있어요/없어요 - Existence and Possession
있어요 and 없어요 are used to express existence, location, and possession in Korean.
있어요 means that someone or something exists, is present, or is available.
없어요 means that someone or something does not exist, is not present, or is unavailable.
- 책이 있어요.
There is a book. - 책이 없어요.
There is no book.
Depending on the context, 있어요 and 없어요 can also mean “to have” and “not to have.”
- 저는 책이 있어요.
I have a book. - 저는 차가 없어요.
I do not have a car.
Basic Sentence Structure
The most basic structure is:
Noun + 이/가 + 있어요/없어요
The noun followed by 이/가 is the person or thing that exists or does not exist.
- 고양이가 있어요.
There is a cat. - 시간이 없어요.
There is no time. - 친구가 있어요.
I have a friend. - 돈이 없어요.
I do not have money.
Use 이 after a noun ending in a final consonant.
- 책 + 이 → 책이 있어요.
There is a book.
Use 가 after a noun ending in a vowel.
- 친구 + 가 → 친구가 있어요.
I have a friend.
Expressing Existence
Use 있어요 when someone or something exists or is present.
- 학생이 있어요.
There is a student. - 문제가 있어요.
There is a problem. - 화장실이 있어요.
There is a restroom. - 사람이 많아요.
There are many people.
Use 없어요 when someone or something does not exist or is not present.
- 학생이 없어요.
There are no students. - 문제가 없어요.
There is no problem. - 화장실이 없어요.
There is no restroom. - 사람이 없어요.
There is no one.
Korean does not change 있어요 or 없어요 according to whether the noun is singular or plural.
- 책이 있어요.
There is a book.
There are books.
The context usually makes the meaning clear.
Expressing Location
있어요 and 없어요 can describe whether someone or something is in a particular place.
A place is commonly followed by 에.
Place + 에 + Noun + 이/가 + 있어요/없어요
- 방에 침대가 있어요.
There is a bed in the room. - 책상 위에 책이 있어요.
There is a book on the desk. - 교실에 학생이 있어요.
There is a student in the classroom. - 집에 사람이 없어요.
There is no one at home. - 가방에 지갑이 없어요.
There is no wallet in the bag.
The place usually comes before the person or thing that exists.
Asking Where Someone or Something Is
있어요 can also mean that someone or something is located somewhere.
- 민수 씨는 집에 있어요.
Minsu is at home. - 책은 책상 위에 있어요.
The book is on the desk. - 선생님은 교실에 있어요.
The teacher is in the classroom.
Use 어디에 있어요? to ask where someone or something is.
- 화장실이 어디에 있어요?
Where is the restroom? - 책이 어디에 있어요?
Where is the book? - 민수 씨가 어디에 있어요?
Where is Minsu?
In everyday conversation, 에 is sometimes omitted after 어디.
- 화장실이 어디 있어요?
Where is the restroom?
Both forms are commonly used.
Expressing Possession
Korean does not use a direct equivalent of the English verb “to have” in the same way.
Instead, Korean expresses possession by saying that something exists in relation to a person or topic.
Person + 은/는 + Noun + 이/가 + 있어요/없어요
- 저는 차가 있어요.
Literal: As for me, a car exists.
Natural: I have a car.
- 수진 씨는 동생이 있어요.
Literal: As for Sujin, a younger sibling exists.
Natural: Sujin has a younger sibling.
- 저는 시간이 없어요.
Literal: As for me, time does not exist.
Natural: I do not have time.
- 민수 씨는 돈이 없어요.
Literal: As for Minsu, money does not exist.
Natural: Minsu does not have money.
The literal translation helps you understand why the possessed noun is followed by 이/가 rather than 을/를.
More Examples
- 저는 한국 친구가 있어요.
I have a Korean friend. - 제 친구는 고양이가 있어요.
My friend has a cat. - 오늘은 수업이 있어요.
I have a class today.
