This, It and That

Please refer to Korean Listening Exercise - This, It and That  for the audio recording of the sentences found in this lesson.

In this lesson, we learn about some of the most common and useful words, 'This, It and That.'

• This = 이것
• It = 그것
• That = 저것

Example sentences

[Informal written form]

• 이것은 연필이다. = This is a pencil.
• 그것은 창문이다. = It is a window.
• 저것은 꽃이다. = That is a flower.

[Polite written form]

• 이것은 연필입니다. = This is a pencil.
• 그것은 창문입니다. = It is a window.
• 저것은 꽃입니다. = That is a flower.

Note: For more information on the formality and the written and spoken forms, please read Nouns - Present, Past.

이것, 저것 and 그것 are mainly used in the written form. The equivalent spoken forms are 이건, 그건 and 저건.

Please note that 이건, 그건 and 저건 are actually contracted forms of 이것은, 저것은 and 그것은.

• 이것은 → 이건
• 그것은 → 그건
• 저것은 → 저건

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Here are the sentences in the spoken form.

[Informal spoken form]

• 이건 연필이야.
• 그건 창문이야.
• 저건 꽃이야.

[Polite spoken form]

• 이건 연필이에요.
• 그건 창문이에요.
• 저건 꽃이에요.

"Here, there and over there" are used in similar ways to "This, it and that".

• Here = 여기
• There (it) = 거기
• Over there = 저기

Alternatively, (A bit more formal)

• Here = 이곳 (Lit. This place)
• There (it) = 그곳 (Lit. That place (it) )
• Over there = 저곳 (Lit. That place over there)

Example sentences

• 이곳은 어디예요? = Where is this place? (Where are we?)
• 이곳은 서울이에요. = This place is Seoul (We're in Seoul.)

• 저곳은 뭐예요? = What is that place over there?
• 그곳은 서울시청이에요. = That place (It) is a Seoul City Council.

• 저기는 어디예요? = Where is that over there?
• 저기는 남대문이에요. = That is Namdaemun (shopping center).
• 그리고 여기는 세종문화회관이에요. = And this place is Sejong Cultural Center.

여기는 is also usually contracted to 여긴 for the pronunciation's sake.

• 여기는 → 여긴
• 거기는 → 거긴
• 저기는 → 저긴

Similarly, 이, 그 and 저 are used with 쪽 to make the following words to denote a certain direction.

• 이쪽 = This direction
• 그쪽 = That direction (it)
• 저쪽 = That direction

Example sentences

• 이쪽은 거실이에요. = This way is (to) the living room.
• 그쪽은 베란다예요. = That way (It) is (to) to the verandah.
• 저쪽은 출구예요. = That way is (to) the exit.

• 샘 [Sam]: 여기 화장실 어디 있어요? [Where is the toilet here?]
• 민지 [Minji]: 화장실은 저쪽에 있어요. (The toilet is that way.)
• 샘 [Sam]: 서점은 어디 있어요? [What about a bookstore? (Lit. Where is a bookstore?)]
• 민지 [Minji]:서점은 이쪽에 있어요. [The bookstore is this way.]

이, 그 and 저 are used with nouns to mean 'this, it and that' respectively.

• 이 나무 = This tree
• 그 집 = That house (It)
• 저 산 = That mountain

• 이 사과 맛있어요 = This apple is delicious
• 저 사과도 맛있어요 = That apple is delicious, too.

• 이 음식점은 비빔밥이 유명해요 = This restaurant is famous for Bibimbap. (Lit. This restaurant, Bimbimbap is famous.)
• 저 빌딩은 63빌딩이에요 = That building is the 63 building. (The landmark building in Seoul)

Note:

Bibimbap - is a popular Korean dish. The word literally means "mixed meal." Bibimbap is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with 나물, namul (sautéed and seasoned vegetables) and 고추장, gochujang (chili pepper paste). A raw or fried egg and sliced meat (usually beef) are common additions. The ingredients are stirred together thoroughly just before eating. It can be served either cold or hot.[1]


Reference: [1] Wikipedia: Bibimbap, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bibimbap

Verbs - Speech (in spoken Korean)

Verbs in spoken Korean

The following dialogue between two close friends involve verbs in the informal spoken form.

잘 = well
쇼핑 = shopping
어 = yes
오전 = am
오후 = pm
먼저 갈게 = I'll go first


This dialogue should be easy to comprehend.

