You learned in section 6.2 to use 있- and 없- for expressing possession in sentences of the type:
- 나는 책이 있어요.
I have a book [‘As for me, there exists a book’].
Korean can also use a locational construction to express possession. But whereas 에 functions to locate things in inanimate (non-living) places, the particles 한테 or 에게 are used to locate things with living things, especially humans. Compare the following three sentences:
- 은행에 돈이 있어요.
There is money in/at the bank = The bank has money. - 나한테 돈이 있어요.
Unto me there exists money = I have money. - 수진씨한테는 돈이 없어요.
Sujin has no money.