Episode Details

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 Overview

Most learners meet 커피를 좋아해요 first. Then they hear 커피가 좋아요 - and wonder whether someone made a mistake.

They didn’t. Both sentences are natural, and both can mean “I like coffee.”

In this episode, Eliza explains why Korean so often uses 이/가 where English makes you expect 을/를. The answer is simpler than a list of exceptions: Korean isn’t translating your English sentence. It builds the sentence around its own words.

Once you see that, sentences like 시간이 필요해요, 돈이 없어요 and 친구가 있어요 stop looking strange.

In this episode, you’ll explore:

• Why 커피를 좋아해요 and 커피가 좋아요 are both correct
• Why English translations make you expect the wrong particle
• How 필요하다, 있다 and 없다 follow the same idea
• Everyday Korean you’ll actually hear - in cafés, shops, restaurants, messages and dramas
• One simple question that prevents a lot of particle mistakes
• Two very common mix-ups - and how to fix them

This episode is for learners at any level, especially if you’ve ever wondered whether 커피가 좋아요 was a typo.

Korean Particles in Context - Workshop Waitlist

Understanding a particle when someone explains it is one thing. Using it naturally while you’re speaking is another.

Korean Particles in Context is a workshop where, instead of learning particles as isolated rules, we look at how they actually behave inside real Korean sentences and real situations.

The first session is on October 20, 2026. Registration isn’t open yet, but the waitlist is - join to be the first to hear when registration opens.

👉 Join the waitlist: https://www.joaacademy.com/event/workshop

⭐ Share Korean Unpacked

If this episode made something click, share it with a friend who’s learning Korean.

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