# First place and last place



## Jgon

우리가 일등이 아니면, 우리는 꼴등이다.

My question here is that why is there an 이? 
And this might be related: Why isn't 아니면 connected to 일등?


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## Kross

When there is a 받침 in a letter located in front of a noun particle like ㅇ in the 등, you need to put a 이 into the noun particle spot. Otherwise you can add a 가 there like 가 in 우리가. source: 국립국어원.


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## Jgon

So 이 there is a topic marker, I thought it was part of the word itself. In that case, 일등 is a topic for 아니면 and 꼴등 is a topic for 다? If that makes sense...


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## Minsaem

Jgon said:


> 우리가 일등이 아니면, 우리는 꼴등이다.
> 
> My question here is that why is there an 이?
> And this might be related: Why isn't 아니면 connected to 일등?



For this matter, 
You better practice the grammar pattern "N이/가 아니다 presents a negative sentence ending".
In an example, it should be very clear.
I am a boy. 저는 소년이에요.
I am not a boy. 저는 소년이 아니에요.
(*는 is a postposition, which is typically used in Korean, corresponding to "preposition in English" sometimes )
(* a is not mentioned in Korean usually, though in English it's very important)
(* be not Noun : Noun이/가 아니다 - "이/가 아니다" means "be not", In English sometimes, it is expressed in several forms: (should) not be(Not always like be not), is not, am not, are not, but in Korean you can remember the one pattern for negation : 
"N이/가 아니에요" 
이것은 책상이 아니에요 / 이것은 의자가 아니에요. 
저는 미국 사람이 아니에요/ 저는 가수가 아니에요.

Accordingly,

우리가 일등*이 아니*면 꼴등이다.(better form)


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