어디 있어요?
The English phrase "where is it?" is expressed in Korean as 어디 있어요?
어디 있어요? is the standard polite way to ask "where is it?" or "where is [something/someone]?" In informal situations, you can simplify the sentence by saying 어디? to mean "Where?"
What does it mean word for word?
The word 어디 means "where".
Which one should you use?
Adding the location particle 에 to form 어디에 있어요? is also grammatically correct and common. For an informal version used with friends or people younger than you, use 어디 있어? For a highly formal version used in professional settings or when speaking to someone of much higher status, use 어디 있습니까?
Did you know?
- If you are looking for a person, using 어디 있어요? is polite, but using the verb 계시다 in the form 어디 계세요? is the proper way to show respect to someone of higher status.
- The word 어디 first appeared in the 1447 text 석보상절 as 어듸〮, showing that it has been used in nearly this exact form since the invention of the alphabet.
- In Korean pop culture and dramas, characters often stretch the vowel in 어디야? to sound cute or whining, a linguistic habit called 'aegyo' that changes the social tone of the question.
Examples in context
- 제 지갑이 어디 있어요?je jigabi eodi isseoyo?Where is my wallet?
- 화장실이 어디 있어요?hwajangsil-i eodi isseoyo?Where is the restroom?
- 가방이 어디 있어요?gabangi eodi isseoyo?Where is the bag?
Example conversation
Jihoon and Seoyeon are looking for a lost book in the living room.
- 지훈 Ji-hun그 책이 어디 있어요?geu chaegi eodi isseoyo?Where is that book?
- 서연 Seo-yeon책상 위에 있어요.chaeksang wie isseoyo.It is on the desk.
- 지훈 Ji-hun아, 여기 있네요!a, yeogi inneyo!Ah, here it is!
- 서연 Seo-yeon다행이에요.dahaeng-ieyo.That's a relief.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 어디, CC BY-SA 4.0.
