여기 어디예요?
yeogi eodiyeyo?
To ask "where is this place?" in Korean, you say 여기 어디예요? (yeogi eodiyeyo?)
This phrase is used to ask for the name or location of the place where the speaker currently is.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 여기 (here), 어디 (where) and the polite copula 예요 (is).
Which one should you use?
여기 어디예요? is the standard polite form, while 이 장소 어디야? is an informal version.
How does it change in a sentence?
The ending -예요 makes this a polite, standard way to ask the question to strangers or people you are not close with. Replacing -예요 with the informal -야 changes the phrase to a casual style used with close friends or people younger than you.
How do you pronounce it?
yeogi eodiyeyo?
Did you know?
- The word 어디 ('where') can be used in the phrase 어디 가세요? to mean 'How are you?' or 'Where are you off to?' rather than asking for a literal destination.
- While 여기 means 'here', it is derived from the Middle Korean form 이ᅌᅥ긔 recorded in the 15th-century text 'Seokbo sangjeol'.
- While 여기 어디예요? is a direct question, Koreans often preface it with 저기요 ('Excuse me') to avoid sounding overly abrupt or demanding when approaching a stranger.
Examples in context
- 여기 어디예요?yeogi eodi-ye-yo?Where is this place?
- 잠시만요, 여기 어디예요?jamsimanyo, yeogi eodi-ye-yo?Excuse me, where is this place?
Example conversation
Minji and Dohyun are lost in a new neighborhood.
- 민지 Min-ji도현 씨, 여기 어디예요?Dohyun ssi, yeogi eodi-ye-yo?Dohyun, where is this place?
- 도현 Do-hyeon글쎄, 저도 잘 모르겠어요.geulsse, jodo jal moreugesseoyo.Well, I don't know well either.
- 민지 Min-ji길을 잃은 것 같아요.gireul ireun geot gatayo.I think we are lost.
- 도현 Do-hyeon근처에 편의점이라도 찾아봐요.geuncheoe pyeonuijeomirado chajabwayo.Let's look for a convenience store nearby.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 여기, CC BY-SA 4.0.
