Subject / Topic
| Tamil | Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| — (unmarked) | 이 / 가· i / ga | subject marker |
| — (contextual) | 은 / 는· eun / neun | topic marker |
- •이 after consonants, 가 after vowels (subject marker)
- •은 after consonants, 는 after vowels (topic marker)
- •Korean marks subject and topic explicitly with particles
- •Tamil often drops the subject when clear from context
나는 사과를 먹었어요
Naneun sagwa-reul meogeosseoyo
நான் ஆப்பிளை சாப்பிட்டேன்
Naan aappilai saappitten
는 (neun) follows a vowel. 나 (na) ends in the vowel sound ㅏ, so 는 is used as the topic marker. Tamil has no equivalent topic particle — the subject is simply stated first.
친구가 학교에 가요
Chinguga hakgyo-e gayo
நண்பன் பள்ளிக்கு போகிறான்
Nanban pallikku poakiraan
가 (ga) follows a vowel. 친구 (chingu, friend) ends in the vowel sound ㅜ, so 가 is used as the subject marker. Tamil leaves the subject unmarked.