In past lessons, we’ve seen the topic marker used in sentences. The topic marker always attaches to a noun and marks the topic of a conversation.
We’ve seen the topic marker attached to the pronoun 저 (I):
So the topic marker, in this case 는, indicates that I am the topic of the current conversation.
I want to drink coffee
How to attach the topic marker:
When the noun ends in a consonant, attach 은.
When the noun ends in a vowel, attach 는.
Example:
Kimchi is very spicy
We only need to use it if the topic of the conversation is changing.
If I’ve already set the topic as 저 (me) with 저는, I don’t need to use 저는 again as long as the topic is still 저.
Informal polite:
아라:
I am Ara. I like candy.
도윤:
I am Doyoon. I like sports.
Notice how in the above conversation, Ara does not need to say “저는” when talking about how she likes candy, because everyone knows she is already the topic of the conversation.
She also does not need to say “사탕은,” because Ara is still the topic of the conversation. We’re still talking about her likes and interests. So, the object marker (을) is used instead.
Doyoon, however, does need to use a topic marker to switch the topic to himself so he can talk about himself.