JKS: Postposition_nominative (주격 조사)
Definition
JKS refers to a postposition that attaches to nouns and pronouns to mark the subject in a sentence, functioning as a case marker.
Characteristics
- JKS (e.g., ‘이’, ‘가’, ‘서’) attaches to the subject of a sentence, which represents the agent or entity performing an action or being in a certain state.
- The choice between ‘이’ and ‘가’ depends on the final sound of the preceding noun: ‘이’ is used after a noun ending in a consonant, while ‘가’ is used after a noun ending in a vowel.
- ‘께서’ functions as a subject marker while also adding a respectful or honorific nuance to the referent.
- Examples:
- 이 책이 재미있다.
- 사과가 맛있다.
- 부모님께서 바다에 갔습니다.
Boundary cases and clarifications
Differences with related tags
- JKS vs. JKC (Postposition_complement, 보격 조사):
- ‘이’ and ‘가’ can function as both JKS and JKC, but their roles in a sentence differ. JKS marks the subject, which is a core element in every sentence. JKC, on the other hand, marks a complement required by specific predicates such as ‘되다’ and ‘아니다’.
- 내가(JKS) 선생님이(JKC) 되었다. (I became a teacher.)
- 언어를 배우는 것이(JKS) 쉬운 일이(JKC) 아니야. (Learning a language is not an easy task.)
- ‘이’ and ‘가’ can function as both JKS and JKC, but their roles in a sentence differ. JKS marks the subject, which is a core element in every sentence. JKC, on the other hand, marks a complement required by specific predicates such as ‘되다’ and ‘아니다’.
Special cases
- Double subject constructions:
- Typically, a single predicate has one subject. However, some Korean sentences may appear to have two subjects, and in such cases, both can be tagged as JKS.
- 나는 친구가(JKS) 좋다.
- 제가(JKS) 계획이(JKS) 있습니다.
- 3월이(JKS) 1월보다 날씨가(JKS) 따뜻해.
- Typically, a single predicate has one subject. However, some Korean sentences may appear to have two subjects, and in such cases, both can be tagged as JKS.
Examples
- 바람이 불어서 기분이 상쾌하다.
- 오늘 날씨가 좋아요.
- 혼자서 집에 갑니다.
- 어머니께서 도자기를 좋아합니다.
- 토끼가 귀가 크다.