# Why don't I need a particle after John?



## stevenleung0000

Question 1: My name is John. 제 이름은 죤 입니다

Why not this?
제 이름은 죤(을) 입니다
Isn't John the object in this case?


Question 2: For the subject particle, when do I use 은/는   and   이/가?

Thanks in advance!!!


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## Rance

A1)
-이다 itself is already a particle(서술격 조사).

A2)
Among the listed particles, only 이/가 are subject marker.
Others not listed are 이/가, 께서, 에서, (서).
은/는 are topic markers.
As rule of thumb, if the subject is introduced for the first time, it's safe to use 이/가.
When they are reintroduced, or known subject/topic, you can use 은/는.

Example 1) 
옛날에 *나무꾼**이* 살았습니다.  *나무꾼**은* 이름이 덕쇠였습니다.

Example 2) 
A:누가 존이죠? Who is John?
B:제*가 *존입니다. I'm John. (Here A is interested who John is not B himself.)

Example 3)
A:당신은 누구죠? Who are you?
B:저*는* 존입니다. I'm John. (Here A is interested in B, hence the focus marker on B.)


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## sprachalt

A1.
 을/를 presents a role of object
You know, John in this sentense 'my name is John' is not object, it's completement
So it doesn't need object particle


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## malgeul91

stevenleung0000 said:


> 제 이름은 죤(을) 입니다
> Isn't John the object in this case?


John isn't an object, but a subject complement here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subject_complement
We use -이다 or -이 아니다(with negation) with a subject complement.

Since -입니다 is a more respectful form of -이다, you can attach -입니다 to John. -> 제 이름은 존입니다.



stevenleung0000 said:


> For the subject particle, when do I use 은/는   and   이/가?



The postpositions 은/는 are topic markers, while 이/가 are grammatical subject markers.

You can use 이/가 after grammatical subjects.
내가 학교에 간다. (I go to school.)

However 은/는 can be used after the topic(s) of a sentence.
나는 학교에 간다. 너는 안 가지만. (I go to school. But/Even though you don't.) -> 나(I) and 너(you) are the important words here.
내가 학교는 간다. 다른 데는 안 가지만. (I go to school. But/Even though I don't go elsewhere.) -> 학교(school) and 다른 데(other place) are the important words here.


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## Tourmaline

Simple answer for Q1:

If it is not an object in a English sentence, it is not an object in a Korean sentence, neither.
'John' is a complement, not an object in your English sentence.


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