도

Build it

When to use it

도 says “this one as well.” It presumes something already on the table: 저도 갈게요 only makes sense if someone else is going.

With a negative verb it flips to “not even.” 물도 안 마셨어요 means not so much as water. Two words lock into this pattern and require a negative: 아무도 (nobody) and 하나도 (not one bit).

Structurally it behaves like 은/는: it takes the place of 이/가 and 을/를 rather than sitting beside them, but it stacks happily after 에, 에서, 한테, and (으)로.

How to attach it

In use

1. 저도 커피 주세요.

   Coffee for me too, please.

2. 동생도 한국어를 배워요.

   My younger sibling is learning Korean as well.

3. 부산에도 가 보고 싶어요.

   I want to visit Busan too.

4. 바빠서 물도 못 마셨어요.

   I was so busy I couldn’t even drink water.

5. 교실에 아무도 없었어요.

   There was nobody in the classroom.

6. 그 이야기는 하나도 몰랐어요.

   I didn’t know a thing about that story.

Compared with

• 만

  도 adds to a set; 만 cuts everything else out. They sit in the same slot and swap cleanly, which makes them a useful pair to drill together.

  저도 갈게요. (I’ll go too)  /  저만 갈게요. (only I will go)

• 은/는

  Both replace 이/가 and 을/를, but they pull in opposite directions. 은/는 sets one item apart from the rest; 도 folds it in with the rest.

  저는 갈게요. (as for me, I’ll go — others maybe not)  /  저도 갈게요. (I’ll go along with them)

• 또

  또 is an adverb meaning “again” or “moreover,” and it modifies the verb rather than attaching to a noun. English “too” maps to 도, not to 또.

  저도 왔어요. (I came too)  /  또 왔어요. (I came again)

Watch out

• 저는도 갈게요.

  저도 갈게요.

  도 replaces 은/는, 이/가, and 을/를 rather than stacking on them. It does stack after 에, 에서, and 한테.

• 커피를도 주세요.

  커피도 주세요.

  Same rule from the object side. Drop 을/를 before 도.

• 교실에 아무도 있어요.

  교실에 아무도 없어요.

  아무도 and 하나도 only work with a negative verb. To say somebody is there, use 누가 있어요 or 사람이 있어요.

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