6.1. Existence and Location with 있어요 and 없어요

The English word be (am, are, is) has a variety of meanings; these are expressed in Korean by a number of vocabulary items.

a. Be in the sense that something equals or is the same thing assomething else corresponds to the Korean copula -(이)에요.  Lesson 5 dealt with this.

b. Be in the sense that something is located somewhere or is existing, on the other hand, is 있어요. The negative is a separate word, 없어요 does not exist, is not located. These words also mean there is /are and there isn’t / aren’t.

Here are some pairs of sentences which contrast the meanings of these two types of verbs.

  1. a.책이에요
    It’s a book. They are books.
    b. 책이 있어요   
    There is a book (somewhere).There are some books (somewhere).(Someone) has got a book.
    c.책(이) 아니에요
    It’s not a book.They aren’t books.
    d. 책이 없어요        
    There isn’t any book (somewhere).
    There aren’t any books (somewhere).
    (Someone) hasn’t got a book.
  1. a. 학교에요
    It’s a school. or They are schools.
    b. 학교에 있어요
    It’s at school.
    They are at school. or
    There’s (one) at school.
    There are (some) at school.
    They’ve got one at school.
    c.학교(가) 아니에요
    It’s not a school.
    They aren’t schools.
    d. 학교에 없어요 
    It’s not at school.
    They aren’t at school. or there isn’t or aren’t (any) at school.
  2. a. 여기가 어디에요?What is this (place)? [lit. This place is what place?]
    b. 여기 어디(에) 있어요?
    Where in this place is it? or
    Where in this place is there (one)?

The copula -(이)에요, then, has one meaning-dentity.

The verb 있어요 and its negative 없어요 have meanings we can label EXISTENCE (there is[n’t] or are[n’t]) and LOCATION (is[n’t] or are(n’t) in a place). A third, related meaning for POSSESSION-is discussed in the following section.

    Here are some further examples of the location usage:

  1. 그 학생이 여기 있어요.
    The student is here.
  2. 대학교 뒤에 시장이 없어요.
    There isn’t any market behind the university.
  3. 교실 안에 그림이 있어요?
        – 네, 있어요.
        – 아니오, 없어요.
    Are there any pictures in the classroom?
    -Yes, there are.
    -No, there aren’t.
  4. 백화점이 어디(에) 있어요? 저기 있어요.
    Where is the department store? It’s over there.
  5. 화장실이 어디(에) 있어요? 왼편에 있어요.
    Where is the toilet? It’s to your left.
  6. 여기 호텔이 있어요? 없어요.
    Is there a hotel here? (No) there isn’t.

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