4급 문법TOPIK 4 Korean Grammar — 67 Points
News, workplace Korean and the 한자어 layer — the level where a big vocabulary starts to compound.
All 67 grammar points the dictionary grades at 4급, grouped by kind. Each links to its own page with the 받침 rule, every sense and real examples.
조사Particles
The bound markers that say what a noun is doing in its sentence — subject, topic, object, place, direction. Korean has no word order to lean on, so these carry the load English does with position.
까지
A postpositional particle referring to the end of a certain range.
마저
A postpositional particle that indicates the addition of the last remaining thing to the current state or amount.
으로서
A postpositional particle that indicates a status, position, or qualification.
으로써
A postpositional particle that indicates the material or ingredients of an object.
이나마
A postpositional particle used to accept something even though it is displeasing or is in an insufficient condition.
이든
A postpositional particle used when it does not matter which one is chosen.
이라도
A postpositional particle used to indicate that it is not the best option but the most acceptable among many options.
이란
A postpositional particle used to explain or emphasize something by specially choosing it as the topic.
이며
A postpositional particle that connects two or more similar objects that are mentioned consecutively.
이면
A postpositional particle used to list two or more things on an equal footing.
이야
A postpositional particle used to emphasize the preceding word.
치고
A postpositional particle used to indicate that the preceding statement is the same as the following statement without an exception.
커녕
A postpositional particle used to imply negation by emphasizing the preceding statement, while comparing it with the following statement.
종결 어미Sentence Endings
What a Korean sentence ends in, and therefore what it is: a statement, a question, an order, a suggestion — and at which speech level you are saying it.
-게
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to guess what the following statement would be like, if the preceding statement is such,…
-고
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending usually used when answering, omitting the question that should follow and finishing the…
-나
(formal, moderately addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending referring to a question.
-는다니
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used when asking again or admiring an unexpected fact in surprise.
-는다면서
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used when the speaker confirms and asks questions about a fact that he/she heard.
-다니
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to ask again or admire an unexpected fact in surprise.
-더군
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to convey a newly learned fact from a past personal experience, and indicate that the…
-더라
(formal, highly addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to convey in the present a fact the speaker realized anew from the speaker's…
-어라
(formal, highly addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to indicate a statement as a command.
-어야지
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to indicate the speaker's determination or will.
-을걸
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to indicate a guess or assumption.
연결 어미Connectives
The endings that join two clauses — and, but, so, if, while. Korean puts the join on the first verb rather than between the clauses.
-거니와
(old-fashioned) A connective ending used to recognize the truth of the preceding statement, while indicating there is another relevant fact.
-고도
A connective ending used to express a fact or feeling, and add that there is an opposite or another characteristic in the following statement.
-고서
A connective ending used to emphasize that the preceding statement comes before the following statement, or the preceding statement caused the…
-고자
A connective ending used when the speaker has a certain purpose, intention, hope, etc.
-기에
A connective ending referring to the cause or reason of the following statement.
-는다면
A connective ending used when assuming a certain fact or situation.
-는지
A connective ending used to indicate an ambiguous reason or judgment about the following statement.
-다시피
A connective ending used to mean "as - ."
-더니
A connective ending used when a certain fact or situation happened after a fact or situation in the past.
-더라도
A connective ending used when assuming or recognizing the truth of the preceding statement, but implying that it is not related to or does not…
-던데
A connective ending used to talk in advance about a past situation that is related to the subject in order to say the following statement.
-든지
A connective ending used when choosing one out of two facts.
-듯이
A connective ending used when the following statement is almost the same to the preceding statement.
-으며
A connective ending used to list more than two actions, states, or facts.
-으므로
A connective ending used to indicate a reason or cause.
-을래야
-을수록
A connective ending used to imply that as the extent of the preceding statement becomes larger, that of the following statement also changes…
표현Expressions
Multi-part patterns that behave as one piece of grammar — -을 수 있다, -어야 하다, -은 적이 있다. Most of what a learner calls "grammar" past 2급 is here.
-고 들다
An expression used to press someone to do the preceding act.
-고 보다
An expression indicating that the action implied by the preceding word is done first and the subsequent events are thought about later.
-고 해서
An expression used to state that the content of the preceding statement is one of several reasons for doing the act mentioned in the following…
-나 싶다
An expression used to indicate that the speaker is making a subjective and uncertain guess about the preceding statement.
-는 김에
An expression used to indicate that one is doing a certain act, after the act mentioned in the preceding statement or while doing a similar behavior…
-는 대로
An expression used to indicate that something is the same as the present act or state mentioned in the preceding statement.
-는 듯
An expression used to guess that something said might be similar to the preceding state or situation.
-는 바람에
An expression used to indicate that an act or state mentioned in the preceding statement is the cause or reason for the following statement.
-는 사이에
An expression used to indicate a certain, short time in the middle of an act or situation.
-는 줄
An expression used to indicate that one either knows or does not know a certain fact or state.
-는 탓에
An expression used to indicate that the preceding statement is the reason or cause for the following negative phenomenon.
-는 통에
An expression used to indicate the situation or cause of the bad result mentioned in the following statement.
-는 한
An expression used to indicate that the preceding statement becomes the premise or condition for the act or state in the following statement.
-는다거나
An expression used to choose one of two or more confronting behaviors.
-는대
(informal addressee-lowering) An expression used to indirectly tell something the speaker heard from another person.
-어 대다
An expression used to indicate that the act mentioned in the preceding statement is repeated or done seriously.
-어 버리다
An expression used to indicate that the act mentioned in the preceding statement is completely done.
-어서인지
An expression used to guess that the preceding statement is the cause or reason for the following statement.
-을 따름이다
An expression used to indicate that the state or situation mentioned in the preceding statement is the only option.
-을 모양이다
An expression used to guess that something could happen or be in a certain state in the future, considering another fact or situation.
-을 뻔하다
An expression used to indicate that the incident mentioned in the preceding statement did not happen, but that it was close.
만 같아도
An expression used to assume something by comparing it with a certain period or situation mentioned in the preceding statement.
에 따라
에 비하여
An expression used to indicate the same result in the following statement, when compared with the preceding statement.
에 의하여
으로 인하여
An expression used to indicate that the preceding statement is the cause or reason for a certain incident.
자주 묻는 질문Common questions
How many grammar points are there at TOPIK 4?
67 at 4급 itself — 13 particles, 11 sentence endings, 17 connectives, 26 expressions — and 224 counting every level below it.
What grammar is on the TOPIK II exam?
TOPIK II covers levels 3 to 6, and it assumes everything from TOPIK I as read. Grammar is never tested on its own — it appears inside reading and listening passages and has to be produced in the writing section.
Which 4급 grammar point should I learn first?
Work down this page in order. It is grouped by kind, and within a kind by the dictionary's own order, so the points that everything else depends on come first: -거니와, -게, -고.
Grammar definitions, usage notes and examples from the 국립국어원 한국어기초사전, used under CC BY-SA 2.0 KR.