LEARN + KOREAN / 5 of 125 TOPIK I
Where Is It? 있어요
a
You’re looking for your phone: 휴대폰이 어디에 있어요? Put the place before 있어요 to say where something exists or is located. A position word such as 위 or 안 takes 에 when it names the location.
Position Words
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
wi | on top of, above |
arae | under, below |
mit | under, beneath |
ap | in front of |
dwi | behind |
yeop | next to, beside |
an | inside |
bak | outside |
oreunjjok | right side |
oenjjok | left side |
sai | between |
It’s Right There
eodie isseoyo?
Where is it?
hakgyoe gayo.
I go to school.
Hint · 힌트
에 marks a place something exists at or moves toward, but the instant an action happens at that place, it changes to 에서. 교실에 있어요 (“I’m in the classroom”) describes existence, while 교실에서 공부해요 (“I study in the classroom”) describes an action happening there. Swapping the two is one of the most common beginner mistakes, and native speakers will still understand you, but it’s worth training your ear for.
gabangi uija wie isseoyo.
The bag is on the chair.
gabangi uija ape isseoyo.
The bag is in front of the chair.
gabangi uija araee isseoyo.
The bag is under the chair.
piltongi chaeksang wie isseoyo.
The pencil case is on the desk.
chaegi gabang ane isseoyo.
The book is in the bag.
namjaga jip bakke isseoyo.
The man is outside the house.
anna ssiga yujin ssihago chaeksang saie isseoyo.
Anna is between Eugene and the desk.
In Real Life
In person, Koreans skip the whole sentence structure constantly and just point while saying 저기 (“over there”). Asked 어디 있어요?, a real answer is often just 저기요! with a finger, not a full 가방이 의자 위에 있어요. The grammar matters most when you can’t point, over the phone or in writing.
A Location, a Destination, or an Action Site
에 marks a location with 있다/없다 and a destination with movement verbs such as 가다 and 오다. 에서 marks the place where an action happens. Compare 도서관에 있어요, “I’m at the library,” 도서관에 가요, “I go to the library,” and 도서관에서 공부해요, “I study at the library.”
hakgyoe gayo.
I go to school.
hakgyoeseo gongbuhaeyo.
I study at school.
Vocabulary
Objects
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
piltong | pencil case |
yeonpil | pencil |
jiugae | eraser |
sigye | clock |
chilpan | blackboard |
changmun | window |
naengjanggo | refrigerator |
dallyeok | calendar |
Places
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
sikdang | restaurant |
yeonghwagwan | movie theater |
kape | cafe |
eunhaeng | bank |
doseogwan | library |
geuncheo | nearby |
geonneopyeon | across from |
pyeonuijeom | convenience store |
hwajangsil | bathroom, restroom |
mateu | mart, grocery store |
jeongnyujang | bus stop |
YOUR PROGRESS
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