TOPIK I – https://properkorean.com

📌 한국말로 공부하고 싶어요? 👉 [한국어]

Do small Korean particles like 에, 에서, and 을 feel tricky in TOPIK I reading? 😊 Here is the secret: each particle has one clear role. Learn the roles, and these questions become easy!

In questions 34–39, a particle blank tests one small word after a noun. Each TOPIK I reading question is worth 2 points.

Try each one first, then open the answer to check.

① Remember just one thing

A particle attaches to a noun and gives it a role.
Read the sentence, and choose the role it needs.

e.g. 밥 ( ) 먹어요 → “eat WHAT?” → 을 (object)

② Particle card

Particle	Role	Example
이/가	subject (who / what)	친구가 와요
을/를	object (what)	밥을 먹어요
에	place you go to / time	학교에 가요
에서	place of action / from	식당에서 먹어요
하고 (와/과)	and, with	빵하고 우유
도	also (too)	저도 가요
만	only	물만 마셔요
에게 (한테)	to a person	친구에게 줘요
의	of (possession)	동생의 가방

📌 -에 vs -에서: 가다 / 오다 → -에 (학교에 가요) · do something → -에서 (학교에서 공부해요)

📌 -을/를: after a final consonant → -을 (밥을) · after a vowel → -를 (사과를)

💡Do you want to study more in detail [-에 vs-에서]? Check this 👉 [ -에 vs -에서 ]

Practice: TOPIK I reading particle blanks

Try each TOPIK I reading question first.

Read the sentence, choose the particle, then open the box to check.

Question 1

저는 베트남( ) 왔습니다.

① 이② 의③ 에서④ 하고

🔽 See the answer (Question 1)

Q: 저는 베트남( ) 왔습니다.
(I came ( ) Vietnam.) 👉 Came FROM where? (starting place)

A: ✅③ 에서 → “~에서 오다” means “come from ~”. From Vietnam!

① 이 = subject marker (-이/가).

② 의 = of (possession).

④ 하고 = and / with.

💡 Tip: come/came from a country or place → ~에서!

Question 2

형은 학생입니다. 저( ) 학생입니다.

① 만② 에③ 를④ 도

🔽 See the answer (Question 2)

Q: 형은 학생입니다. 저( ) 학생입니다.
(My older brother is a student. I am ( ) a student.) 👉 Brother is, and I am → “also”?

A: ✅④ 도 → “-도” means “also / too”. I am also a student!

① 만 = only.

② 에 = to a place / time.

③ 를 = object marker (-을/를); a verb should follow.

💡 Tip: same as before (“also”) → -도!

Question 3

시장에서 사과( ) 배를 삽니다.

① 하고② 만③ 까지④ 에서

🔽 See the answer (Question 3)

Q: 시장에서 사과( ) 배를 삽니다.
(At the market, I buy apples ( ) pears.) 👉 apples “and” pears?

A: ✅① 하고 → “-하고” means “and / with”. Apples and pears!

② 만 = only.

③ 까지 = up to / until.

④ 에서 = at a place / from.

💡 Tip: A ( ) B (both) → -하고 (= -와/과)!

Question 4

친구 생일입니다. 친구( ) 선물을 줍니다.

① 도② 를③ 에서④ 에게

🔽 See the answer (Question 4)

Q: 친구 생일입니다. 친구( ) 선물을 줍니다.
(It is my friend’s birthday. I give a gift ( ) my friend.) 👉 Give TO whom? (a person)

A: ✅④ 에게 → For a person, use “-에게”. To my friend!

① 도 = also.

② 를 = object marker (-을/를).

③ 에서 = at a place / from.

💡 Tip: a person + give/send → -에게 (= -한테)!

Question 5

다른 것은 없습니다. 물( ) 있습니다.

① 을② 만③ 도④ 로

🔽 See the answer (Question 5)

Q: 다른 것은 없습니다. 물( ) 있습니다.
(There is nothing else. There is ( ) water.) 👉 Nothing else, water “only”?

A: ✅② 만 → “-만” means “only”. Only water!

