TOPIK grammar, level by level from TOPIK 1 to 6
Hanguljo teaches 150 grammar patterns and 15 particles on the way from TOPIK 1 to 6. This page shows what each level adds, how many patterns the app teaches there with a few typical ones, and the 15 particles with their forms.
Updated
TOPIK I and TOPIK II in brief
The TOPIK is run by Korea’s National Institute for International Education and comes as two papers. TOPIK I covers levels 1 and 2 with a listening and a reading section and a total of 200 points: 80 points earns level 1 and 140 earns level 2. TOPIK II covers levels 3 to 6 with listening, writing and reading and a total of 300 points, with 120, 150, 190 and 230 points for levels 3, 4, 5 and 6. There is no separate grammar section; grammar is tested inside every question you read, hear or write.
How the levels are counted
Each pattern is counted under the TOPIK level at which Hanguljo teaches it. That is the app’s own teaching order, not an official TOPIK syllabus, and course books place some patterns a level higher or lower. For TOPIK I, the 45 patterns of levels 1 and 2 are the core; for TOPIK II, levels 3 and 4 add the connectives and endings that intermediate texts are built on, and levels 5 and 6 add the formal patterns of essays and the news.
What the app adds to each pattern
In Hanguljo every pattern has a lesson card with an explanation in plain English, at least two example sentences with translations and a note on common mistakes. Each lesson ends with a quiz that asks you to choose the meaning, fill in a particle, conjugate a verb or put a sentence in order, and every pattern you learn joins your reviews. This page names only a few typical patterns per level; the full list, the explanations and the examples stay in the app.
Particles first
Particles are the short endings that mark the subject, the object, the place or the time, and they decide whether a beginner’s sentence makes sense. The subject, topic and object markers each have two forms, one after a final consonant and one after a vowel, which is why the table below lists both. Learning the pairs early saves a lot of guessing later.
How to use this page
Find your level in the table and look at the typical patterns. If you cannot yet say a sentence of your own with each of them, that level is where to study. Recognising a pattern when you read or hear it is enough for most TOPIK I questions; producing it in a sentence of your own is what the TOPIK II writing section asks for, so the higher you aim, the more the second test matters.
Watch for families of patterns that do almost the same job. -아/어서, -(으)니까 and -기 때문에 all give a reason, but they are not interchangeable: -아/어서 and -기 때문에 cannot be followed by a request or a suggestion, while -(으)니까 can. Families like this are a common source of mistakes, and the app’s notes on common mistakes are where they get explained.
From TOPIK 2 to TOPIK 3: the jump in connectives
The step from level 2 to level 3 is where many learners stall. Level 3 brings patterns that join clauses and report speech, such as -(으)ㄴ/는데, -는 동안, -자마자, -기로 하다 and indirect speech with -다고 and -(으)라고. TOPIK II listening and reading passages are full of long sentences joined in these ways, so these patterns repay extra review.
Levels 5 and 6: the written register
The top two levels are full of patterns you will mostly read rather than say, such as -(으)ㅁ에도 불구하고 (despite) and -(으)ㅁ으로써 (by means of) at level 5, or -기 그지없다 (beyond all measure) at level 6. They belong to essays, editorials and formal speeches. In your own writing, a few of them used correctly do more for you than many used carelessly.
What each TOPIK level adds
Patterns and lessons per level are counted from the app data. The typical patterns are three examples per level; the full list, with explanations and example sentences, is in the app.
| Level | Patterns | Lessons | What the level adds | Typical patterns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOPIK 1 | 20 | 34 | Sentence basics: the copula, the core particles, polite and formal endings, the past and future, saying no and saying what you want. | -아요/어요, -았/었-, -고 싶다 |
| TOPIK 2 | 25 | 37 | Reasons and conditions, ability, permission and obligation, and the forms that let a verb describe a noun. | -아/어서, -(으)면, -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 |
| TOPIK 3 | 30 | 105 | Connectives that join clauses, reported speech, experience and changes of state. | -(으)ㄴ/는데, -자마자, -다고 하다 |
| TOPIK 4 | 30 | 100 | Concession, cause and contrast, finished or regretted actions and near misses. | -더라도, -는 바람에, -(으)ㄹ 뻔하다 |
| TOPIK 5 | 25 | 81 | The written register of essays, reports and the news. | -(으)ㅁ에도 불구하고, -(으)ㅁ으로써, -기 일쑤이다 |
| TOPIK 6 | 20 | 82 | Formal and literary endings of editorials, speeches and older texts. | -기 그지없다, -(으)ㄴ 나머지, -(으)되 |
The 15 particles and their forms
Several particles, including the subject, topic and object markers, have one form after a final consonant (batchim) and another after a vowel. Where a particle does not change, both columns show the same form.
