TOPIK I Grammar · Ch.7 More Particles 02

TOPIK I Grammar · Ch.7 More Particles 02

'도 · 만 · 밖에' - Also, Only, and Nothing But

저도 갈래요. I'll go too. 물만 마셔요. I drink only water. 천 원밖에 없어요. I have nothing but 1,000 won. These three small particles fine-tune exactly what your sentence claims.

Key point 도 = also, too. 만 = only, stated as plain fact. 밖에 = nothing but - and it must pair with a negative like 없다, 안, or 못.

How to use it

In English, "too" just gets added at the end of the sentence and nothing else changes. Korean 도 and 만 work differently: they take the place of 이/가, 은/는, or 을/를 - 저도 학생이에요 (저가도 ✗), 커피만 마셔요 (커피를만 ✗). One place, one particle.

밖에 literally means "outside of" - 시간이 조금밖에 없어요 is literally "there is nothing outside of a little time", meaning there is only a little time. That's why it only appears in negative sentences, exactly like English "nothing but": the negative is built into the pattern. 밖에 with a positive verb is simply not possible.

만 vs 밖에: the facts are the same, the feeling isn't. 만 reports the limit calmly; 밖에 adds "and that's less than I'd like" - 만 원만 있어요 (= I have just 10,000 won) vs 만 원밖에 없어요 (= I have only 10,000 won, sadly).

At a glance

Particle	Meaning	Example
도	also, too	동생도 대학생이에요 (= my younger sibling is also a university student)
만	only (neutral)	주말에만 운동해요 (= I exercise only on weekends)
밖에 + negative	nothing but (too little)	한국 친구가 한 명밖에 없어요 (= I have only one Korean friend)
after 에·에서	they stack	집에서만 공부해요 · 주말에도 일해요

Not just 없다  Any negative works with 밖에: 밖에 없어요 · 밖에 안 돼요 · 밖에 못 해요.

Examples

저도 그 영화를 봤어요. I saw that movie too. - 도 has taken the place of 는.

아침에는 커피만 마셔요. In the morning I drink only coffee. - only coffee, nothing else, stated flatly.

교실에 학생이 두 명밖에 없어요. There are only two students in the classroom. - 밖에 + 없어요: fewer than expected, and the speaker feels it.

Common mistakes

❌ 돈이 오천 원밖에 있어요. → ⭕ 돈이 오천 원밖에 없어요. 밖에 is negative-only, the way English "nothing but" carries its own "nothing." If you want a positive verb, switch particles: 오천 원만 있어요.

❌ 저는도 한국 음식을 좋아해요. → ⭕ 저도 한국 음식을 좋아해요. English "too" piles on without touching the rest of the sentence, so keeping 는 feels safe. But 는 and 도 compete for the same place - when 도 arrives, the old particle leaves.

Quick check

Fill each blank with 도, 만, or 밖에.

1. A: 저는 매운 음식을 좋아해요. B: 저(      ) 좋아해요!
2. 다이어트 중이라서 저녁에는 물(      ) 마셔요.
3. 시간이 십 분(      ) 안 남았어요.

Show answers

1. 도 (me too)   2. 만 (only water; the verb 마셔요 is positive, so 밖에 cannot fit)   3. 밖에 (it pairs with the negative 안 남았어요; 안 counts as a negative just like 없다 or 못)

💡 Study tip - Describe your own day in three sentences tonight. 저도 아침을 먹어요 / 주말에만 늦잠을 자요 / 한국어를 조금밖에 못 해요. That last one is a modest self-introduction you can use word-for-word in real conversations.