① 을 = object marker (-을/를); a verb should follow.

③ 도 = also.

④ 로 = by / with (a way or tool).

💡 Tip: only one thing → -만!

Question 6

이것은 제 것이 아닙니다. 동생( ) 가방입니다.

① 도② 만③ 의④ 을

🔽 See the answer (Question 6)

Q: 이것은 제 것이 아닙니다. 동생( ) 가방입니다.
(This is not mine. It is my sibling’s ( ) bag.) 👉 Whose bag?

A: ✅③ 의 → “의” means “of (possession)”. My sibling’s bag!

① 도 = also.

② 만 = only.

④ 을 = object marker (-을/를); a verb should follow.

💡 Tip: whose thing (possession) → -의!

Question 7

방이 덥습니다. 그래서 창문( ) 엽니다.

① 에② 의③ 을④ 이

🔽 See the answer (Question 7)

Q: 방이 덥습니다. 그래서 창문( ) 엽니다.
(The room is hot. So I open the window ( ).) 👉 Open WHAT? (object)

A: ✅③ 을 → “-을/를” marks the object (what). Open the window!

① 에 = to a place / time.

② 의 = of (possession).

④ 이 = subject marker (-이/가).

💡 Tip: do something to WHAT → -을/를! (“창문” ends in a consonant, so -을)

Question 8

저는 아침에 학교( ) 갑니다.

① 에② 에서③ 을④ 도

🔽 See the answer (Question 8)

Q: 저는 아침에 학교( ) 갑니다.
(In the morning I go ( ) school.) 👉 Go TO where? (destination)

A: ✅① 에 → “~에 가다” means the place you go to. To school!

② 에서 = the place of an action (학교에서 공부해요); not used with 가다.

③ 을 = object marker (-을/를).

④ 도 = also.

💡 Tip: -에 vs -에서! 가다·오다 → -에 (학교에 가요) · do something → -에서 (학교에서 공부해요)

③ How to memorize the particles easily

Now you have practiced, here is the fastest way to grow your TOPIK I reading vocabulary.

Learn each particle by its role. 을/를 (what), 에 (to a place), 에서 (place of action), 에게 (to a person), 의 (whose).
Focus on the tricky pair: 에 ↔ 에서. (가다 → 에, do something → 에서)
을/를 rule: after a consonant → 을, after a vowel → 를.
Read out loud. Your ear will learn the natural particle.

🤖Practice with AI: a Korean particle game

You can practice TOPIK I reading alone with AI — and grow your Korean speaking too!

First, turn on the AI’s voice (read-aloud).

Then answer out loud in Korean. The game is played only in Korean.🗣️

“Let’s play a Korean particle game. Please speak only in Korean during the game — no English. You read a short sentence with one blank in Korean (for example: 학교 ( ) 갑니다), and I say the correct particle out loud in Korean (for example: 에). Give me 10 quickly, then tell me my score in Korean. Use only beginner words.”

⚠️ AI can make mistakes.

Always check with real past exams at the end. AI is for practice; the past exams are the answer key.

Summary

A particle gives a noun its role. Read the sentence and choose the role.
Always split 에 (go to) vs 에서 (do something / from).
을/를 depends on the final letter: 밥을 / 사과를.

Well done! Keep practicing, and you can all pass TOPIK Level 2. 🎉

Have a question? Please leave a comment.

See you in the next lesson!

📢 want to practice TOPIKⅠ Listening next? 👉 [ TOPIKⅠ Listening ]

FAQ

Q: What are TOPIK I reading questions 34–39?

A: They ask you to fill a blank with the right word — a particle, noun, verb, adjective, or adverb. Each question is worth 2 points.

Q: How do I choose the right particle?

A: Each particle has a role. Read the sentence and pick the role it needs: object (을/를), destination (에), place of action (에서), to a person (에게), or possession (의).

Q: What is the difference between 에 and 에서?

A: Use 에 for the place you go to (학교에 가요). Use 에서 for the place where you do something (학교에서 공부해요) or “from.”