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Lesson Objectives
- Understand 있다 / 없다 as the verbs of existence and possession
- Learn the subject particle 이/가 and when it replaces 은/는
- Use 있어요 for "there is" (location) and "I have" (possession) — same verb, two meanings
- Use 없어요 for "there isn't" and "I don't have"
- Form questions, negatives, and location sentences confidently
Connecting to Lesson 18
Yesterday you learned 이에요/예요 — the copula that identifies what something is. Today's 있어요/없어요 answers the different question of whether something exists or whether you have something. These two patterns together — "X is Y" and "X exists / I have X" — form the backbone of everyday Korean conversation. Between them, they handle an enormous proportion of what you'll want to say.
있어요 and 없어요 — an inseparable pair
있다 means "to exist / to be (somewhere) / to have." 없다 is its direct opposite — "to not exist / to not be somewhere / to not have." They are used as a matched pair. Learn them together.
Polite informal form of 있다. Used for both location (the cat is in the room) and possession (I have a cat). One verb, two related meanings — existence in space and existence in your ownership.
Polite informal form of 없다. The complete opposite of 있어요 in every context. Note the pronunciation: 없 is pronounced 업 (eop), not 없 — the ㅂ surfaces, the ㅅ is silent. Then 어요 links on.
고양이가 방에 있어요. — The cat is in the room. (location — where something is)
고양이가 있어요. — I have a cat. / There is a cat. (possession / existence)
Context almost always makes the meaning clear. If a location word (방에, 학교에, 여기) is in the sentence, it's location. Without one, it usually means possession. Korean speakers never find this ambiguous in practice.
이/가 vs 은/는 — same position, different job
있어요/없어요 most commonly take the subject particle 이/가, not the topic particle 은/는. The rule is the same consonant/vowel split you learned yesterday, just a different particle.
Last syllable has 받침
이 시간이 · 돈이 · 학생이 si-ga-ni · do-ni · hak-saeng-iLast syllable has no 받침
가 친구가 · 고양이가 · 커피가 chin-gu-ga · go-yang-i-ga · keo-pi-ga있어요 for location · 있어요 for possession
The same verb does two jobs. Here's how both work, side by side, with the location particle 에 signalling when it's about where something is.
Tap each sentence to break it down
Subject particle in purple, 있어요 in deep violet, 없어요 in red. Each sentence uses vocabulary from your existing deck.
👆 Read aloud — then tap for the full analysis
Three forms from one base
As with 이에요/예요, there are three core forms. The question is just rising intonation — no structural change.
있어요. si-ga-ni i-sseo-yo I have time.
없어요. si-ga-ni eop-sseo-yo I don't have time.
있어요? si-ga-ni i-sseo-yo? Do you have time?
Unlike regular verbs (which negate with 안 or –지 않아요), 있어요/없어요 are their own opposites. You cannot say 있지 않아요 for "don't have" — that sounds unnatural. 없어요 is the only correct negation. This is a genuinely irregular pair, and it's one of the first things Korean textbooks tell learners to memorise as a special case.
있어요 in space — where things are
The location use of 있어요 is one of the first practical patterns you'll use in Korea — asking where things are, describing where people are, giving directions. Here are three scenes.
Knowing which verb to reach for
Learners sometimes confuse these two after studying both. Here's the clear line between them.
| Question | 이에요/예요 (L18) | 있어요/없어요 (L19) |
|---|---|---|
| Asks | What is X? What category does X belong to? |
Does X exist? Do I have X? Where is X? |
| Pattern | [Topic 은/는] + [Noun] + 이에요/예요 | [Subject 이/가] + 있어요/없어요 |
| Example ✅ | 저는 학생이에요.I am a student. (identity) | 학생이 있어요.There is a student. (existence) |
| Example ✅ | 오늘은 목요일이에요.Today is Thursday. (what it is) | 시간이 있어요?Do you have time? (possession) |
| Negative | 이/가 아니에요 | 없어요 |
Making plans — both patterns in action
Arranging to meet — 약속 잡기
English cue → Korean sentence
Build the full sentence with the correct particle and verb form before tapping to check.
👆 Build it — then tap to confirm
Active items in your deck
110 items and two complete grammar patterns. 이에요/예요 + 있어요/없어요 together mean you can produce hundreds of natural Korean sentences about identity, existence, location, and possession. Month 1 review is next.
괜찮아요? — 있어요/없어요 in Daily Life
있어요 and 없어요 come up constantly in Korean social life in ways that go beyond simple possession. 시간 있어요? (Do you have time?) is the standard way to open a conversation when you want to ask someone something — it's more polite than launching straight in. 돈이 없어요 said with a certain tone is used humorously by Koreans of all ages to decline invitations or complain about life. And 여기에 자리가 있어요? (Is there a seat here?) is one of the first things you'll say in a crowded Korean restaurant or subway car.
The location use is also essential for navigating Korea's cities. 편의점이 어디에 있어요? (Where is the convenience store?) — 편의점 (convenience store) is another word worth learning early. Korea has the densest convenience store network of any country — GS25, CU, 7-Eleven on every block. Knowing where they are matters.
📚 Lesson 19 Homework
Before Lesson 20 — Month 1 Review…
Write 10 sentences using 있어요/없어요 — at least 3 possession, 3 location, 2 questions, and 2 negatives. Use vocabulary from your existing deck. Every sentence should have the correct particle (이 or 가).
Practice the two-particle sentence: 저는 [thing]이/가 있어요/없어요. Write 5 true sentences about yourself. 저는 고양이가 있어요. 저는 차가 없어요. Etc. This pattern is one of the most natural ways to describe yourself in Korean.
Write the distinction between 이에요/예요 vs 있어요/없어요 in your own words from memory — when to use each, what question each answers. If you can explain the difference clearly, you truly understand it.
Memorise the four location words: 여기에 (here) · 거기에 (there) · 저기에 (over there) · 어디에 (where). These pair with 있어요 in almost every location sentence you'll ever use. Say each one aloud with 있어요 attached.
Lesson 20 — Month 1 Full Review. This is the biggest review so far — all 20 lessons, all grammar patterns, all vocabulary from Month 1. Come prepared: pull your flashcard deck, review all 7 days, all 12 months, both number systems, 은/는, 이에요/예요, and 이/가 있어요/없어요. The review will test everything. 화이팅!