Lesson 5
Korean Location Particles. Negation
8. Sentences like ‘I am at the office.’ 저는 사무실에 있습니다. /t͡ɕʌ̹nɯn sʰamuɕʰire issɯmnida/
Korean uses the particle -에 /е/. to indicate location. It is used with the verbs 있다 /itta/ ‘to be; to stay, remain in a location’ and 없다 /ʌ̹pta/ ‘not to exist/be, not to have’. It can also be used with the verb 살다 /sʰaɭda/ ‘to live; to dwell’.
Exercises
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I am at the office. |
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Where are you? |
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He is in the library. |
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(My) older sister is in the kitchen. |
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(My) younger brother is in the living room. |
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He is at the bank. |
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Mingyu is not at home (right) now. |
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My older sister is at the beauty parlour. |
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I live in Moscow. |
Additional vocabulary
사무실 | office | |
도서관 | library | |
누나 | older sister (of a male) | |
부엌 | kitchen | |
아우 | younger brother (of a male) | |
거실 | living room | |
그 사람 ![]() |
he, that person (less polite version of the word 그분) |
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은행 | bank | |
지금 | now | |
언니 | older sister (of a female) | |
미용실 | beauty parlour, hairdresser’s, hair salon ![]() |
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모스크바 | Moscow | |
9. Sentences like ‘I work at the office.’ 저는 사무실에서 일합니다. /t͡ɕʌ̹nɯn sʰamuɕʰireso irhamnida/
If we are talking about the place of action, we should use the particle -에서 /esʰʌ̹/ instead of -에 /e/. It is used with all active verbs.
Exercises
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I work at the office. |
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I study at cram school. |
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He sleeps in the bedroom. |
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She buys bread at the store. |
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That child plays in the kindergarten. |
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Mr Park teaches Korean at a university. |
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Minsu drinks coffee at a tea house. |
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My wife prepares food in the kitchen. |
Additional vocabulary
일하다 | to work | |
학원 | cram school, academy | |
공부하다 | to study | |
침실 | bedroom | |
잠 | sleep, nap | |
잠을 자다 | to sleep | |
그 여자 | she ![]() |
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가게 | store, shop | |
빵 | bread | |
사다 | to buy, to purchase | |
아이 | child, kid | |
유치원 | kindergarten | |
놀다 | to play, to frolic | |
대학교 | university | |
한국어 | the Korean language | |
가르치다 | to teach | |
다방 | teahouse, tea shop | |
커피 | coffee | |
아내 | wife | |
요리 | cooking, cuisine | |
준비하다 | to prepare | |
10. Sentences like ‘I don’t learn Japanese.’ 저는 일본어를 안 배웁니다. /t͡ɕʌ̹nɯn iɭbonorɯɭ an pɛumnida/
To form negations with verbs, the particle 안 /an/ is used before the predicate.
Note: Many verbs in Korean are formed like this: ‘noun + 하다 /hada/’. We already know verbs like 일하다 /irhada/ (일 /iɭ/ – deed, thing), 공부하다 /koŋbuhada/ (공부 /koŋbu/ – learning), 준비하다 /ˈt͡ɕunbihada/ (준비 /t͡ɕunbi/ – preparation). In the negation of such verbs, the particle 안 /an/ is always placed before 하다 /hada/:
공부(를) 안 합니다. /koŋbu(rɯɭ) an hamnida/ (I) don’t study.
일(을) 안 합니다. /iɭ(ɯɭ) an hamnida/ (I) don’t work.
Exercises
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I don’t learn Japanese. |
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He doesn’t drink alcohol. |
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She doesn’t work at the hotel. |
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My friend doesn’t eat Korean food. |
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Mr Kim doesn’t speak English. |
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I don’t live in Seoul. |
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That salesperson doesn’t sell cigarettes. |
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I don’t read foreign books. |
Additional vocabulary
일본 | Japan, Japanese | |
일본어 | the Japanese language | |
배우다 | to learn | |
술 | alcoholic beverage, alcohol | |
호텔 | hotel | |
한국 | Korea, Korean | |
음식 | food | |
영어 | the English language | |
서울 | Seoul | |
판매원 | salesperson | |
담배 | cigarette, tobacco | |
팔다 | to sell | |
외국 | foreign | |