그 사람 어디 있어요?
geu saram eodi isseoyo?
To ask "where is he?" in Korean, use 그 사람 어디 있어요? (geu saram eodi isseoyo?)
This phrase is used to ask about the current location of a male person. Because Korean does not commonly use a direct equivalent to the English pronoun "he" in spoken language, 그 사람 (that person) is used to refer to a male who has already been mentioned. In many situations, if the subject is already understood from the context of your conversation, you can omit 그 사람 entirely and simply say 어디 있어요? to ask "Where is [he/it]?"
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 그 사람 어디 있어요? breaks down into 그 (that), 사람 (person), 어디 (where) and 있어요 (is/exists).
Which one should you use?
While 그 사람 어디 있어요? is a standard way to ask the question, you may encounter other versions depending on who you are talking about or the level of respect required.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form 그 사람 어디 있어? is the informal or casual version used with friends or people younger than you. To show respect to an elder or someone of higher social status, use the polite form 그분 어디 계세요? For highly formal situations, you can use 어디에 계십니까?
How does it change in a sentence?
In natural conversation, the subject marker 이 is often omitted, but you can add it to 사람 to make it 그 사람이 어디 있어요? for grammatical precision.
How do you pronounce it?
geu saram eodi isseoyo?
Did you know?
- The modern Korean pronoun for 'she', 그녀, is a relatively recent linguistic invention from the early 20th century.
Examples in context
- 김 선생님은 어디에 계세요?Where is Teacher Kim?
- 서준 어디야?Where is Seojun?
- 준혁이 어디있어?Where is Junhyeok?
- 그 사람 어디 있어요?geu saram eodi isseoyo?Where is he?
- 혹시 그 사람 어디 있어요?hoksi geu saram eodi isseoyo?By any chance, where is he?
- 아까 본 그 사람 어디 있어요?akka bon geu saram eodi isseoyo?Where is the man I saw earlier?
Example conversation
Hyunwoo is looking for a friend in a crowded cafe.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo민지 씨, 그 사람 어디 있어요?Minji ssi, geu saram eodi isseoyo?Minji, where is he?
- 민지 Min-ji아마 화장실에 갔을 거예요.ama hwajangsil-e gasseul geoyeyo.He probably went to the restroom.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo그럼 금방 오겠네요?geureom geumbang ogeneyo?Then he will be back soon?
- 민지 Min-ji네, 곧 올 거예요.ne, got ol geoyeyo.Yes, he will be back shortly.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 그, 사람, 어디, CC BY-SA 4.0.
