A1
있다 and 없다 — there is, there isn’t
How 있다 and 없다 express existence, location and possession in Korean, and why 없다 is a word in its own right rather than a negation.
있다 means exist, be somewhere, have. 없다 is its opposite — and it is a separate word, not 있다 with a negative attached.
시간이 있어요.
Sigani isseoyo.
I have time.
시간이 없어요.
Sigani eopseoyo.
I haven’t got time.
English needs not for the second. Korean does not, which is why 없다 has to be learnt as its own vocabulary item from the start.
Location
The place takes 에, and the thing takes 이/가.
방에 고양이가 있어요.
Bang-e goyang-iga isseoyo.
There’s a cat in the room.
집에 아무도 없어요.
Jibe amudo eopseoyo.
There’s nobody at home.
Possession
The same verb covers have. Korean does not distinguish having from existing.
동생이 있어요?
Dongsaeng-i isseoyo?
Do you have a younger sibling?
Note the particle: what you have takes 이/가, not 을/를, because the sentence is literally a younger sibling exists.
No animacy split
Unlike Japanese, Korean uses one verb for people, animals and objects alike. 있다 covers all of them.
The honorific form
For someone senior, 있다 becomes 계시다 — used of the person, never of their possessions.
선생님이 교실에 계세요.
Seonsaengnimi gyosire gyeseyo.
The teacher is in the classroom.