Korean Grammar Guide
TOPIK 2 Grammar: The Complete Guide to All 38 Patterns
Date: October 19, 2026
Introduction
TOPIK 2 is the upper-beginner level of the TOPIK exam. If TOPIK 1 taught you how to build a sentence, TOPIK 2 teaches you how to sound natural in one: how to give reasons, make plans, talk about experience, guess politely, and use the honorific forms Korean uses for elders and teachers.
This guide lists all 38 TOPIK 2 grammar patterns taught on Learn Korean Today, grouped by function in the order we recommend learning them. Every pattern links to its own lesson with a full explanation and real example sentences from Korean news articles.
Haven't finished the basics yet? Start with our TOPIK 1 Grammar guide (46 patterns). Ready? Begin with the honorifics in Part 1 — they appear in almost every polite Korean conversation.
This guide lists all 38 TOPIK 2 grammar patterns taught on Learn Korean Today, grouped by function in the order we recommend learning them. Every pattern links to its own lesson with a full explanation and real example sentences from Korean news articles.
Haven't finished the basics yet? Start with our TOPIK 1 Grammar guide (46 patterns). Ready? Begin with the honorifics in Part 1 — they appear in almost every polite Korean conversation.
Part 1. Honorifics and People Particles
Korean shows respect through grammar. These forms are for talking about — and to — people older or higher than you, plus the everyday "from a person" particles.
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 께서 | honorific subject marker | 할아버지께서 오셨어요.Grandfather came. |
| 께 | to (honorific) | 선생님께 감사하다고 말했어요.I said thank you to the teacher. |
| 께서 (하시다) | honorific verb agreement | 아버지께서 신문을 읽으세요.Father is reading a newspaper. |
| 께 (드리다) | give (humble) | 부모님께 전화를 드렸어요.I called my parents. |
| 에게서 | from (a person) | 친구에게서 편지를 받았어요.I received a letter from a friend. |
| 한테서 | from (a person, casual) | 동생한테서 들었어요.I heard it from my younger sibling. |
Part 2. Reasons and Contrast
Five ways to explain why, and to soften a "but."
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -기 때문에 | because of | 비가 오기 때문에 집에 있어요.Because it's raining, I'm staying home. |
| -(으)니까 | because / since | 추우니까 문을 닫으세요.It's cold, so please close the door. |
| -지만 | but / however | 비싸지만 맛있어요.It's expensive, but it's delicious. |
| -(으)ㄴ데(요) | but / background (ending) | 저는 내일 바쁜데요.I'm busy tomorrow, by the way. |
| -는데 | background / contrast | 밖에 비가 오는데 우산이 없어요.It's raining outside, and I don't have an umbrella. |
Part 3. Plans, Intentions, and Decisions
TOPIK 2 is where you start talking about the future properly — what you decided, intend, and are thinking of doing.
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -기로 하다 | decide to | 내일부터 운동하기로 했어요.I decided to exercise starting tomorrow. |
| -(으)려고 | intend to / in order to | 책을 읽으려고 도서관에 가요.I'm going to the library to read a book. |
| -(으)려고요 | planning to (ending) | 주말에 여행 가려고요.I'm planning to travel this weekend. |
| -(으)ㄹ까 하다 | be thinking of doing | 저녁에 피자를 먹을까 해요.I'm thinking of eating pizza for dinner. |
| -(으)ㄹ래요 | I will (intention) | 저는 커피 마실래요.I'll have coffee. |
| -(으)ㄹ 것이다 | will / probably | 곧 도착할 거예요.It will arrive soon. |
Part 4. Experience and Time
How to say you have done something before, have never done it, how long it has been, and to try something.
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -(으)ㄴ 적이 있다 | have done before | 한국에 간 적이 있어요.I've been to Korea before. |
| -(으)ㄴ 적이 없다 | have never done | 그 영화를 본 적이 없어요.I've never seen that movie. |
| -(으)ㄴ 지 | since / how long since | 한국에 온 지 3년 됐어요.It's been 3 years since I came to Korea. |
| -아/어/여 보다 | try doing | 이 옷을 입어 보세요.Try this on. |
Part 5. Guessing, Wishing, and Advice
Korean rarely states guesses and opinions bluntly. These four patterns soften them the way native speakers do.
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -(으)ㄴ 것 같다 | I think / it seems (past or state) | 비가 온 것 같아요.It seems it rained. |
| -(으)ㄹ 것 같다 | I guess / it seems (future) | 내일 비가 올 것 같아요.I think it will rain tomorrow. |
| -는 게 좋겠다 | had better | 오늘은 쉬는 게 좋겠어요.You'd better rest today. |
| -았/었/였으면 좋겠다 | I wish / hope | 주말에 날씨가 좋았으면 좋겠어요.I hope the weather is good this weekend. |
Part 6. Connecting Clauses
Joining, choosing, and describing change — the glue of longer sentences.
