KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › 이/가 아니다
Korean Grammar “이/가 아니다”: Meaning and Usage (TOPIK 2)
Explanation
이것은 제 가방이 아니에요.
“이/가 아니다” is the negative copula, “is not ~.” Use 이 after a consonant-final noun and 가 after a vowel-final noun. The sentence means “This isn’t my bag.” Since 가방 ends in a consonant (ㅇ), the form is “가방이 아니에요.”
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 이것은 제 가방이 아니에요.
Said aloud, it sounds like [이거슨 제 가방이 아니에요].
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 이것은 | ||
| 이 | ㅇ+ㅣ | i |
| 것 | ㄱ+ㅓ+ㅅ | [거] geo |
| 은 | ㅇ+ㅡ+ㄴ | [슨] seun |
| 제 | ㅈ+ㅔ | je |
| 가방이 | ||
| 가 | ㄱ+ㅏ | ga |
| 방 | ㅂ+ㅏ+ㅇ | bang |
| 이 | ㅇ+ㅣ | i |
| 아니에요 | ||
| 아 | ㅇ+ㅏ | a |
| 니 | ㄴ+ㅣ | ni |
| 에 | ㅇ+ㅔ | e |
| 요 | ㅇ+ㅛ | yo |
A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.
Sound changes in this phrase
- Linking: when a syllable ending in a consonant (patchim) is followed by a syllable that starts with a vowel, the consonant moves over to the next syllable. 것은 → [거슨]
Politeness level of the example
Ends in -요. The everyday polite style, and a safe choice with shop staff, colleagues, strangers and anyone older than you.
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 이것은 제 가방____ 아니에요.
Show the answer
Answer: 이것은 제 가방이 아니에요.
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