EPS-TOPIK Chapter 1-1 Grammar : The Formal "To Be" Verb

Chapter 1-1

[NOUN] + 입니다 / 입니까?

The Polite Introduction Formula (Pormal na Pagpapakilala)

🛑 WAIT! Grammar is way easier once you know the words — if you haven’t studied Chapter 1-1 Vocabulary (Countries) yet, go memorize them first! Today we’ll learn 입니다 / 입니까?, the most basic formal pattern in Korean.

🇵🇭 Teka muna! Mas madali ang grammar kapag alam mo na ang mga salita — kung hindi mo pa naaral ang Chapter 1-1 Vocabulary (Countries), i-memorize muna ito! Ngayon, aralin natin ang 입니다 / 입니까?, ang pinaka-basic na pormal na pattern sa Korean.

👉 Go to Vocabulary Ch 1-1 First

📌 1. What is 입니다?

입니다 is a polite, formal way to say “am / is / are” in Korean.
🇵🇭 Ito ay isang pormal na paraan upang sabihing “am / is / are” sa Korean.

[Basic pattern] [Noun] + 입니다.
This simply means: “(Subject) am/is/are [Noun].” — the subject can be I, you, he, she, it, this, we, or they depending on context, since Korean often drops it entirely!

💡 TIP: Where did the subject go?
In spoken Korean, subjects like 저는(I) or 당신은(you) are often DROPPED when it’s obvious from context who’s speaking. That’s why you’ll see “(저는) 유수프입니다” — the 저는 is optional!
Sa sinasalitang Korean, ang mga subject tulad ng 저는(ako) o 당신은(ikaw) ay madalas na TINATANGGAL kapag malinaw naman sa konteksto kung sino ang nagsasalita. Kaya makikita mo ang “(저는) 유수프입니다” — optional lang ang 저는!

📌 2. What is 입니까?

입니까? is just the question form of 입니다. You use it to ask about someone’s identity or nationality.
🇵🇭 Ito ay ang question form ng 입니다. Ginagamit ito para magtanong tungkol sa nasyonalidad, trabaho, atbp.

[Basic pattern] [Noun] + 입니까?
This means: “Is (it) [Noun]?”

📖 3. Example Sentences

Korean	Meaning (English / Tagalog)
(저는) 유수프 입니다.	🇺🇸 (I) am Yusuf. 🇵🇭 Ako si Yusuf.
왕민 입니다.	🇺🇸 (I) am Wangmin. 🇵🇭 Ako si Wangmin.
가: 어느 나라 사람 입니까?	🇺🇸 A: What country are you from? 🇵🇭 Taga-saan ka?
나: (저는) 라오스 사람 입니다.	🇺🇸 B: (I) am from Laos. 🇵🇭 Ako ay mula sa Laos.

💡 Quick tip: “어느 나라 사람입니까?” literally means “Which country person are you?” — it’s the standard polite way to ask nationality.

🎧 Final Step: Practice the Real Sound with Nova Player!

Learn with your ears, NOT your eyes! Listen and repeat again and again until it feels natural to you! 👇

👉 [VOCA] Ch 1-1
👉 [GRAMMAR] Ch 1-2
👉 [CONVERSATION] Ch 1-1

Source: HRD Korea Standard Textbook for EPS-TOPIK, rearranged by Teacher Nova for easier learning.
Pinagmulan: HRD Korea Standard Textbook para sa EPS-TOPIK, inayos ni Teacher Nova para sa mas madaling pag-aaral.