LESSON 22

Where Things Are

To locate objects in English you usually need only a preposition (in, at, on, under, behind), but sometimes you use a prepositional phrase which includes a noun (in front of, on top of, at the side of ). This is the usual Korean way of doing it. Here are some of these “place words” which are nouns in Korean. To locate a thing or an event, you use the particle e = at, in, etc. or (e)seo = happens at after one of these words:

an	inside (something spacious)	안
sok	inside (something small or rather full)	속
bak	outside	밖
wi	(on) top of, above	위
arae	below, underneath	아래
mit	(at the) bottom of	밑
ap	front	앞
dwi	behind	뒤
yeop	beside	옆
oenjjok	left side of	왼쪽
oreunjjok	right side of	오른쪽
geonneopyeon	across from	건너편
daeum	next (to)	다음
sai	between	사이

Here are some examples:

Jumeoni sok-e mueot-i isseoyo?

주머니 속에 무엇이 있어요?

What do you have in your pocket?

Gimssi yeop-e nug-a anjayo?

김씨 옆에 누가 앉아요?

Who sits next to Mr. Kim?

Gyohoe yeop-e gongwon-i isseoyo.

교회 옆에 공원이 있어요.

There’s a park next to the church.

Changmun bak-euro namu-ga boyeoyo.

창문 밖으로 나무가 보여요.

Outside the window a tree can be seen.

Namu mit-e gae han mari-ga nuwo isseoyo.

나무 밑에 개 한 마리가 누워 있어요.

A dog is lying at the foot of the tree.

Namu wi-e jip han chae-ga isseoyo.

나무 위에 집 한 채가 있어요.

There is a house on top of the tree.

Geu jip an-e sae deul-i salgo isseoyo.

그 집 안에 새들이 살고 있어요.

There are birds living in that house.

Hakgyo oreunjjok-e gil-i isseoyo.

학교 오른쪽에 길이 있어요.

There’s a road on the right of the school.

Yeonpil-eul eodi-da dwojji?

연필을 어디다 뒀지?

Where did I put my pencil?

Gabang sok-e dueonna?

가방 속에 두었나?

Did I put it in my briefcase?

Jumeoni sok-e dueonna?

주머니 속에 두었나?

Did I put it in my pocket?

Botong chaeksang wi-e noayo.

보통 책상 위에 놓아요.

Usually I put it on the desk.

Chaeksang arae-(e) eopseoyo?

책상 아래(에) 없어요?

Isn’t it under the desk?

Maru wi-e eopseoyo?

마루 위에 없어요?

Isn’t it on the floor?

Chaek sai-e isseoyo?

책 사이에 있어요?

Is it between those two books?

Ne, majayo. Chaek sai-e inneyo.

네 맞아요. 책 사이에 있네요.

You’re right. It’s between this book and that one.

Je-ga yeonpil-eul chaek sai-e dueonneyo.

제가 연필을 책 사이에 두었네요.

I put my pencil between that book and this one.

On a street in Seoul