Korean grammar · Beginner (A1)
이다 and 아니다: to be
이에요 and 예요 after a consonant or a vowel, 아니에요 with 이/가, the past 이었어요 / 였어요, formal 입니다 and casual 이야 / 야.
이에요 and 예요: “is” with nouns
(ida) means “to be” in the sense “A is B”: I'm a student, this is coffee. It is joined to the noun, and in the polite style it has two forms: 이에요 after a consonant and 예요 after a vowel. (haksaengieyo), I'm a student; (gyosayeyo), I'm a teacher.
The same form is used for I, you, he, she and they, and for questions, said with a rising voice: (igeo mwoyeyo?), what's this? 예요 is spelled with ㅖ but sounds like -eyo.
| After a consonant: 이에요 | After a vowel: 예요 |
|---|---|
| (haksaengieyo) I'm a student. | (gyosayeyo) I'm a teacher. |
| (hoesawonieyo) I'm an office worker. | (uisayeyo) She's a doctor. |
| (man wonieyo) It's 10,000 won. | (eolmayeyo?) How much is it? |
| (Seoyeonieyo) I'm Seoyeon. | (nuguyeyo?) Who is it? |
- 저는 학생이에요.Jeoneun haksaengieyo.I'm a student.
- 저는 교사예요.Jeoneun gyosayeyo.I'm a teacher.
- 이거 뭐예요?Igeo mwoyeyo?What's this?
- 한국 사람이에요?Hanguk saramieyo?Are you Korean?
아니에요: “is not”
The opposite of is a separate word, (anida). The noun before it takes 이 / 가: (haksaengi anieyo), I'm not a student; (uisaga anieyo), he isn't a doctor. In speech the particle is often dropped.
Don't mix up (anieyo, it isn't) with (aniyo, no). on its own is also a polite reply to thanks or an apology: “not at all”.
- 저는 미국 사람이 아니에요. 캐나다 사람이에요.Jeoneun Miguk sarami anieyo. Kaenada saramieyo.I'm not American. I'm Canadian.
- 이거 제 가방이 아니에요.Igeo je gabangi anieyo.This isn't my bag.
- 아니요, 괜찮아요.Aniyo, gwaenchanayo.No, it's fine.
- 아니에요.Anieyo.Not at all. (after thanks or an apology)
Past: 이었어요 / 였어요
In the past, becomes 이었어요 after a consonant and 였어요 after a vowel: (haksaengieosseoyo), I was a student; (chinguyeosseoyo), he was a friend. becomes (anieosseoyo), wasn't.
takes other endings like any verb. For a guess, add 일 거예요: (ama haksaengil geoyeyo), he's probably a student. For “if it is”, add 이면, often shortened to 면 after a vowel: (haksaengimyeon), if you're a student; (chingumyeon), if it's a friend.
- 그때 저는 대학생이었어요.Geuttae jeoneun daehaksaengieosseoyo.I was a university student then.
- 어제가 제 생일이었어요.Eojega je saengirieosseoyo.Yesterday was my birthday.
- 옛날에 여기는 학교였어요.Yennare yeogineun hakgyoyeosseoyo.This used to be a school.
- 제 잘못이 아니었어요.Je jalmosi anieosseoyo.It wasn't my fault.
Other styles: 입니다, 이야 / 야, 이다
In the formal style, (hamnidache), is (imnida) after both consonants and vowels, and the question is (imnikka?). You hear it in announcements, at work and when introducing yourself formally: (jeoneun Kim Dohyeonimnida).
In casual speech, (banmal), it is 이야 after a consonant and 야 after a vowel, and “is not” is (aniya). In writing, the plain form is 이다 / 다: (oneureun nae saengirida), today is my birthday.
| Style | After a consonant | After a vowel | Is not |
|---|---|---|---|
| polite: (haeyoche) | (haksaengieyo) | (chinguyeyo) | (anieyo) |
| formal: (hamnidache) | (haksaengimnida) | (chinguimnida) | (animnida) |
| casual: (banmal) | (haksaengiya) | (chinguya) | (aniya) |
| written: (handache) | (haksaengida) | (chinguda) | (anida) |
- 저는 김도현입니다.Jeoneun Kim Dohyeonimnida.I'm Kim Dohyeon.
- 오늘은 금요일입니다.Oneureun geumyoirimnida.Today is Friday.
- 나 아직 학생이야.Na ajik haksaengiya.I'm still a student.
- 이거 내 거야.Igeo nae geoya.This is mine.
Nouns only: three ways to say “is”
English uses “is” in three different ways, and Korean has a different word for each. only links two nouns. Descriptive words such as “expensive” or “big” are verbs of their own: (bissayo) already means “is expensive”, with no 이에요. And “is somewhere” is (isseoyo).
| English | Korean | Example |
|---|---|---|
| It's an apple. | noun + 이에요 / 예요 | (sagwayeyo) |
| The apple is expensive. | a descriptive verb | (sagwaga bissayo) |
| The apple is over there. | (isseoyo) | (sagwaga jeogi isseoyo) |
- 이건 사과예요.Igeon sagwayeyo.This is an apple.
- 사과가 비싸요.Sagwaga bissayo.Apples are expensive.
- 사과는 냉장고에 있어요.Sagwaneun naengjanggoe isseoyo.The apples are in the fridge.