Korean particles can often be omitted in casual conversation, making speech sound more natural and flowing. Understanding when and how to drop particles is essential for sounding like a native speaker.
Basic Principle
Particles are optional when meaning is clear from context
The more predictable the meaning, the more likely particles can be dropped. However, omission follows specific patterns and social contexts.
Which Particles Can Be Omitted
Subject Particles: 이/가, 께서
Can often be dropped:
- 친구가 왔어요 → 친구 왔어요 (My friend came)
- 비가 와요 → 비 와요 (It's raining)
- 선생님이 오셨어요 → 선생님 오셨어요 (The teacher came)
Especially in casual speech:
- 너 뭐 해? (What are you doing?)
- 나 배고파 (I'm hungry)
- 엄마 언제 와? (When is mom coming?)
Object Particles: 을/를
Frequently dropped in casual speech:
- 밥을 먹어요 → 밥 먹어요 (Eat food)
- 영화를 봐요 → 영화 봐요 (Watch a movie)
- 숙제를 해요 → 숙제 해요 (Do homework)
Very common pattern:
- 뭐 먹을까? (What should we eat?)
- 커피 마실래? (Want to drink coffee?)
- TV 봐 (Watch TV)
Topic Particle: 은/는
Can be omitted when topic is obvious:
- 나는 학생이야 → 나 학생이야 (I'm a student)
- 오늘은 바빠요 → 오늘 바빠요 (I'm busy today)
But often kept for emphasis:
- 나는 안 가 (I'm not going - emphasis on "I")
- 이건 좋아요 (This one is good - emphasis on "this")
Location Particles: 에, 에서
Often kept for clarity:
- 학교에 가요 (Usually: 학교 가요 is acceptable but 에 often stays)
- 집에서 공부해요 (집 공부해요 is possible but less common)
Can drop in very casual/abbreviated speech:
- 어디 가? (Where are you going? - 어디에 shortened)
- 집 있어? (Are you at home? - 집에 shortened)
Particles That Should NOT Be Omitted
Direction: 으로/로
Usually kept:
- 학교로 가요 (Go to school)
- 오른쪽으로 가세요 (Go to the right)
Dropping changes meaning or sounds awkward:
- ❌ 학교 가요 (sounds like general "go to school" without direction emphasis)
Possession: 의
Often kept in formal speech:
- 나의 책 (my book - formal)
- But shortened to: 내 책 (my book - casual)
- 친구의 집 (friend's house - formal)
- But said as: 친구 집 (friend's house - casual, possession clear)
Comparison: 보다
Usually not omitted:
- 이게 저것보다 좋아요 (This is better than that)
Special Case Particles: 만, 도, 밖에
Never omitted - they carry essential meaning:
- 나만 (only me)
- 나도 (me too)
- 밖에 (only/nothing but)
When Omission is Most Common
Casual Conversation
Very informal settings:
- 밥 먹었어? (Did you eat?)
- 뭐 해? (What are you doing?)
- 어디 가? (Where are you going?)
- 영화 봤어? (Did you watch the movie?)
Short, Quick Exchanges
Rapid dialogue:
- A: 뭐 먹을까? (What should we eat?)
- B: 김치찌개 먹자 (Let's eat kimchi stew)
When Context is Clear
Obvious subjects/objects:
- [나는] 배고파 (I'm hungry - "I" is obvious)
- [너는] 뭐 먹고 싶어? (What do you want to eat? - "you" is clear)
- [밥을] 먹었어요 (I ate - "food" is implied)
Text Messages and Social Media
Abbreviated communication:
- 뭐해? (Whatcha doing? - casual text)
- 어디야? (Where are you? - casual text)
- 배고파 ㅠㅠ (I'm hungry)
When Particles Should Be Kept
Formal Situations
Professional settings, news, writing:
- 회의가 시작되었습니다 (The meeting has started)
- 보고서를 제출해 주세요 (Please submit the report)
When Emphasis is Needed
Stressing a particular element:
- 나는 안 갈 거야 (I won't go - emphasizing "I")
- 이것을 사세요 (Buy this one - emphasizing "this")
- 내가 했어 (I did it - emphasizing "I")
When Meaning Could Be Ambiguous
Clarity required:
- 친구가 선생님을 만났어요 (The friend met the teacher)
- Without particles: 친구 선생님 만났어요 (ambiguous who met whom)
With Multiple Elements
Complex sentences:
- 친구가 나에게 책을 줬어요 (My friend gave me a book)
- Better to keep particles for clarity
Academic or News Writing
Formal written Korean:
- 대통령이 발표를 하셨습니다 (The president made an announcement)
- 연구팀은 새로운 방법을 개발했습니다 (The research team developed a new method)
Patterns of Omission
High → Low Frequency
Most commonly omitted:
- 을/를 (object) - very frequently dropped
- 이/가 (subject) - often dropped in casual speech
- 은/는 (topic) - sometimes dropped when topic is clear
Less commonly omitted:
- 에 (location) - sometimes dropped in very casual speech
- 에서 (location of action) - usually kept
Rarely omitted:
- 으로/로 (direction/means)
- Special particles (만, 도, 밖에, etc.)
Context Dependency
More context = More omission possible:
- Between close friends: Maximum omission
- Familiar topics: More omission
- New information: Keep particles
- Formal settings: Minimal omission
Regional and Generational Differences
Younger Speakers
More particle omission:
- 나 배고파 (I'm hungry)
- 뭐 먹을까? (What should we eat?)
Older/Traditional Speakers
More particle retention:
- 나는 배가 고파 (I'm hungry)
- 뭐를 먹을까? (What should we eat?)
Dialectal Variations
Some dialects have different omission patterns, but standard Seoul Korean follows the patterns described above.
Practice Patterns
With Particles (Formal/Clear)
- 저는 학생이에요 (I am a student)
- 친구가 책을 읽어요 (My friend reads a book)
- 어머니께서 음식을 만드세요 (Mother makes food)
Without Particles (Casual/Natural)
- 나 학생이야 (I'm a student)
- 친구 책 읽어 (Friend reads a book)
- 엄마 음식 만들어 (Mom makes food)
Summary of Omission Rules
Can Omit Often:
- ✅ 이/가 (subject) - in casual speech
- ✅ 을/를 (object) - very common in casual speech
- ✅ 은/는 (topic) - when topic is obvious
Can Omit Sometimes:
- ⚠️ 에 (location) - in very casual contexts
- ⚠️ 에서 (action location) - less common
Should Not Omit:
- ❌ 으로/로 (direction/means)
- ❌ 만, 도, 밖에 (special meaning particles)
- ❌ In formal writing/speech
- ❌ When clarity is needed
Key Takeaways
- ✅ Context is key: Clear context allows more omission
- ✅ Formality matters: More formal = fewer omissions
- ✅ Object particles most droppable: 을/를 very commonly omitted
- ✅ Subject particles often dropped: 이/가 frequently omitted in casual speech
- ✅ Special particles stay: 만, 도, 밖에 never omitted
- ✅ Natural speech: Native speakers omit frequently in conversation
Particle omission is a natural feature of Korean conversation. Learning when to drop particles helps you sound more fluent and natural, but knowing when to keep them ensures clarity and appropriateness in different contexts.