여기 있어요?
yeogi isseoyo?
The English phrase "are you here?" is translated into Korean as 여기 있어요? (yeogi isseoyo?)
This phrase is used to ask if someone is present in a specific location. Note that in Korean, the subject you is often omitted from the sentence when the person being addressed is clear from the context.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 여기, meaning "here" and 있어요?, which means "is/exists/is present?"
Which one should you use?
Other forms change based on the level of respect required. For example, 여기 계세요? is the honorific form used for people of higher social status or elders, whereas 여기 있어? is used for friends or peers.
How does it change in a sentence?
The informal version 여기 있어? is specifically used when speaking to close friends or people who are younger than you.
How do you pronounce it?
yeogi isseoyo?
Did you know?
- Using the informal 여기 있어? with a stranger or a social superior can be perceived as an intentional insult or a sign of extreme aggression.
- The word 여기 was recorded in the 1447 text Seokbo sangjeol as 이ᅌᅥ긔〮.
- The politeness of 여기 있어요? relies almost entirely on the single syllable 요 at the end. Dropping this one syllable instantly transforms the phrase from a polite inquiry into a casual one.
Examples in context
- 예린 씨, 계십니까?Yerin, are you here?
- 식당 예약 확인을 위해 김 대표님 계시나요?To confirm the restaurant reservation, is Manager Kim here?
- 영희, 여기 있어?Yeonghui, are you here?
- 민준 씨, 여기 계신가요?Minjun, are you here?
- 수빈 씨, 여기 있어요?Subin ssi, yeogi isseoyo?Subin, are you here?
Example conversation
Subin is looking for Hyunwoo at a cafe.
- 수빈 Su-bin현우 씨, 여기 있어요?Hyeonu ssi, yeogi isseoyo?Hyunwoo, are you here?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo네, 여기 있어요!ne, yeogi isseoyo!Yes, I am here!
- 수빈 Su-bin아, 이제 보이네요.a, ije boineyo.Ah, I see you now.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo어서 오세요.eoseo oseyo.Welcome.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 여기, CC BY-SA 4.0.
