Show Notes
You know 은/는 is the topic particle and 이/가 marks the subject. So why do particles still feel uncertain in real Korean? In the first episode of Korean Unpacked (formerly TOPIK & Beyond), Eliza looks at what particles are actually doing in a conversation: framing, identifying, contrasting, and sometimes quietly disappearing.
Episode Overview
After 100 episodes as TOPIK & Beyond, this podcast has a new name: Korean Unpacked. TOPIK is still part of the show. But the podcast has grown into something broader - a place to look beyond translations and textbook explanations, and understand how Korean really works in context. We begin with something almost every learner has studied, and very few feel fully settled with: Korean particles.
You may already know the labels. 은/는 for the topic. 이/가 for the subject. 을/를 for the object. But knowing the label and understanding why a Korean speaker chose that particle in that moment are two different things. In this episode, Eliza unpacks what particles are doing underneath the grammar - and why the same person, in the same sentence, can take a different particle depending on what came before.
In this episode, you’ll explore: Why the textbook labels (topic / subject / object) are a starting point, not the full picture How particles organize information: what’s already known, what’s new, and what needs to be identified The contrast built into 은/는 - and why it doesn’t translate as one fixed English word Why 이/가 so often appears when a speaker is identifying something Why Korean speakers leave particles out - and why it isn’t random A simple set of questions you can use to unpack any particle you meet in context This episode is for learners at any level who already know the basic rules, but want particles to start feeling natural rather than calculated.
✅ The Korean Particle Check Understanding the idea is one thing. Knowing how well you use it in context is another. The Korean Particle Check is a free diagnostic quiz that looks at how you use 은/는, 이/가 and 을/를 in real contexts - not whether you can recite which one is called the topic particle. It shows you where your understanding is already solid, and where you may still be leaning on rules that don’t always hold up in real Korean. Your results come right away. 👉 Take the Korean Particle Check for free: https://www.joaacademy.com/particlecheck
⭐ Follow Korean Unpacked If you like where Korean Unpacked is going, follow the podcast so the next episode is waiting for you when it comes out. Connect 🌐 Website: https://www.joaacademy.com/ 📸 Instagram: @korean.joaacademy 🎧 Podcast: Korean Unpacked - available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms 📝 Read this episode on Substack: @ Korean Joa Academy → SUBSTACK LINK - EP101
More from Korean Unpacked
잘 먹겠습니다 translates as “I will eat well” - but nobody at a Korean dinner table is making a promise about their eating. In this episode of Korean Unpacked, Eliza unpacks the everyday Korean phrases that don’t translate neatly into English, and what they’re really doing: marking a moment, and noticing the people in it.
In a textbook, it’s 저는 어제 친구를 만났어요. Between friends, it’s 나 어제 친구 만났어. So where did the particles go? In this episode of Korean Unpacked, Eliza shows what really happens to Korean particles in everyday conversation - when they disappear, when they shrink, and when they stay.
You learned that 을/를 marks the thing you like, need, or have. So why does Korean say 커피가 좋아요, 시간이 필요해요 and 돈이 없어요? In this episode of Korean Unpacked, Eliza shows why these aren’t mistakes - and the one simple question that helps you choose the right particle.
Episode 100 breaks the usual format on purpose. No structured lesson, no vocabulary cluster. Just Eliza, speaking honestly about what surprised her over a hundred episodes, what she got wrong early on, and one practical thing she wants every listener to take away - plus what she'd tell the version of herself who recorded Episode 1. It closes with a genuine thank-you to everyone who's been listening - however long you've been here.
Question 53 hands you a chart, graph, or survey result and asks for an objective description - no argument, no opinion. It's a different discipline from every other part of the writing section, and it's easy to slip into personal commentary without realizing it. In this episode, Eliza breaks down the vocabulary, structure, and self-check for writing a clean, objective Question 53 response before the October test.