-은/-는: Turning Verbs into Noun Describers

Modifier ending — makes a verb or adjective describe the following noun.

Before this, make sure you know: -아요 / -어요 , 은/는 vs 이/가

How to form it

When	Form	Example
Action verb — present	stem + -는	가다 → 가는 사람 / 먹다 → 먹는 음식
Action verb — past (consonant stem)	stem + -은	먹다 → 먹은 음식
Action verb — past (vowel / ㄹ stem)	stem + -ㄴ	가다 → 간 곳 / 만들다 → 만든 음식
Adjective (consonant)	stem + -은	작은 집 / 좋은 사람
Adjective (vowel / ㄹ)	stem + -ㄴ	큰 집 / 긴 머리

This -은 / -는 turns a verb or adjective into something that describes a noun.

It is not the topic particle 은/는 vs 이/가. Same Hangul stretch, different job.

Job	Example
Topic particle	나는 학생이에요
Modifier ending	가는 사람 / 작은 집

가는 버스    the bus that is going
먹은 음식    the food (someone) ate
좋은 사람    a good person

Sejong’s looks unit lives on these modifiers — how does she look? answers are noun phrases built with -은/-는.

은/는 vs 이/가

topic vs subject particle — new info vs what it's about

In the Sejong course this appears in 엄마 친구는 어떻게 생겼어요? — Sejong Korean 2, Unit 3, on the theme of 외모. These come with it:

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-는-neunpresent action modifier

-은 / -ㄴ-eun / -npast action or adjective modifier

생기다saenggidato look / appear (appearance)

머리meorihair / head

No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.

1. Which describes 'a person who is going'?

2. Is this the same as topic 은/는?

3. 작은 집 uses which job of -은?

How do I not confuse topic 은/는?

Topic 은/는 follows a noun (나는). Modifier -은/-는 follows a stem and then another noun (가는 사람).

Dictionary?

우리말샘 lists -는 for present/action modification and -은/-ㄴ for past action, resultant state, and adjective state.

What about -을?

Future/prospective modifier is a later slot. This page is -는 / -은/-ㄴ.

Appearance unit tip?

Describing looks is full of modifiers: 긴 머리, 작은 눈 — adjective + noun.