있다/없다
To Have/not Have
있다 means 'to have' or 'there is'. 없다 is the opposite, meaning 'to not have' or 'there isn't'.
How It Works
있다 and 없다 are essential for basic Korean sentences. They have two primary meanings:
1. Possession ('to have' / 'to not have')
This form is used to say that someone possesses something. The structure is:
The possessor is often marked with the topic particle 은/는, and the object being possessed is marked with the subject particle 이/가. The possessor can be omitted if it's clear from the context (e.g., 'I').
- 돈이 있어요. (I have money.)
- 시간이 없어요. (I don't have time.)
- 저는 여자친구가 있어요. (I have a girlfriend.)
2. Existence ('there is/are' / 'there isn't/aren't')
This form is used to say that something exists in a specific location. The structure is:
The noun that exists is the subject, marked with 이/가. The location is marked with the particle 에.
- 책상 위에 책이 있어요. (There is a book on the desk.)
- 교실에 학생이 없어요. (There are no students in the classroom.)
- 집 근처에 편의점이 있어요? (Is there a convenience store near the house?)
Both 있다 and 없다 conjugate regularly in the present tense to 있어요 and 없어요.
Examples (5)
- 저는 돈이 있어요.
I have money.
Word by Word: I money(subject) exist/have.
- 시간이 없어요.
I don't have time.
Word by Word: Time(subject) doesn't exist/don't have.
- 책상 위에 고양이가 있어요.
There is a cat on the desk.
Word by Word: Desk on top of cat(subject) exists.
- 교실에 아무도 없어요.
There is no one in the classroom.
Word by Word: Classroom in anyone doesn't exist.
- 질문 있어요?
Do you have any questions?
Word by Word: Question exist/have?
A very common phrase used by teachers. The subject 'you' is omitted as it's understood from the context.
Common Mistakes
Using the object particle 을/를 instead of the subject particle 이/가 for the thing being possessed.
Not Quite저는 돈을 있어요.Better저는 돈이 있어요.In English, we say 'I have money,' where 'money' is the object. However, in Korean, the structure is more like 'As for me, money exists.' Therefore, the thing that exists (money) is the subject and must be marked with 이/가, not the object particle 을/를.
Confusing 있다 (to exist/have) with 이다 (to be).
Different Meaning저는 학생이 있어요.Better저는 학생이에요.To state your identity (I am a student), you must use 이다. Using '학생이 있어요' would mean 'I have a student,' which is a completely different meaning.
Learn This First
To understand how 있다/없다 change form, you need basic conjugation knowledge.
Related Patterns
- 이/가Subject Marker
이/가 is the subject particle. It is used with 있다/없다 to mark the noun that exists or is possessed. For example, in '사과가 있어요' (There is an apple), '사과' is the subject.
- 에To, At
에 is a location particle. It is used with 있다/없다 to indicate the place where something exists. For example, '학교에 있어요' (I am at school).
- 은/는Topic Marker
은/는 is the topic particle. While the possessed item takes 이/가, the possessor is often marked with 은/는 to set them as the topic of the sentence, e.g., '저는 돈이 있어요' (As for me, I have money).
- 이다To Be
이다 means 'to be' and is used for identification (A is B). It's important to distinguish this from 있다, which is for existence or possession. '이것은 책이다' (This is a book) vs. '책이 있다' (There is a book).
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.