Korean for Beginners: Expressing 'Have' and 'Has' with 있다
Learn how to say you, other people, and things 'have' something in Korean using the verb 있다 (itda) with the particles 이/가 and 은/는.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In English, the verb 'have' changes to 'has' with he, she, and it. Korean does not change the verb for the subject. Instead, Korean uses the verb 있다 (itda), which means 'to exist' or 'to be there.' To say someone has something, you say that the thing exists with that person. The pattern is: subject + particle + object + particle + 있다. This lesson teaches you how to use 있다 for possession with different subjects, and how it differs from possessive adjectives like my or your.
By the end, you can…
- say that I, you, he, she, we, and they have common objects using 있다.
- choose the correct particles 이/가 and 은/는 in simple possession sentences.
- tell the difference between possessive adjectives and the verb 'have' in Korean.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
저는 자전거가 있어요.
I have a bicycle.
jeo-neun ja-jeon-geo-ga i-sseo-yo
Polite informal speech (해요체). 저는 means 'as for me' and 자전거가 marks the bicycle as the thing that exists.
그는 차가 있어요.
He has a car.
geu-neun cha-ga i-sseo-yo
Polite informal speech (해요체). 그는 means 'as for him.' The verb 있어요 stays the same for all subjects.
그녀는 고양이가 있어요.
She has a cat.
geu-nyeo-neun go-yang-i-ga i-sseo-yo
Polite informal speech (해요체). 그녀는 means 'as for her.' Notice there is no separate word for 'has.'
우리는 시간이 있어요.
We have time.
u-ri-neun si-gan-i i-sseo-yo
Polite informal speech (해요체). 우리는 means 'as for us.' Use this when talking about available time.
그들은 질문이 있어요.
They have a question.
geu-deul-eun jil-mun-i i-sseo-yo
Polite informal speech (해요체). 그들은 means 'as for them.' Useful in classrooms or meetings.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The basic possession pattern is: subject + 은/는 + object + 이/가 + 있어요. For example, 저는 자전거가 있어요 means 'I have a bicycle.' The subject is 저 (I), marked by 는. The object is 자전거 (bicycle), marked by 가 because it ends in a vowel. If the object ends in a consonant, use 이, as in 시간이 있어요 (I have time). The verb 있어요 never changes for he, she, or they. So 그는 차가 있어요 and 그녀는 차가 있어요 both mean 'He/She has a car.'
When to use it
Use this pattern when you want to say that a person or thing possesses something, or when something exists in a certain place. For example, 가방이 있어요 can mean 'I have a bag' or 'There is a bag,' depending on context. To be clear about the owner, add the subject with 은/는: 저는 가방이 있어요 (I have a bag). To ask a question, raise your intonation at the end: 자전거가 있어요? (Do you have a bicycle?). The negative form is 없어요 (eopseoyo), meaning 'do not have' or 'there is not.' For example, 저는 차가 없어요 means 'I do not have a car.'
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
저는 자전거가 있어요.
I have a bicycle.jeo-neun ja-jeon-geo-ga i-sseo-yo그는 차가 있어요.
He has a car.geu-neun cha-ga i-sseo-yo그녀는 고양이가 있어요.
She has a cat.geu-nyeo-neun go-yang-i-ga i-sseo-yo우리는 시간이 있어요.
We have time.u-ri-neun si-gan-i i-sseo-yoA little context goes a long way
In Korean, the verb 있어요 is also used to say that something exists or is located somewhere. For example, 화장실이 있어요? means 'Is there a restroom?' This is different from English, where 'have' and 'there is' are separate. Also, Korean often omits the subject when it is clear from context. So instead of saying 저는 자전거가 있어요 every time, you can just say 자전거가 있어요 if everyone knows you are talking about yourself. Using the full subject adds emphasis or clarity.
One thing to watch for
Using the verb 있다 with the object marker 을/를, as in 자전거를 있어요.
Try this instead: In possession sentences, the possessed thing takes 이/가, not 을/를. Say 자전거가 있어요, not 자전거를 있어요. The verb 있다 is an existence verb, so its object is marked like a subject.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'She has a car' in polite Korean?
Show a sample answer
그녀는 차가 있어요.
그녀는 means 'as for her,' 차가 marks the car with the subject particle 가 because 차 ends in a vowel, and 있어요 means 'exists/has.' You could also say 그녀는 차가 있습니다 in more formal speech (합니다체).
2What is the negative form of 있어요, and what does it mean?
Show a sample answer
없어요 means 'do not have' or 'there is not.'
없어요 is the opposite of 있어요. For example, 저는 시간이 없어요 means 'I do not have time.' The subject and object particles stay the same.
3Which particle do you use after a noun ending in a consonant, like 시간?
Show a sample answer
Use 이 after a consonant: 시간이 있어요.
The subject particle 이 is used after a consonant, and 가 after a vowel. So 시간 ends in ㄴ, so you say 시간이 있어요. If the noun ends in a vowel, like 차, you say 차가 있어요.
To say 'have' or 'has' in Korean, use the pattern subject + 은/는 + object + 이/가 + 있어요. The verb 있어요 does not change for different subjects, and the negative form is 없어요.
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