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Where is it?

Day 15 of 90~10 minAsk where something is and understand the answer
Romanisation help

Today covers finding things: the toilet, the station, the nearest convenience store. You learn to ask where something is, to follow an answer that uses here, there or over there, and to understand the words for in front of, behind, next to, on and under.

Asking where

Name the place, add 이 or 가, and finish with 어디예요?:

hwajangsiri eodiyeyo?
Where is the toilet?
화장실 ends in ㄹ, so 이, which links: hwa-jang-si-ri.
yeogi eodiyeyo?
Where is the station?
역 'station' plus 이 sounds exactly like 여기 'here'. Context sorts it out.
pyeonuijeomi eodiyeyo?
Where is the convenience store?
In speech 편의점 is said closer to pyeonijeom; the 의 softens to 이 in the middle of a word.
eodiyeyo?
Where is it? Where are you?
On its own, it is the standard phone question 'where are you?'. 어디 plus the 예요 from day 2.
Why it works

어디 is a noun meaning 'what place', so 어디예요? is built exactly like day 4's 뭐예요?: question word plus the copula. The place you are asking about takes 이/가 rather than 은/는, because it is the new piece of information you are putting on the table. In the answer the same place often switches to 은/는, as in 화장실은 저기에 있어요, because by then you are both talking about it. That is how the particles from days 3 and 4 divide the work: 이/가 brings something in, 은/는 talks about what is already there.

Here, there, over there

The three place words follow the 이, 그, 저 split from day 4:

yeogi
here (near me)
Goes with 이거 'this'. 여기요 on day 6 is this word plus 요: 'over here!'.
geogi
there (near you)
Goes with 그거. Also 'the place we just mentioned', like English 'there'.
jeogi
over there (away from us both)
Goes with 저거. 저기요 from day 6 is literally 'over there', used to get someone's attention.
hwajangsireun jeogie isseoyo
The toilet is over there.
The standard answer. Often cut down to 저기요, with a point.
Why it works

Korean uses the same three-way split for places as for things. 이 is close to the speaker, 그 close to the listener or already mentioned, 저 away from both, and 여기, 거기 and 저기 carry the same three distances. English has only 'here' and 'there', so the line between 거기 and 저기 has to be learnt as a question of whose side the place is on. If someone points to a spot near you and asks about it, they say 거기; if you both look across the road, it is 저기.

In front, behind, next to, on, under

Position words are nouns that come after the landmark, followed by 에 있어요:

yeok ape isseoyo
It's in front of the station.
앞 is 'the front'. The ㅍ links onto 에: a-pe.
eunhaeng yeope isseoyo
It's next to the bank.
은행 is 'bank', 옆 is 'the side'. This is how people describe where a shop is.
chaeksang wie isseoyo
It's on the desk.
위 is 'the top'. For 'behind', swap in 뒤 (dwi): 역 뒤에 있어요, 'it's behind the station'.
uija araee isseoyo
It's under the chair.
아래 is 'the space below'. You will also hear 밑 (mit) for 'under'.
Why it works

English puts a preposition before the landmark: in front of the station. Korean turns the position into a noun and puts it after: station, front, then 에 for 'at'. You can think of it as 'the station's front', but Korean leaves the possessive 의 out of these phrases and simply says 역 앞. 에 here marks the place where something exists, and it pairs with day 7's 있어요, so 역 앞에 있어요 is literally 'station front at exists'. Every direction you are given will follow that shape.

Carry over, from earlier days

mwo haeyo?
What are you doing?
babeul meogeoyo
I have a meal.
wayo
I come.
ige mwoyeyo?
What is this?

📋 Today’s words 12

hwajangsiri eodiyeyo?
Where is the toilet?
yeogi eodiyeyo?
Where is the station?
pyeonuijeomi eodiyeyo?
Where is the convenience store?
eodiyeyo?
Where is it? Where are you?
yeogi
here (near me)
geogi
there (near you)
jeogi
over there (away from us both)
hwajangsireun jeogie isseoyo
The toilet is over there.
yeok ape isseoyo
It's in front of the station.
eunhaeng yeope isseoyo
It's next to the bank.
chaeksang wie isseoyo
It's on the desk.
uija araee isseoyo
It's under the chair.

Check yourself

8 questions. Get 5 right to finish the day.

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