”; 이다 (ida) is the copula of identity.

• 학생이 있어요 (Haksaeng-i isseoyo) = “There is a student / I have a student” — 있다 (itda).
• 학생이에요 (Haksaeng-ieyo) = “(someone) is a student” — 이다 (ida).

4. Negating with 안 있다 (an itda) instead of 없다 (eopda)

Korean has a dedicated negative verb. You cannot put 안 (an) in front of 있다 (itda).

• ❌ 시간이 안 있어요 (sigan-i an isseoyo) → ✅ 시간이 없어요 (Sigan-i eopseoyo) = “I don’t have time.”
• For ordinary verbs, though, 안 (an) is correct: 안 가요 (an gayo) = “I don’t go”, 안 먹어요 (an meogeoyo) = “I don’t eat”.

5. Dropping 요 (yo) with the wrong people

The polite ending 요 (yo) is what makes everyday speech polite. Dropping it gives 반말 (banmal), casual speech used only with close friends, children or people clearly younger. Using 반말 (banmal) with a stranger or an elder sounds rude.

• Polite: 어디 가요? (Eodi gayo?) = “Where are you going?”
• Casual: 어디 가? (Eodi ga?) — only with close friends.

Keep the polite style, 존댓말 (jondaenmal), until someone invites you to speak casually.

A few fixed sentences to copy

1. 저는 학생이에요.
   Jeoneun haksaeng-ieyo.
   I am a student.
   이다 (ida), identity
2. 누가 왔어요?
   Nuga wasseoyo?
   Who came?
   new info → 가 (ga)
3. 집에 고양이가 있어요.
   Jibe goyang-iga isseoyo.
   There is a cat at home.
   existence → 에 (e)
4. 집에서 공부해요.
   Jibeseo gongbuhaeyo.
   I study at home.
   action → 에서 (eseo)
5. 시간이 없어요.
   Sigan-i eopseoyo.
   I don't have time.
   negative → 없다 (eopda)
6. 안 가요.
   An gayo.
   I don't go.
   안 (an) before the verb
7. 어디 가요?
   Eodi gayo?
   Where are you going?
   polite 요 (yo)
8. 학생이 있어요.
   Haksaeng-i isseoyo.
   There is a student.
   있다 (itda), existence

Practice

Practice

Fixing common mistakes

Try each one, then press Check. No sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.

1 Which particle answers '누가 왔어요?' (Nuga wasseoyo?, 'Who came?') — new information?

은/는 (eun/neun) 이/가 (i/ga) 을/를 (eul/reul) 에 (e)

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이/가 (i/ga) — New information takes the subject particle 이/가 (i/ga).

2 Type the romanised particle for the static place: 집__ 고양이가 있어요 (jib__ goyang-iga isseoyo).

Check

Hint: Where the cat simply is.

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e — Existence takes 에 (e): 집에 (jibe).

3 Match each item to its job.

• 에 (e) Match for 에 (e) — choose — identity (is a noun)static location / timeto exist / to havewhere an action happens
• 에서 (eseo) Match for 에서 (eseo) — choose — identity (is a noun)static location / timeto exist / to havewhere an action happens
• 있다 (itda) Match for 있다 (itda) — choose — identity (is a noun)static location / timeto exist / to havewhere an action happens
• 이다 (ida) Match for 이다 (ida) — choose — identity (is a noun)static location / timeto exist / to havewhere an action happens

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• 에 (e) → static location / time
• 에서 (eseo) → where an action happens
• 있다 (itda) → to exist / to have
• 이다 (ida) → identity (is a noun)

에 (e) is static, 에서 (eseo) is for actions; 있다 (itda) is existence, 이다 (ida) is identity.

4 How do you say 'I don't have time'?

시간이 안 있어요 (sigan-i an isseoyo) 시간이 없어요 (sigan-i eopseoyo) 시간이 아니에요 (sigan-i anieyo) 시간을 없어요 (sigan-eul eopseoyo)

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시간이 없어요 (sigan-i eopseoyo) — Use the negative verb 없다 (eopda): 없어요 (eopseoyo), never 안 있어요 (an isseoyo).

Quiz

Check yourself

Common Korean mistakes quiz

8 questions · pick an answer and you'll see straight away if it's right.

0/8 0 answered

1. 1은/는 (eun/neun) marks the…

   A topic B object C location D new subject
   Show answer

   topic — 은/는 (eun/neun) marks the topic; 이/가 (i/ga) marks the subject.

2. 2'I study at home' is…

   A 집에 공부해요 (jibe gongbuhaeyo) B 집에서 공부해요 (jibeseo gongbuhaeyo) C 집을 공부해요 (jibeul gongbuhaeyo) D 집이 공부해요 (jibi gongbuhaeyo)
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   집에서 공부해요 (jibeseo gongbuhaeyo) — An action's location takes 에서 (eseo).

3. 3'There is a cat at home' uses which place particle?

   A 에서 (eseo) B 에 (e) C 을 (eul) D 로 (ro)
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   에 (e) — Simple existence takes 에 (e): 집에 (jibe).

4. 4Which means 'I am a student' (identity)?

   A 저는 학생이 있어요 (jeoneun haksaeng-i isseoyo) B 저는 학생이에요 (jeoneun haksaeng-ieyo) C 저는 학생이 없어요 (jeoneun haksaeng-i eopseoyo) D 저는 학생에 있어요 (jeoneun haksaeng-e isseoyo)
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   저는 학생이에요 (jeoneun haksaeng-ieyo) — Identity is 이다 (ida): 학생이에요 (haksaeng-ieyo).

5. 5How do you negate 있다 (itda)?

   A 안 있다 (an itda) B 없다 (eopda) C 못 있다 (mot itda) D 있지 않다로만 (itji antaroman)
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   없다 (eopda) — Use the separate negative verb 없다 (eopda); 안 (an) cannot negate 있다 (itda).

6. 6For an ordinary verb, 'I don't go' is…

   A 가 안요 (ga anyo) B 안 가요 (an gayo) C 없 가요 (eop gayo) D 가요 안 (gayo an)
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   안 가요 (an gayo) — The adverb 안 (an) goes right before the verb: 안 가요 (an gayo).

7. 7Dropping the ending 요 (yo) gives…

   A formal speech B casual speech 반말 (banmal) C written style D honorific speech
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   casual speech 반말 (banmal) — Without 요 (yo) you get 반말 (banmal), casual speech for close friends only.

8. 8With a stranger or an elder, you should use…

   A 반말 (banmal) B 존댓말 (jondaenmal) C no ending D English
   Show answer

   존댓말 (jondaenmal) — Keep the polite style 존댓말 (jondaenmal) until invited to speak casually.

Next

• The biggest fix first: topic particle 은/는 (eun/neun) vs subject particle 이/가 (i/ga)
• Existence vs identity: 있다 / 없다 (itda / eopda) and 이다 (ida)
• Back to Start Learning Korean Here