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -(으)면서 | while (simultaneously) | 음악을 들으면서 공부해요.I study while listening to music. |
| -거나 | or | 주말에는 영화를 보거나 친구를 만나요.On weekends I watch movies or meet friends. |
| (이)나 | or / even (with numbers) | 주말이나 평일에 오세요.Please come on a weekend or a weekday. |
| 밖에 | only (with negative) | 물밖에 없어요.There's nothing but water. |
| -게 되다 | come to / end up | 한국 친구를 사귀게 됐어요.I ended up making Korean friends. |
| -게 | adverbial (makes adverbs) | 조금 크게 말해 주세요.Please speak a little louder. |
Part 7. Endings — Promises, Requests, and Reactions
These sentence endings carry attitude: a promise, a suggestion, a polite command, or a small exclamation of realization.
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -(으)ㄹ게요 | I will (promise) | 내일 전화할게요.I'll call you tomorrow. |
| -(으)ㄹ래요? | would you? | 뭐 드실래요?What would you like to eat? |
| -(으)십시오 | please (formal command) | 앉으십시오.Please sit down. |
| (이)지요? | right? / isn't it? | 오늘 춥지요?It's cold today, isn't it? |
| -지요(죠) | you know / right (ending) | 그 영화 재미있죠.That movie is fun, you know. |
| -네요 | mild exclamation | 오늘 날씨가 좋네요.The weather is nice today! |
| -군요 | realization / exclamation | 벌써 다 끝냈군요.You've already finished it all! |
Common Confusions at TOPIK 2
-기 때문에 vs -(으)니까
Both mean "because." 때문에 is neutral and common in writing, and it attaches directly to nouns (비 때문에, "because of rain"). 니까 is more subjective and personal, and it is the one you use when the next clause is a command or suggestion: 추우니까 문을 닫으세요 ("It's cold, so close the door") — 때문에 sounds wrong there.
-지만 vs -는데
Both can translate as "but." -지만 is a direct contrast ("expensive but delicious"). -는데 is softer: it sets up background and often lets the sentence trail off, so it is the polite way to open a request or a refusal.
-(으)ㄹ게요 vs -(으)ㄹ래요
Both are "I will," but ㄹ게요 is a promise made to the listener ("I'll call you tomorrow"), while ㄹ래요 states your own intention or preference ("I'll have coffee"). If nobody benefits from your action, ㄹ래요 is the natural choice.
에게 vs 께
Same meaning, "to a person." 께 is the honorific form, used for elders, teachers, and anyone you would also address with 께서 as the subject.
How to Study These 38 Patterns
1. Honorifics early. You will hear 께서 and 께 in every polite conversation and every drama. Learn to recognize them first; producing them perfectly can come later.
2. Pair the twins. Many TOPIK 2 patterns come in pairs — 적이 있다/없다, -(으)ㄴ 것 같다/-(으)ㄹ 것 같다, ㄹ게요/ㄹ래요. Studying pairs together makes the difference stick.
3. Meet each pattern in real sentences. Every lesson on this site shows the pattern in sentences from real Korean articles. After a study session, read an intermediate reading lesson and count how many TOPIK 2 patterns you can spot.
4. Start with the most-used patterns. -게 되다 alone has 50 example sentences on this site — real Korean uses it constantly. High-example patterns are high-frequency patterns.
2. Pair the twins. Many TOPIK 2 patterns come in pairs — 적이 있다/없다, -(으)ㄴ 것 같다/-(으)ㄹ 것 같다, ㄹ게요/ㄹ래요. Studying pairs together makes the difference stick.
3. Meet each pattern in real sentences. Every lesson on this site shows the pattern in sentences from real Korean articles. After a study session, read an intermediate reading lesson and count how many TOPIK 2 patterns you can spot.
4. Start with the most-used patterns. -게 되다 alone has 50 example sentences on this site — real Korean uses it constantly. High-example patterns are high-frequency patterns.
What to Learn Next
Done with TOPIK 2? The next step is TOPIK 3 Grammar (72 patterns — the biggest jump in the series), or review the full grammar library by TOPIK level. Newer learners can go back to the TOPIK 1 Grammar guide.
All 38 patterns above are from the TOPIK 2 grammar list on Learn Korean Today. Each linked lesson includes a full explanation and example sentences from real Korean articles.
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