Korean Existence: Saying 'There Is' and 'There Are' with 있어요
Learn how Korean expresses 'there is' and 'there are' with 있어요 and 없어요, including the location particle 에, so you can say what exists or is present.
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In Korean, you do not use a separate word like English 'there' to say that something exists. Instead, you use the verb 있어요 (isseoyo), which means 'to exist' or 'to be present.' To say that something is not there, you use 없어요 (eopseoyo). The thing that exists is marked with the subject particle 이 or 가, and the place where it exists is marked with the location particle 에. This lesson gives you the core patterns for existence statements, so you can talk about what is in a place, what you have, and what is nearby.
By the end, you can…
- say that a person, place, or thing exists using 있어요.
- say that something is not present using 없어요.
- ask whether something exists using 있어요? with rising intonation.
- use the location particle 에 to say where something exists.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
집 근처에 공원이 있어요.
There is a park near my house.
jip geuncheo-e gongwon-i isseoyo
Use this pattern to say that something exists in a place. The place comes first with 에, and the thing that exists takes 이 or 가.
여기 화장실이 있어요?
Is there a restroom here?
yeogi hwajangsil-i isseoyo?
A polite yes-or-no question. Raise your intonation at the end. The answer can be 네, 있어요 (ne, isseoyo) or 아니요, 없어요 (aniyo, eopseoyo).
물이 없어요.
There is no water.
mul-i eopseoyo
Use 없어요 for absence. It is the opposite of 있어요 and is also used for 'I do not have.'
시간이 있어요.
I have time. / There is time.
sigan-i isseoyo
Korean often uses the same existence pattern for having something. Context makes the meaning clear.
근처에 편의점이 있어요.
There is a convenience store nearby.
geuncheo-e pyeonuijeom-i isseoyo
근처에 means 'nearby.' This is a common way to talk about what is in your neighborhood.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The basic pattern is Place + 에 + Thing + 이/가 + 있어요/없어요. For example, 집에 강아지가 있어요 (jibe gangajiga isseoyo) means 'There is a puppy at home.' If the thing ends in a consonant, use 이; if it ends in a vowel, use 가. So 물이 있어요 (muri isseoyo) and 커피가 있어요 (keopiga isseoyo). The place can also be a person: 저는 시간이 있어요 (jeoneun sigani isseoyo) means 'I have time.'
When to use it
Use 있어요 when you want to state that something exists, is present, or is available. Use 없어요 when it is absent or you do not have it. For example, at a hotel you can ask 와이파이가 있어요? (waipagiga isseoyo?) meaning 'Is there Wi-Fi?' If you are looking for a bank, you can say 은행이 어디에 있어요? (eunhaengi eodie isseoyo?) meaning 'Where is the bank?' The question word 어디에 (eodie) means 'where.'
Word order and particles
Korean does not use a dummy subject like English 'there.' The thing that exists is the grammatical subject, marked by 이 or 가. The location is marked by 에. So the order is often Place + 에 + Thing + 이/가 + 있어요. You can also put the thing first for emphasis: 공원이 집 근처에 있어요 (gongwoni jip geuncheoe isseoyo) means 'A park is near my house.' Both orders are correct, but the first is more common in everyday speech.
Negation
To make a negative existence statement, replace 있어요 with 없어요. For example, 화장실이 없어요 (hwajangsiri eopseoyo) means 'There is no restroom.' Do not use 안 있어요 for 'there is not'; that is not standard. For 'I do not have,' you can also say 없어요: 돈이 없어요 (doni eopseoyo) means 'I have no money.'
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
여기 근처에 편의점이 있어요?
Is there a convenience store near here?yeogi geuncheo-e pyeonuijeom-i isseoyo?네, 있어요. 횡단보도 건너에 있어요.
Yes, there is. It is across the crosswalk.ne, isseoyo. hoengdanbodo geonneo-e isseoyo.그럼, 은행도 있어요?
Then, is there a bank too?geureom, eunhaeng-do isseoyo?아니요, 은행은 없어요. 하지만 ATM은 있어요.
No, there is no bank. But there is an ATM.aniyo, eunhaeng-eun eopseoyo. hajiman ATM-eun isseoyo.A little context goes a long way
In Korean, 있어요 is also used to mean 'I have' when the subject is a person. For example, 저는 시간이 있어요 means 'I have time.' This is different from English, where 'there is' and 'I have' are separate. Also, when you ask a stranger for a restroom, it is more polite to say 화장실이 어디에 있어요? (Where is the restroom?) than to ask if it exists. Use polite endings with people you do not know well.
One thing to watch for
Using 안 있어요 to mean 'there is not.'
Try this instead: Use 없어요 instead. For example, say 물이 없어요 (mul-i eopseoyo) for 'There is no water,' not 안 있어요.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'There is a cat in the house' in Korean?
Show a sample answer
집에 고양이가 있어요.
The place 집에 comes first, then the thing 고양이가, then 있어요. You could also say 고양이가 집에 있어요, but the first order is more common for existence.
2What is the opposite of 있어요, and how do you use it in a sentence?
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없어요. Example: 시간이 없어요.
없어요 means 'there is not' or 'I do not have.' It replaces 있어요 in negative existence sentences.
3Ask politely if there is Wi-Fi here.
Show a sample answer
여기 와이파이가 있어요?
여기 means 'here,' 와이파이가 is the subject with 가 because it ends in a vowel, and 있어요? makes it a question. You could also say 와이파이 있어요? in casual speech.
Use 있어요 for 'there is/are' and 없어요 for 'there is not/are not.' Put the place before the thing with 에, and mark the thing with 이 or 가. This one pattern covers existence, presence, and having.
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