있어요 vs 없어요 (Existence & Possession) | Learns Korean Day46

---

있어요 vs 없어요
1) What you’ll master today

In Korean, 있어요 and 없어요 are your go-to tools for:

1. Existence: “There is/are …”
2. Possession: “I have … / I don’t have …”

Linguistically, “있다/없다” can be discussed as expressing existence or possession, and analyses may treat them differently depending on meaning.

---

2) Core meaning: “있어요” and “없어요”

있어요 (있다 → 있어요)

• There is/are (existence)
• I have (possession)

없어요 (없다 → 없어요)

• There isn’t/aren’t
• I don’t have

You will most often use them in the polite -요 style:

• 있다 → 있어요
• 없다 → 없어요

---

3) Pattern A: Existence — N이/가 있어요 / 없어요

Form

• N이/가 있어요. = “There is/are N.”
• N이/가 없어요. = “There isn’t/aren’t N.”

Examples

• 사람이 있어요. = There are people.
• 시간이 없어요. = I don’t have time / There isn’t time (context decides).
• 문제가 있어요. = There’s a problem.

Common mistake (very important)

• ❌ 물을 있어요
• ✅ 물이 있어요 (“There is water.”)

With 있어요/없어요, the noun is typically marked with 이/가 (subject marker), not 을/를.

---

4) Pattern B: Location — N이/가 + Place에 있어요

Form

• N이/가 (장소)에 있어요. = “N is at/in/on (a place).”
• N이/가 (장소)에 없어요. = “N is not there.”

Examples

• 책이 책상 위에 있어요. = The book is on the desk.
• 화장실이 2층에 있어요. = The restroom is on the 2nd floor.
• 제 휴대폰이 가방에 없어요. = My phone isn’t in my bag.

Tip: This is the clean “where is it?” structure.

---

5) Pattern C: Possession — “I have …” in Korean

Korean often expresses possession with the same structure as existence:

Form (most common)

• 저는 N이/가 있어요. = I have N.
• 저는 N이/가 없어요. = I don’t have N.

Examples

• 저는 시간이 있어요. = I have time.
• 저는 차가 없어요. = I don’t have a car.
• 저는 동생이 있어요. = I have a younger sibling.

This “있다” can be understood as close to existence/possession, and discussions commonly compare it with “가지다/소유하다.”

---

6) Mini-Dialogue 1: Finding something

A: 지갑이 어디에 있어요? (Where is the wallet?)
B: 가방에 있어요. (It’s in the bag.)
A: 아, 다행이다. (Oh, what a relief.)

---

7) Mini-Dialogue 2: Do you have time?

A: 오늘 시간 있어요? (Do you have time today?)
B: 죄송해요, 시간이 없어요. (Sorry, I don’t have time.)
A: 그럼 내일은 어때요? (Then how about tomorrow?)

---

8) Drills (Say it fast, no thinking)

Drill 1: Swap 있어요 ↔ 없어요

1. 시간이 있어요 → 시간이 없어요
2. 돈이 없어요 → 돈이 있어요
3. 문제가 있어요 → 문제가 없어요

Drill 2: Location chaining

Fill the place:

• 책이 ( )에 있어요.
• 열쇠가 ( )에 없어요.
• 제 휴대폰이 ( )에 있어요.

(Examples: 가방, 책상 위, 차 안, 집)

Drill 3: “I have / I don’t have”

• 저는 ___이/가 있어요. (a car / time / a sibling)
• 저는 ___이/가 없어요. (money / a passport / free time)

---

9) Quiz

Q1) Choose the correct particle

1. 물(이/을) 있어요.
2. 지갑(이/을) 가방에 있어요.
3. 시간(이/을) 없어요.

Q2) Translate to Korean (polite)

4. “There is a problem.”
5. “I don’t have time.”
6. “My phone is in my bag.”

Answers

1. 이 / 2) 이 / 3) 이
2. 문제가 있어요.
3. 시간이 없어요.
4. 제 휴대폰이 가방에 있어요.

---

10) Homework

1. Write 6 sentences:

• 2 sentences with existence: N이/가 있어요/없어요
• 2 sentences with location: N이/가 장소에 있어요/없어요
• 2 sentences with possession: 저는 N이/가 있어요/없어요

2. Record a 20-second voice clip:

• “저는 ___이/가 있어요. 그런데 ___이/가 없어요. 그래서 ___에 있어요.”

Americans learns korean – Day45 (Review Day45 again)

도움이 되는 자료