Korean for Secondhand Pickups: Explain Your Arrival Landmark
Learn to say where you are using 앞, 옆, and 건물 so a buyer or seller can find you quickly during a secondhand pickup in Korea.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
When you arrange a secondhand pickup in a Korean neighborhood, the hardest part is often the final minute: telling the other person exactly where you are standing. In this lesson you will learn to describe your location with a nearby landmark using three essential location words: 앞 (ap, in front), 옆 (yeop, beside), and 건물 (geonmul, building). You will practice polite informal patterns such as 편의점 앞에 있어요 (I’m in front of the convenience store) and 큰 나무 옆이에요 (I’m beside the big tree). These are the phrases you will actually use in a text message or short call when you and the other person are trying to meet in a busy area. The focus is on clear, reusable sentences that help the other person spot you without confusion.
By the end, you can…
- say I am in front of, beside, or near a specific landmark.
- ask the other person where they are and confirm a meeting point.
- use 앞, 옆, and 건물 in polite informal Korean sentences.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
편의점 앞에 있어요.
I’m in front of the convenience store.
pyeonijeom ape isseoyo
Use this when you are standing directly at the entrance or just outside the front of a convenience store.
큰 나무 옆이에요.
I’m beside the big tree.
keun namu yeopieyo
Use this when a large tree is the easiest landmark and you are standing next to it.
저 건물 앞에 있어요.
I’m in front of that building.
jeo geonmul ape isseoyo
Use this when you can point to or name a specific building nearby.
어디에 있어요?
Where are you?
eodie isseoyo?
A polite informal way to ask the other person for their location.
편의점 앞에서 만나요.
Let’s meet in front of the convenience store.
pyeonijeom apeseo mannayo
Use this to suggest or confirm the meeting point.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is [landmark] + 앞/옆 + 에 있어요. 앞 means “in front” and 옆 means “beside.” For example, 편의점 앞에 있어요 means “I’m in front of the convenience store,” and 큰 나무 옆이에요 means “I’m beside the big tree.” The particle 에 marks location, and 있어요 means “I’m at / I exist.” With 옆, you can also use 옆이에요, which sounds like “it’s beside.” Both are natural in messages. To ask the other person, use 어디에 있어요? (Where are you?). To suggest a meeting point, use [landmark] 앞에서 만나요 (Let’s meet in front of [landmark]).
When to use it
Use these phrases when you are already at the pickup spot or very close to it. They work well in text messages, KakaoTalk, or a short phone call. If you are not there yet, say 곧 도착해요 (I’ll arrive soon) before giving the landmark. If the other person gives you a landmark first, repeat it back to confirm: 네, 편의점 앞이요? (Yes, in front of the convenience store?). This avoids confusion in busy areas with multiple stores or entrances. Keep your sentence short and specific: one landmark plus 앞 or 옆 is usually enough.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
지금 어디에 있어요?
Where are you now?jigeum eodie isseoyo?저는 편의점 앞에 있어요. 큰 나무 옆이에요.
I’m in front of the convenience store. I’m beside the big tree.jeoneun pyeonijeom ape isseoyo. keun namu yeopieyo.아, 네. 저 건물 앞에 있어요. 금방 갈게요.
Ah, okay. I’m in front of that building. I’ll be right there.a, ne. jeo geonmul ape isseoyo. geumbang galgeyo.네, 편의점 앞에서 만나요.
Okay, let’s meet in front of the convenience store.ne, pyeonijeom apeseo mannayo.A little context goes a long way
In Korean neighborhood pickups, people often use small, common landmarks such as convenience stores, subway exits, or large trees because they are easy to spot. Politeness matters: use -요 endings with strangers or casual acquaintances. If you are meeting a friend, you can drop -요, but for secondhand transactions, polite informal speech is safer and friendly.
One thing to watch for
Saying 편의점 앞에 이에요 instead of 편의점 앞에 있어요.
Try this instead: Use 있어요 for location: 편의점 앞에 있어요 (I’m in front of the convenience store). 이에요 is for identification, as in 여기가 편의점이에요 (This is a convenience store).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say “I’m beside the big tree” in polite informal Korean?
Show a sample answer
큰 나무 옆이에요.
This uses 큰 나무 (big tree) + 옆 (beside) + 이에요. You can also say 큰 나무 옆에 있어요, which is equally correct.
2You are in front of a building. Make a sentence with 건물.
Show a sample answer
건물 앞에 있어요.
This means “I’m in front of the building.” If you need to point to a specific building, say 저 건물 앞에 있어요.
3Ask the other person where they are, using polite informal speech.
Show a sample answer
어디에 있어요?
This is a direct, polite way to ask “Where are you?” You can also add 지금 (now): 지금 어디에 있어요?
Keep your pickup message short: one landmark plus 앞 or 옆, then 있어요. Confirm the meeting point with [landmark] 앞에서 만나요.
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