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A topic is the main idea discussed in a conversation or text. It can be a specific thing, or it can be an abstract concept or situation. A subject is something that is being dealt with in a particular way. In linguistics, the subject is typically the one who performs the action of the verb in a sentence.

In Korean linguistics, “-은/-는” is commonly known as the topic marker, while “-이/-가” is referred to as the subject marker. A topic is typically associated with a conversation or text, which is semantically and grammatically complete.

Moreover, once established, a topic remains consistent throughout a conversation or text, meaning that any part of the conversation is interpreted in relation to it. As a result, a topic possesses an unchanging nature within the given context.

제 이름은 김사랑입니다. – My name is Kim Sarang.

저는 김사랑입니다. – I am Kim Sarang.

저는 매일 아침에 커피를 마십니다. – I drink coffee in the morning everyday.

Based on the concept explained earlier, a sentence can also have a topic. When a sentence conveys general or universal information about the subject, the subject is interpreted as the topic. In terms of general or universal information about the subject includes personal details such as one’s name, age, hobbies, and so on, as well as habitual actions.

Thus, “제 이름 (My name)” is the topic of the sentence “제 이름은 김사랑입니다 (My name is Kim Sarang).” Likewise, in the sentences “저는 김사랑입니다 (I am Kim Sarang)” and “저는 매일 아침에 커피를 마십니다 (I drink coffee everyday),” the topic is “저 (I)” as both sentences are about “저 (I).”

사자는 정글의 왕이다. – The lion is the king of the jungle.

이 사자는 정글의 왕이 아니다. – This lion is not the king of the jungle.

Using “-은/-는”, however, is not merely a skill for marking the topic of a sentence. Certain prerequisites must be met: first, the subject has to be old information (which, in English, corresponds to definiteness).

Secondly, the overall meaning of the sentence should be static, meaning it does not change depending on place or time—such as common knowledge or a person’s name, which remains unchanged regardless of location or time.

Lastly, exceptions to these statements are inevitable, and they are not always true. These are also characteristics of a generic statement, which describes the general and typical attributes of entity.

In other words, “사자 (the lion)” in “사자는 정글의 왕이다 (The lion is the king of the jungle),” represents the group of lions that are strong compared to others in the jungle, rather than referring to a single lion or an indefinite group of lions.

However, “사자 (the lion)” does not include some weaker lions who may not fit the image of a king, while the entire statement “사자는 정글의 왕이다 (The lion is the king of the jungle)” allows for exceptions.

Thus, “이 사자는 정글의 왕이 아니다 (this lion is not the king of the jungle)” does not contradict “사자는 정글의 왕이다 (The lion is the king of the jungle)”; rather, both statements can be true simultaneously and complement each other.

사자는 정글의 왕이다. -As for…/When it comes to…/Speaking of the lion, it is the king of the jungle.

이 사자는 정글의 왕이 아니다. – As for…/When it comes to…/Speaking of this lion, it is not the king of the jungle.

Again, “-은/-는” is not merely a tool for marking the topic of a sentence; conversely, phrases marked with “-은/-는” are not always the topic.

Fundamentally, the meaning and function of “-은/-는” is to limit the scope within which the action or state expressed by a verb or an adjective applies. (In Korean, adjectives and verbs share the same form, making the distinction a matter of semantics.)

In this sense, a phrase marked with “-은/-는,” when pronounced with a high pitch accent, can convey a variety of the speaker’s unwritten intentions, such as emphasizing a specific entity or group.

On the other hand, “-이/-가” is widely known as the subject case marker, though there are many exceptions. Most importantly, “-이/-가” functions as the subject case marker, while a sentence with a subject marked by “-이/-가” is fundamentally distinct from one marked by “-은/-는.”

사과가 맛있어요. – The apple is tasty. / The apples are tasty.

사과는 맛있어요. – (Generally) Apples are tasty.

First of all, “사과가” and “사과는” should be old information, which is a universal characteristic of subjects in languages. Otherwise, there is always a risk of failing to convey the intended message.

Temporarily, we can explain that a sentence with the subject marked by “-이/-가” conveys a specific state, situation or event, while one marked by “-은/-는” conveys general and typical characteristics or information about the subject.

As mentioned earlier, definite or specific things generally don’t have the case markers “-이/-가” and “-을/-를” after them in daily conversation, unless there is an underlying nuance suggested by the speaker. The higher the pitch accent on the noun phrase marked with “-이/-가”, the more likely “사과가 맛있어요” is to mean “The apple is tasty, not other given friuts/things.“

A fully formed sentence with case markers typically suggests new information, whether it is straightforward or carries an underlying nuance. Think of how a mom calls her child by their full name with a specific intention.

Conversely, with “-은/-는”, the higher the pitch accent, the more likely “사과는 맛있어요” conveys “As for apples, they are tasty, while no judgement is made about other friuts/things.” However, this high-pitch accent pattern typically occurs in the middle of a conversation.