대화 시작 = The conversation starts
상우: 지우야, 뭐 해?
지우: 밥 먹어.
상우: 어디 가?
지우: 어. 학교 가.
상우: 언제 가?
지우: 9시에.
상우: 왜?
지우: 학교에서 공부해.
상우: 재밌어?
지우: 어. 재밌어.
상우: 어떻게 공부해?
지우: 선생님이 가르쳐 주셔.
상우: 아~ 그래?
지우: 어. 너는 뭐 해?
상우: 나는 쇼핑 가.
지우: 언제?
상우: 오후 3시에.
지우: 밥은 먹었어?
상우: 어. 먹었어. 나 먼저 갈게. 잘 있어~
지우: 잘 가~

Sang-u: Ji-u, what are you doing?
Ji-u: I'm eating.
Sang-u: Where are you going?
Ji-u: I'm going to school.
Sang-u: When are you going?
Ji-u: At 9 o'clock.
Sang-u: Why? [are you going to school?]
Ji-u: I study at school.
Sang-u: Is it fun?
Ji-u: Yes, it's fun.
Sang-u: How do you study?
Ji-u: My teacher teaches me.
Sang-u: Ahh... really?
Ji-u: Yeap. How about you?
Sang-u: I'll go shopping
Ji-u: When?
Sang-u: At 3 o'clock pm.
Ji-u: Did you have a meal?
Sang-u: Yes. I have. I'll go first then. Bye~
Ji-u: Bye~

This is a conversation between Sang-u and Ji-u. This is a type of conversation that is common between close friends, yet it is extremely simple to understand even for beginners of Korean. So pay attention to how these "spoken forms" are used.

● A list of written forms and their respective spoken forms.

Written Form - Spoken Form
[For detailed explanation, refer to (Verbs - Present, Past)]


go = 가다 - 가
come = 오다 - 와
do = 하다 - 해
eat = 먹다 - 먹어
give = 주다 - 줘
receive = 받다 - 받아
play = 놀다 - 놀아
sleep = 자다 - 자
run = 달리다 - 달려
teach = 가르치다 - 가르쳐
learn = 배우다 - 배워

These spoken forms are informal so you should only use them with very close friends.

5W1H

5W1H - When, Where, Who, What, How and Why

Note: Please refer to Verbs - Present/Past for the spoken form of verbs.

When, where, who, what, how and why are very useful words to make a question and they are convenient to use in conversations with friends. Here are some simple sentences. You may hear these this pattern of the speech a lot from Korean dramas, animations, and people.

To show you how they are used, I've made simple sentences using the verb,"go".

• When: 언제 가? = When do you go? (Lit. when go?)
  
• Where: 어디 가? = Where do you go?
  
• Who: 누가 가? = Who is going?
  
• What: 뭐가 가? = What is going?
  
• How: 어떻게 가? = How do you go?
  
• Why: 왜 가? = Why do you go?

Note: The subject is usually omitted.

Eg.

• Sam: I will go to school.
• Jenny: 언제 가? [Here, it would mean 'When will you go?']

• Sam: Peter told me that we are going to a museum!
• Jenny: 언제 가? [When are we going?]

• 언제 와? = When do you come?
• 왜 쳐? = Why do you hit me?
• 왜 울어? = Why do you cry?
• 뭐 줘? = What do I give to you? or What do you give to me? [Depends on the context]

Honorific Form

While the spoken form above is used between close friends or when older people are talking to younger people in informal situations. The honorific form is used commonly between adults, by people in formal situations or when younger people are speaking to older people.

● Just add 요 at the end of a sentence.

• When: 언제 가요? = When do you go? (Lit. when go?)
  
• Where: 어디 가요? = Where do you go?
  
• Who: 누가 가요? = Who is going?
  
• What: 뭐가 가요? = What is going?
  
• How: 어떻게 가요? = How do you go?
  
• Why: 왜 가요? = Why do you go?
  

• 언제 와요? = When do you come?
• 왜 쳐요? = Why do you hit me?
• 왜 울어요? = Why do you cry?
• 뭐 줘요? = What do I give to you? or What do you give to me? [Depends on the context]

Addressing People

Addressing friend's name

When a person is addressed 아/야 is attached to their name. If my name were 진우[Jin-u], my friend would call me, 진우야! [Jin-u-ya]. This is like "Hey 진우/Jin-u!"

This colloquialism should only be used between close friends. This is an informal expression. At school, friends call each other this way, and teachers to students but not vice versa.

Note that 야 is used for names without a final consonant and 아 for names with a final consonant.

Eg.

• 진욱 → 진욱아! 

This is pronounced [지누가:Ji-nu-ga] since ㅇ has no sound when used as an initial consonant.

• 진우 → 진우야! 

It is pronounced [지누야:Ji-nu-ya]

• 영희 → 영희야!
• 철수 → 철수야!
• 경일 → 경일아!

So when you call your Korean friend's name, just add 아/야 to their name.