Overview
Korean has two main particles for expressing "only":
| Particle | Meaning | Verb requirement |
|---|---|---|
| 만 | only, just | Positive or negative verb |
| 밖에 | nothing but, only | Negative verb required |
Both convey limitation, but they differ in structure and nuance. 만 is neutral and versatile. 밖에 emphasizes insufficiency or limitation and must always be paired with a negative expression.
만: Only / Just
Form
만 attaches directly to a noun. It has no consonant/vowel variation:
| Noun | + 만 | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 물 (water) | 물만 | only water |
| 커피 (coffee) | 커피만 | only coffee |
| 나 (I) | 나만 | only I / just me |
| 하나 (one) | 하나만 | only one |
만 replaces 은/는, 이/가, 을/를
Like 도, the particle 만 replaces topic, subject, and object particles:
| Without 만 | With 만 | English |
|---|---|---|
| 물을 마셔요. | 물만 마셔요. | I drink only water. |
| 저는 알아요. | 저만 알아요. | Only I know. |
| 민수가 왔어요. | 민수만 왔어요. | Only Minsu came. |
만 combines with other particles
만 can stack with location and other particles:
| Combination | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 에만 | only at/to | 집에만 있어요. (I'm only at home.) |
| 에서만 | only at (action) | 학교에서만 공부해요. (I study only at school.) |
| (으)로만 | only by | 버스로만 가요. (I go only by bus.) |
| 한테만 | only to (person) | 너한테만 말할게. (I'll tell only you.) |
Basic usage examples
| Korean | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| 물만 마셔요. | mulman masyeoyo. | I only drink water. |
| 주말에만 쉬어요. | jumareman swioyo. | I only rest on weekends. |
| 조금만 주세요. | jogeumman juseyo. | Please give me just a little. |
| 나만 알아요. | naman arayo. | Only I know. |
| 한국 음식만 좋아해요. | hanguk eumsikman joahaeyo. | I only like Korean food. |
| 이것만 사고 싶어요. | igeotman sago sipeoyo. | I only want to buy this. |
| 한 번만 더 해 주세요. | han beonman deo hae juseyo. | Please do it just one more time. |
만 with verbs and adjectives
만 can also attach to verb stems with the connector ~기:
보기만 하세요. (Just look.) 듣기만 했어요. (I only listened.)
밖에: Nothing But (Requires Negative Verb)
Form
밖에 attaches directly to a noun and must be followed by a negative verb (안, 못, 없다, 모르다, etc.):
| Noun | + 밖에 | Negative verb | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 하나 | 하나밖에 | 없어요 | There is only one. |
| 한국어 | 한국어밖에 | 못 해요 | I can only speak Korean. |
| 나 | 나밖에 | 없어요 | There is only me. |
The negative verb rule
This is the most important rule for 밖에:
| Correct | Incorrect | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 하나밖에 없어요. | 하나밖에 있어요. | 밖에 requires negative |
| 물밖에 못 마셔요. | 물밖에 마셔요. | 밖에 requires negative |
| 나밖에 모르는 비밀 | 나밖에 아는 비밀 | 밖에 requires negative |
Think of 밖에 as "outside of." 하나밖에 없어요 literally means "Outside of one, there isn't any" = "There is only one."
Usage examples
| Korean | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| 하나밖에 없어요. | hanabakke eopseoyo. | There is only one. |
| 물밖에 안 마셔요. | mulbakke an masyeoyo. | I drink nothing but water. |
| 한국어밖에 못 해요. | hangugeobakke mot haeyo. | I can only speak Korean. |
| 천 원밖에 없어요. | cheon wonbakke eopseoyo. | I only have 1,000 won. |
| 30분밖에 안 걸려요. | 30bunbakke an geollyeoyo. | It only takes 30 minutes. |
| 나밖에 없어. | nabakke eopseo. | There's no one but me. |
Nuance of 밖에
밖에 carries a sense of insufficiency, disappointment, or emphasis on smallness:
돈이 천 원밖에 없어요. I only have 1,000 won. (It's not enough.)
시간이 10분밖에 안 남았어요. There are only 10 minutes left. (Not much time.)
Comparison: 만 vs 밖에
The same idea can often be expressed with either particle:
| 만 (positive verb) | 밖에 (negative verb) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 하나만 있어요. | 하나밖에 없어요. | There is only one. |
| 물만 마셔요. | 물밖에 안 마셔요. | I only drink water. |
| 한국어만 할 수 있어요. | 한국어밖에 못 해요. | I can only speak Korean. |
| 나만 알아요. | 나밖에 몰라요. | Only I know. |
Nuance difference
| Particle | Nuance |
|---|---|
| 만 | Neutral statement of limitation |
| 밖에 | Emphasis on insufficiency, often with regret or surprise |
시간이 30분만 있어요. = I have only 30 minutes. (neutral) 시간이 30분밖에 없어요. = I have only 30 minutes. (not enough!)
Common Fixed Expressions
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 잠깐만요. | Just a moment. |
| 조금만 기다려 주세요. | Please wait just a little. |
| 한 번만 더. | Just one more time. |
| ~ㄹ 수밖에 없다 | Can't help but ~ / have no choice but to ~ |
| ~할 수밖에 없어요. | There's no choice but to do ~. |
~ㄹ 수밖에 없다 pattern
This common grammar pattern uses 밖에:
갈 수밖에 없어요. I have no choice but to go.
기다릴 수밖에 없었어요. I had no choice but to wait.
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Correction | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 하나밖에 있어요. | 하나밖에 없어요. | 밖에 requires negative verb |
| 한국어밖에 해요. | 한국어밖에 못 해요. | 밖에 requires negative verb |
| 물만에 마셔요. | 물만 마셔요. | 만 directly attaches, no extra 에 |
| 저는만 알아요. | 저만 알아요. | 만 replaces 는 |
Summary
- 만 = "only/just." Neutral, works with positive or negative verbs.
- 밖에 = "nothing but." Always requires a negative verb (안, 못, 없다, 모르다).
- Both replace 은/는, 이/가, 을/를 but combine with other particles (에만, 밖에).
- 만 states a fact; 밖에 emphasizes insufficiency or limitation.
- The same meaning can often be expressed both ways: 하나만 있어요 = 하나밖에 없어요.
- The pattern ~ㄹ 수밖에 없다 means "have no choice but to."