은/는 vs 이/가

Both are basic Korean particles, but they organize information differently.

Quick difference

• 은/는: marks topic (what the sentence is about)
• 이/가: marks subject with stronger focus/new information

Typical patterns

• 저는 학생이에요.

  • "As for me, I am a student."

• 누가 학생이에요? 제가 학생이에요.

  • "Who is a student? I am (the one)."

Practical tip

If you are contrasting two things, 은/는 is often preferred. If you are answering "who/what" with focused information, 이/가 is usually preferred.