This is a lesson where we will be looking at how to describe relative locations of things and
people.
First of all, let’s look at how to ask where something or someone is. The word for “where” is 어
디 [eo-di] and the word for “to be” is 있다 [it-da]. So for the present tense, you can ask “어디 있
어요?” [eo-di i-sseo-yo?]. Or if you want to be more accurate, you can add the location marking
particle -에 [-e] and say 어디에 있어요? [eo-di-e i-sseo-yo?]
어디 있어요? [eo-di i-sseo-yo?]
= 어디에 있어요? [eo-di-e i-sseo-yo?]
= Where is it? / Where are you? / Where are they?
Now in order to give response to this question, you need to know these five one-syllable
words.
앞 [ap] = front
뒤 [dwi] = back
옆 [yeop] = side
위 [wi] = top
밑 [mit] = bottom
To these words, you add -에 [-e], the location marking particle to use them with other words.
앞에 [a-pe] = in front of
뒤에 [dwi-e] = behind
옆에 [yeo-pe] = beside, next to
위에 [wi-e] = over, on top of
밑에 [mi-te] = under, below
In English, these words come BEFORE the words that they modify, but in Korean, they come
AFTER the words.
Examples:
자동차 [ ja-dong-cha] = car, automobile
자동차 앞에 = in front of the car
자동차 뒤에 = behind the car
자동차 옆에 = beside the car, next to the car
자동차 위에 = on the car, on top of the car
자동차 밑에 = under the car
Combined with 있다:
자동차 앞에 있어요. = It’s in front of the car.
자동차 뒤에 있어요. = It’s behind the car.
자동차 옆에 있어요. = It’s next to the car.
자동차 위에 있어요. = It’s on top of the car.
자동차 밑에 있어요. = It’s under the car.
If you remember, -에 [-e] is only used with the status of a person or an object, and when you
want to express actions and behaviors that are happening, you need to use -에서 [-e-seo].
For example,
Q: 친구를 어디에서 만날 거예요?
[chin-gu-reul eo-di-e-seo man-nal geo-ye-yo?]
= Where are you going to meet (your) friends?
**은행 [eun-haeng] = bank
A: 은행 앞에서 만날 거예요.
[eun-haeng a-pe-seo man-nal geo-ye-yo.]
= I’m going to meet (them) in front of the bank.
A: 은행 뒤에서 만날 거예요.
[eun-haeng dwi-e-seo man-nal geo-ye-yo.]
= I’m going to meet (them) behind the bank.
A: 은행 옆에서 만날 거예요.
[eun-haeng yeo-pe-seo man-nal geo-ye-yo.]
= I’m going to meet (them) beside the bank.
소파 위에서 자고 있어요.
[so-pa wi-e-seo ja-go i-sseo-yo.]
= I’m sleeping on the sofa.
나무 밑에서 책을 읽고 있어요.
[na-mu mi-te-seo chae-geul il-go i-sseo-yo.]
= I’m reading a book under the tree.