There is a class today. - 내일은 약속이 없어요.
I do not have any plans tomorrow. - 냉장고에 우유가 있어요.
There is milk in the refrigerator. - 근처에 은행이 없어요.
There is no bank nearby. - 질문이 있어요.
I have a question. - 문제가 없어요.
There is no problem.
Making Questions
The form of 있어요 and 없어요 does not change in a question.
In conversation, your voice rises at the end. In writing, use a question mark.
- 책이 있어요?
Is there a book?
Do you have a book? - 시간이 있어요?
Do you have time? - 형제가 있어요?
Do you have any siblings? - 오늘 수업이 있어요?
Do you have class today? - 근처에 카페가 있어요?
Is there a café nearby?
The exact English meaning depends on the context.
Short Answers
- 네, 있어요.
Yes, there is.
Yes, I do. - 아니요, 없어요.
No, there is not.
No, I do not.
The noun is often omitted when it is already clear from the question.
- 시간이 있어요?
Do you have time? - 네, 있어요.
Yes, I do.
있어요 and 없어요 with People
있어요 and 없어요 can also be used with people.
- 친구가 있어요.
I have a friend. - 형이 있어요.
I have an older brother. - 교실에 선생님이 있어요.
There is a teacher in the classroom. - 집에 아무도 없어요.
There is no one at home.
When talking about where a respected person is, Korean often uses the honorific form 계세요 instead of 있어요. You will learn this form later.
Common Mistakes
Using 을/를 instead of 이/가
The person or thing that exists is followed by 이/가, not 을/를.
책이 있어요. ✓
책을 있어요. ✗
친구가 있어요. ✓
친구를 있어요. ✗
Even when the English translation uses “have,” Korean still uses 이/가.
저는 차가 있어요. ✓
저는 차를 있어요. ✗
Adding a space between the noun and particle
이 and 가 attach directly to the noun.
책이 있어요. ✓
책 이 있어요. ✗
친구가 없어요. ✓
친구 가 없어요. ✗
However, 있어요 and 없어요 are written separately from the noun phrase.
책이 있어요. ✓
책이있어요. ✗
Translating the sentence word by word
- 저는 친구가 있어요.
A word-for-word translation may sound unnatural in English.
Literal: As for me, a friend exists.
Natural: I have a friend.
Focus on the Korean structure first, and then express the meaning naturally in English.
Using 안 있어요 for possession
When expressing that you do not have something, use 없어요.
- 저는 차가 없어요. ✓
I do not have a car.
For beginners, 없어요 is the clearest and most natural form for nonexistence and lack of possession.
Quick Practice
Choose 있어요 or 없어요.
- 방에 침대가 __________.
- 저는 차가 __________. 지하철을 타요.
- 냉장고에 우유가 __________.
- 오늘은 시간이 __________. 아주 바빠요.
- 교실에 학생이 __________.
- 제 친구는 고양이가 __________.
Answers
- 방에 침대가 있어요.
- 저는 차가 없어요. 지하철을 타요.
- 냉장고에 우유가 있어요.
- 오늘은 시간이 없어요. 아주 바빠요.
- 교실에 학생이 있어요.
- 제 친구는 고양이가 있어요.
Sentence Practice
Complete each sentence with your own information.
- 저는 __________이/가 있어요.
- 저는 __________이/가 없어요.
- 제 방에 __________이/가 있어요.
- 제 가방에 __________이/가 없어요.
- 오늘은 __________이/가 있어요.
- 우리 동네에 __________이/가 있어요.
Key Points
- 있어요 expresses existence, location, or possession.
- 없어요 expresses nonexistence, absence, or lack of possession.
- The person or thing that exists is followed by 이/가.
- A location is commonly followed by 에.
- Use Noun + 이/가 + 있어요/없어요 to say that something exists or does not exist.
- Use Person + 은/는 + Noun + 이/가 + 있어요/없어요 to express possession.
- The exact English translation depends on the context.
