Subject 이/가, object 을/를, and the SOV order
Korean tags every noun with a tiny particle that explains the noun's job in the sentence. The two big workhorses are the subject particle 이/가 (who/what is doing) and the object particle 을/를 (what's being acted on). Word order stays SOV — Subject + Object + Verb — but because particles do the labeling, you can shuffle nouns around for emphasis without losing meaning. The verb still has to come last.
이 vs 가 — subject particle
Use 이 after a consonant: 책이 (the book), 학생이 (the student). Use 가 after a vowel: 친구가 (a friend), 저가 — wait, no: with 저 you usually don't use 가, because 저 + 가 sounds like a different word, so polite speech uses 제가 (jega) for 'I' as the subject. Just memorize: 제가 is 'I (subject)'. Otherwise: consonant → 이, vowel → 가.
을 vs 를 — object particle
Use 을 after a consonant: 책을 (the book), 밥을 (rice/meal). Use 를 after a vowel: 친구를 (the friend), 커피를 (coffee). The pattern matches the subject particle — same consonant/vowel split. Object particles get dropped a lot in fast speech, but as a learner you should put them in to show you understand the structure.
Topic 은/는 vs subject 이/가
Both 은/는 and 이/가 can sit on the noun that English would call the 'subject'. Rough rule: 은/는 says 'as for X, here's the framing' (introduces a topic, contrasts). 이/가 says 'X is the new piece of info / the answer to who?'. 저는 학생이에요 (as for me, [I'm] a student) is the standard self-introduction. 누가 학생이에요? 제가 학생이에요 (Who's a student? I am) — the answer needs 이/가 because it's the new info. At A1 you'll lean on 은/는 for self-intro and 이/가 for new subjects in answers and existence statements.
Word order: SOV with the verb anchored at the end
저는 책을 읽어요 = 'I read a book'. Topic 저는, object 책을, verb 읽어요. The verb (읽어요, read) lands at the end. You can flip the topic and object — 책을 저는 읽어요 ('the book, I read it') — and Korean ears understand because the particles haven't moved. But the verb stays last. New learners often want to put the verb second like English; resist that.
Particles drop in casual speech — don't drop them yet
Native speakers drop 이/가 and especially 을/를 when context is obvious: 밥 먹어요? ('eating?') instead of 밥을 먹어요?. As a learner you'll sound clearer if you keep them in. Listen for them being dropped, but produce them yourself.
