Build a location before adding movement

Where is the restroom? Where did you leave the keys? A small group of Korean location words helps with both questions. 책상 위에 책이 있어요 says there is a book on the desk, while 가방 안에 열쇠가 없어요 says there is no key in the bag.

The useful part is how the sentence fits together: name a reference point, add a position such as 위 or 안, and finish with 있어요 or 없어요. Once that pattern feels familiar, you can describe a room, ask about a missing object, or understand a short answer pointing you toward a landmark.

Learn the place words as opposites

앞 and 뒤 mean in front of and behind; 옆 means beside. 안 and 밖 place something inside or outside, and 위 and 아래 describe a position above or below. The reference point normally comes first: 책상 위, 가방 안, 엘리베이터 옆. 에 then marks that phrase as the location in these sentences.

The reference point matters because ‘beside’ or ‘behind’ alone can leave the listener guessing. 엘리베이터 옆에 있어요 gives a landmark, while 오른쪽에 있어요 adds a right-hand side when the viewpoint is shared. If the listener is facing a different direction, naming or pointing to the landmark can make the answer clearer.

Use 에 for existence and 에서 for an action

책상 위에 책이 있어요 follows the pattern ‘location + 에 + item + 이/가 + 있어요.’ The book is the thing that exists there. Changing 있어요 to 없어요 makes it absent: 책상 위에 책이 없어요. You can also ask about the same position by saying 책상 위에 책이 있어요? with question intonation.

Compare 도서관에 화장실이 있어요 with 도서관에서 공부해요. The first says a restroom is located at the library, so it uses 에. The second describes studying there, so it uses 에서. English ‘at’ can translate both particles, but the Korean choice follows what the sentence is saying.

Ask, locate and confirm

화장실이 어디에 있어요? asks where the restroom is. The answer 엘리베이터 옆에 있어요 leaves out 화장실 because both speakers already know what they are discussing. Korean often keeps a reply short this way; repeating the subject is unnecessary when it is clear.

The visitor then checks the side: 엘리베이터 오른쪽이에요? The reply adds 안내판 아래, below the information sign, as another visual cue. Here it helps to picture the restroom entrance under a sign beside the elevator. Two nearby landmarks make the location easier to recognize.

Distinguish existence from possession

있어요 can also express having something. 저는 우산이 있어요 commonly means ‘I have an umbrella,’ whereas 책상 위에 우산이 있어요 describes an umbrella on the desk. There is no separate ‘have’ verb in these examples; the topic and location phrase make the intended meaning clear.

For a person you refer to respectfully, 계세요 is the honorific counterpart used for being present: 선생님이 교실에 계세요 means the teacher is in the classroom. 있어요 is already polite toward the listener, but 계세요 also honors the person being discussed. It would not be the usual choice for a book or umbrella.

Correct likely misunderstandings

Choosing 에서 whenever English uses ‘at’ leads to 도서관에서 화장실이 있어요. For the location of the restroom, 도서관에 화장실이 있어요 is the pattern you want. Keeping that example beside 도서관에서 공부해요 makes the difference easier to hear and remember.

A short answer such as 옆에 있어요 can be perfectly clear if you are both pointing at the same object. Without that shared context, a named landmark helps: 컴퓨터 옆에 공책이 있어요 says there is a notebook beside the computer. The aim is an understandable location, rather than making every answer as long as possible.

Try it in a familiar situation

A small listening check

References and useful next steps

• Korean–English Learners’ Dictionary — Check meanings, usage labels, conjugated examples and human recordings for the lesson vocabulary.

Reviewed September 4, 2026. Found a mistake? Send a correction.