# Posted: 2 Nov 2006 20:26 KST - Edited by: jcs
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There are 2 verbs for to be in Korean. These are 이다 and 있다. The negation of 이다 is 아니다 and the negation of 있다 is 없다.
The following examples use these verbs in their plain state, and in the ㅂ니다 ending. There are other endings of course as well.
이다
The first one 이다 is used when the subject of the sentence's quality is a permanant state which always comes from the subject. For example, being a child is a permanent state. Or, being a college professor is a permanent state. Or, being married is a permanent state. By permanent state I mean that it won't just change in one day, out of the blue, there has to be some mechanism in place to change it...
We have the following examples for 이다 :
철수는 아이이다. Chulsoo is a child.
내 아버지는 교수입니다. My father is a professor
나는 철수입니다. I am Cheolsu.
우리는 학생입니다. We are students.
저는 죠입니다. I am Joe.
저희는 학생입니다. I am a student.
I think you get the picture.
As explanation, my = 내, 아버지 is father, 교수 is professor and 입니다 is the ㅂ니다 verb ending for the root verb 이다.
이다 + ㅂ니다 -> 입니다
(remember to check the irregular verb section)
An alternative for 입니다 but with the same meaning and
everything is 이에요.
거기가 도서관이에요 That place is a library.
Koreans themselves are often confused about whether to write 예요 or 이에요. Luckily, we have mint around.
이예요 and 이에요
1. if the preceding word ends in a vowel, we have 예요
앞 말에 받침이 없을 때 - 예요
examples)
제 이름은 철수+예요. 제가 갈 거+예요.
My name is Chulsoo.
2. 이에요 if there is a preceding consonant
앞 말에 받침이 있을 때 - 이에요
examples)
여기는 강남+이에요. this is KangNam
담당 선생님+이에요. This is the head teacher
강한 편이에요. It is strong
이야
Then, there is the 이야 ending. This is extremely informal, only use this when you absolutely are not communcating with your partner and you have to get something across. This is because 야 means HEY STUPID!
내거야! That's my thing
뭐야? what is it
너는 영미야. You are Yeongmi.
도대체 뭐야?! what the hell are you doing?
뭐야 이거? what the hell is this?
내책이야! it's my book
세월이 약이야. time is medicine
not 이다
For the stative to be (the to be which does not change easily with time), the negative I am not or It is not is 아닙니다 or 아니에요.
협상 대상이 아니다 is *not* negotiable
I checked the spelling of that. It really is 아닙니다 and not 안 입니다. It is a verb in its own right, and it is in the dictionary as such, too. The main form is 아니다. That's what's in the dictionary.
나는 한국인이 아닙니다.
있다
The other to be verb is 있다. This reflects a temporary state of being. For example, location; this can change very easily. For example,
나는 학교에 있습니다. I am at school (학교 is school)
내 바지는 책상 위에 있다. (바지 is pants and 책상 is desk and 위 means above). My pants are on the desk.
책이 있어요. There are books. / I have (a) book(s).
시간이 있어요. There's time. / I have time.
연필이 있어요? Is there a pencil? / Do you have a pencil?
칠문이 있어요? Are there questions?
The verb 있다 has a few common forms:
있다 + ㅂ니다 -> 있습니다
있다 in 어/아 form is 있어
the infinitive, emphatic form is 있다
not 있다 = 없다
없어요. he is not here.
없어요. We don't have any coffee.
책이 없어요. There aren't any books. / I don't have a book.
시간이 없지오. There's isn't any time, is there?
아니오, 연필이 없어요. No, I don't have a pencil.
or 아니오, 없어요. No, I don't.
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