있다 / 없다 (itda/eopda): Existence & Having

Level: TOPIK 1. 있다 (itda) and 없다 (eopda) are the Korean words for “there is / there isn’t” and “to have / to not have”. They are the first two verbs you need to describe a room, a schedule or what is in your bag: 가방에 책이 있어요 (gabang-e chaek-i isseoyo, “there is a book in the bag”).

The rule

있다 (itda) is a descriptive verb that states that something exists, is located somewhere, or is possessed. Its negative is not formed with a prefix — it uses a completely separate word, 없다 (eopda), “to not exist / to not have”.

• Existence and location. A place takes the particle 에 (e), and the thing that exists takes the subject particle 이/가 (i/ga): 방에 침대가 있어요 (bang-e chimdae-ga isseoyo, “there is a bed in the room”).
• Possession (“to have”). The same verb means “have”. The owner is usually the topic 은/는 (eun/neun) and the thing owned takes 이/가 (i/ga): 저는 차가 있어요 (jeoneun cha-ga isseoyo, “I have a car”).
• The negative is 없다 (eopda). To say something is absent or you lack it, swap 있다 (itda) for 없다 (eopda): 시간이 없어요 (sigan-i eopseoyo, “I don’t have time”).
• Polite endings. Everyday polite: 있어요 (isseoyo) / 없어요 (eopseoyo). Formal polite: 있습니다 (itseumnida) / 없습니다 (eopseumnida).

Forms by register and tense

Example sentences

Each sentence was written for this lesson, with romanisation.

Common mistakes

• ❌ 저는 학생이 있어요 (jeoneun haksaeng-i isseoyo) for “I am a student” → ✅ 저는 학생이에요 (jeoneun haksaeng-ieyo). 있다 (itda) means “have/exist”, so 학생이 있어요 (haksaeng-i isseoyo) means “I have a student”.
• ❌ 안 있어요 (an isseoyo) → ✅ 없어요 (eopseoyo). You cannot negate 있다 (itda) with the prefix 안 (an); use the separate word 없다 (eopda).
• ❌ 집에서 고양이가 있어요 (jibeseo goyang-iga isseoyo) → ✅ 집에 고양이가 있어요 (jibe goyang-iga isseoyo). Simple existence uses the static location particle 에 (e), not the action location 에서 (eseo).
• ❌ 저는 차를 있어요 (jeoneun cha-reul isseoyo) → ✅ 저는 차가 있어요 (jeoneun cha-ga isseoyo). The thing owned is the subject, so it takes 이/가 (i/ga), not the object particle 을/를 (eul/reul).
• ❌ 할아버지가 방에 있어요 (harabeojiga bang-e isseoyo) in respectful speech → ✅ 할아버지가 방에 계세요 (harabeojiga bang-e gyeseyo). For a respected person present somewhere, use the honorific 계시다 (gyesida).

A short conversation

— 지금 시간이 있어요? (Jigeum sigan-i isseoyo?) — “Do you have time now?” — 미안해요, 지금은 시간이 없어요. (Mianhaeyo, jigeumeun sigan-i eopseoyo.) — “Sorry, I don’t have time right now.” — 그럼 질문이 하나 있어요. (Geureom jilmun-i hana isseoyo.) — “Then I have one question.” — 네, 괜찮아요. (Ne, gwaenchanayo.) — “Sure, that’s fine.”

Usage notes

• One verb, two jobs. 있다 (itda) covers both “exist/be located” and “have”. Context and the particles decide which: a location phrase with 에 (e) leans “there is”, while a topic owner leans “have”.
• 있다 (itda) can also mean “to stay”. With a person and a place it can mean staying or being present: 호텔에 이틀 있어요 (hotel-e iteul isseoyo, “I’ll stay two days at the hotel”).
• The honorific pair. For a respected subject, existence/presence uses 계시다 (gyesida), polite 계세요 (gyeseyo); its negative is 안 계세요 (an gyeseyo). Possession by a respected person uses 있으세요 (isseuseyo).
• Questions just raise intonation. 있어요? (isseoyo?) and 없어요? (eopseoyo?) with a rising tone ask “is there…? / don’t you have…?”; no extra word is needed in everyday speech.

Compared with…

• 이다 (ida), the copula. 이다 (ida) attaches to a noun to say what something is — identity — while 있다 (itda) says it exists or is had. 이것은 책이에요 (igeoseun chaek-ieyo, “this is a book”) versus 책이 있어요 (chaek-i isseoyo, “there is a book”). See the 이다 (ida) copula lesson.
• The location particle 에 (e). Existence sentences lean on 에 (e) for the place; learn it alongside this verb. See the 에 (e) location/time particle lesson.

Quick recap before the quiz.

Practice

Quiz

Recap cheat-sheet

Next

• Contrast it with the copula: 이다 (ida): The Copula (To Be)
• Review the location particle: 에 (e) location & time particle
• Back to the Korean grammar section
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