있어요?
isseoyo?
In Korean, "do you have" is expressed as 있어요? (isseoyo?)
This phrase is used to ask if someone possesses a certain item or if something is available. Because the underlying verb means "to exist", you can use it both to ask if a person has an object and to ask if a specific item is available in a shop.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a form of the verb 있다, which literally means "to exist" or "to be present".
Which one should you use?
While 있어요? asks if something exists or is possessed, the form 없어요? is the negative version used to ask if something does not exist or is not available.
How does it change in a sentence?
Depending on the social context, you should choose between the formal 있습니까?, the polite 있어요? or the informal 있어?
How do you pronounce it?
isseoyo?
When do people say it?
When answering "yes" to this question, you can say 네, 있어요. To answer "no", use the negative statement 아니요, 없어요.
Did you know?
- In Korean, you cannot use 있어요? to ask if someone is 'having' a drink or a meal. You must use a separate verb for eating or drinking, as 'having' in the sense of consumption does not exist in this word.
- When asking about physical traits, such as 'Do you have a scar?', Koreans use 있어요? because the trait is viewed as 'existing' on the body rather than being 'owned'.
- The verb 있다 is used to describe not just possession, but also the state of something being in a certain position. It combines the English concepts of 'to have' and 'to be located'.
Examples in context
- 집 있어요?Do you have a house?This example shows how to ask if someone owns a house using 있어요?Tatoeba #8396631 by Eunhee, translation #2647714 by CK
- 별명 있어요?Do you have a nickname?This example shows how to ask if someone has a nickname using 있어요?Tatoeba #4965450 by rainbow4us, translation #3788775 by CK
- 신선한 파스타 있어요?Do you have any fresh pasta?This example shows how to ask about the availability of a food item using 있어요?Tatoeba #11107542 by intertime, translation #8469489 by Hybrid
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Dohyun is looking for a pen at Jieun's desk.
- 도현 Do-hyeon지은 씨, 혹시 펜 있어요?Jieun ssi, hoksi pen isseoyo?Jieun, do you happen to have a pen?
- 지은 Ji-eun네, 여기 있어요.Ne, yeogi isseoyo.Yes, here it is.
- 도현 Do-hyeon감사합니다. 파란색 펜 있어요?Gamsahamnida. Paransaek pen isseoyo?Thank you. Do you have a blue pen?
- 지은 Ji-eun아니요, 검은색만 있어요.Aniyo, geomunsaekman isseoyo.No, I only have black.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