| Particle | After a consonant | After a vowel | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| 이/가 | 이 | 가 | Marks the subject, often when it is new or stressed |
| 은/는 | 은 | 는 | Marks the topic, or sets one thing against another |
| 을/를 | 을 | 를 | Marks the direct object of the verb |
| 에 | 에 | 에 | Where something is, when it happens, or where it is going |
| 에서 | 에서 | 에서 | Where an action takes place, or the place it starts from |
| 도 | 도 | 도 | Adds the noun to something already said: as well, even |
| 만 | 만 | 만 | Limits the statement to this noun alone |
| 와/과 | 과 | 와 | Joins two nouns, or names a companion; common in writing |
| 하고 | 하고 | 하고 | Joins two nouns, or names a companion; common in speech |
| 의 | 의 | 의 | Links an owner or source to the noun that follows |
| 로/으로 | 으로 | 로 | The means or tool used, or the direction of movement |
| 까지 | 까지 | 까지 | The end point in time or place |
| 부터 | 부터 | 부터 | The starting point, usually in time |
| 께 | 께 | 께 | The person something is given or said to, when that person is respected |
| 에게서 | 에게서 | 에게서 | The person something comes from |
After a final ㄹ, (으)로 takes the vowel form: 서울로, 연필로. The Korean particles guide explains the particles with examples.
Key facts
- Grammar by level: 20 at TOPIK 1, 25 at TOPIK 2, 30 at TOPIK 3, 30 at TOPIK 4, 25 at TOPIK 5, 20 at TOPIK 6, counted from the app’s grammar data.
- What it is: Hanguljo: Learn Korean TOPIK on the App Store, a Korean learning app from Hangul to TOPIK 6.
- Devices: iPhone and iPad with iOS 16 or later; the widgets need iOS 17 or later. There is no Android version at the moment.
- Price: Free to download. Premium is $5.99 a month, $39.99 a year or $149.99 once on the US App Store (prices vary by country), and one Premium account also unlocks Kanjijo and Hanzijo.
- Free plan: Free users get one new lesson a day, daily reviews, the widgets, the camera scanner, lessons from a pasted video link, the first three conversations and the first two dictation lessons of each level.
- Content: 439 lessons, 6,718 words, 150 grammar points, 15 particles, 1,432 Hanja, 164 conversations and 96 dictation lessons, TOPIK 1 to 6.
- Exam: Not affiliated with the TOPIK organisers; official information is at topik.go.kr.
Facts checked on against the app’s content and its App Store listing (app version 2.0.10).
Studying grammar level by level
- Find your level with the free Korean level test.
- Read that level’s row and try a sentence of your own with each typical pattern.
- Learn the level in Hanguljo, one lesson a day, with the explanation, examples and quiz.
- Come back each month and move down a row.
Good to know
- The counts follow Hanguljo’s teaching order, not an official TOPIK grammar syllabus.
- Hanguljo does not include TOPIK mock exams; for the exam format, use the official past papers on the TOPIK website.
- This page names only a few patterns per level; the full list, with an explanation for each pattern, is in the app.
- Hanguljo runs on iPhone and iPad with iOS 16 or later; there is no Android version at the moment.
Frequently asked questions
How many grammar patterns do you need for TOPIK I?
Hanguljo teaches 45 patterns at levels 1 and 2, plus the 15 particles. Other courses make a slightly different selection, so treat the number as a guide rather than a requirement.
Is this an official TOPIK grammar syllabus?
No. The counts follow the order in which Hanguljo teaches grammar. Official information about the test, including past papers, is on the TOPIK website of Korea’s National Institute for International Education.
Does this page list every pattern?
No. It gives the number of patterns Hanguljo teaches at each level and three typical ones. The full list, with explanations, example sentences, notes on common mistakes and quizzes, is inside the Hanguljo app.
Which patterns should I learn first?
Start with the particles and the TOPIK 1 endings: the polite -아요/어요, the formal -ㅂ니다/습니다, the past tense and the two ways to say no. Almost every later pattern is built on top of them.
Sources
- TOPIK official website, National Institute for International Education
- Test of Proficiency in Korean, Wikipedia: papers, sections and pass marks
- Standard Korean Language Dictionary (표준국어대사전), National Institute of Korean Language: entries for endings and particles
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