Lesson 07 · N의 (Possession & Relationships)
Hyeju’s Beginner Korean Grammar Class · Lesson 07
N의
Whose Is It?
Connect two nouns to talk about possession and relationships. Learn to say “Yuki’s bag,” “my phone,” and “my younger sibling’s book.”
HYEJU LANGUAGE LAB · ENGLISH EXPLANATIONS
Watch Lesson 7 with Hyeju
Learn the vocabulary and grammar with English explanations, then review the examples and try the practice below.
Do You Remember Lesson 06?
We learned 이것, 그것, and 저것 to point to things. Now let’s add the owner.
이것은 가방이에요. → 이것은 유키의 가방이에요.
This is a bag. → This is Yuki’s bag.
You already know how to say “This is a bag”: 이것은 가방이에요.
Now, how do you say “This is Yuki’s bag”?
Add 의 after the owner:
이것은 유키의 가방이에요. — This is Yuki’s bag.
In this lesson, you will use 의 to connect two nouns and talk about possession and relationships.
Today’s Grammar
N1의 N2
N means “noun.” N1 tells us whose thing it is, or who or what N2 is connected to.
For possession, the pattern is similar to English “N1’s N2.”
| N1: owner | 의 | N2: belonging | Meaning |
| 유키 | 의 | 가방 | Yuki’s bag |
| 동생 | 의 | 책 | my/the younger sibling’s book, depending on context |
| 선생님 | 의 | 휴대폰 | the teacher’s phone |
Attach 의 directly to the first noun, then leave a space before the second noun: 유키의 가방.
1. How to Form It
Use 의 after a noun whether it ends in a consonant or a vowel.
| Noun ending | Pattern | Example |
| Consonant | N + 의 | 동생 → 동생의 책 |
| Vowel | N + 의 | 유키 → 유키의 가방 |
You do not need to choose between two forms.
Keep the order: owner first, belonging second.
- 유키의 가방 = Yuki’s bag
- 가방의 유키 does not mean “Yuki’s bag.”
2. Possession and Relationships
의 connects nouns, so it can show more than ownership.
- 선생님의 책 — the teacher’s book (possession)
- 유키의 언니 — Yuki’s older sister (family relationship)
- 한국의 수도 — the capital of Korea (relationship between a country and its capital)
Today, focus on people, family, and belongings.
3. Saying “My”: 저의 → 제 / 나의 → 내
| Full form | Short form | Use |
| 저의 | 제 | Humble “my”; useful in polite conversation. |
| 나의 | 내 | Plain “my”; common with friends or in informal contexts. |
- 저의 가방 → 제 가방 — my bag
- 나의 책 → 내 책 — my book
제 and 내 already include the meaning of 의. Do not add another 의: write 제 가방, not 제의 가방, when you mean “my bag.”
For beginner polite conversation, practice 제 first.
🌿 Hyeju’s Note · 우리 & Everyday Spoken Korean
Korean often uses 우리 with family and shared-group words:
- 우리 엄마 — my mom / our mom
- 우리 가족 — my family / our family
- 우리 학교 — our school / the school I attend
우리 does not always mean that the speaker and listener share the same family.
You will also hear 의 left out when the relationship is clear:
- 제 동생의 가방 → 제 동생 가방
- 우리 언니의 책 → 우리 언니 책
Omission depends on the expression and context. Do not treat 의 as something you can always remove. Learn the full pattern first, then notice common shorter forms.
5. Ask “Whose?”
누구의 + noun means “whose + noun.”
A: 이것은 누구의 가방이에요? — Whose bag is this?
B: 제 가방이에요. — It’s my bag.
In conversation, you may hear: 이거 누구 가방이에요?
이거 is a common conversational form of 이것. The particle 의 is omitted here because the meaning is clear.
Example Sentences
| Korean | English |
| 이것은 유키의 가방이에요. | This is Yuki’s bag. |
| 이것은 제 동생의 책이에요. | This is my younger sibling’s book. |
| 이것은 선생님의 휴대폰이에요. | This is the teacher’s phone. |
| 그것은 제 지갑이 아니에요. | That is not my wallet. |
| 제 가방에 열쇠가 있어요. | There is a key in my bag. |
| 우리 언니의 우산은 집에 있어요. | My older sister’s umbrella is at home. (Female speaker.) |
Compare with similar grammar
LESSON 8
하고 · 와/과
친구하고 동생이 와요.하고 joins two nouns: “A and B”. 의 links them as owner and thing: “A’s B”.
Look ahead: Lesson 8 →LESSON 48
A-(으)ㄴ N
예쁜 가방이에요.의 tells you whose it is. A-(으)ㄴ N tells you what it is like: 예쁜 가방.
Look ahead: Lesson 48 →LESSON 12
Place + 에
친구 집에 가요.In speech 의 is often pronounced [에], but in writing don’t mix it up with the place particle 에.
Look ahead: Lesson 12 →LESSON 6
이·그·저 + N의
그 사람의 차는 빨간색이에요.의 can follow a longer phrase: 그 사람의 차 (that person’s car).
Review Lesson 6 →| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 의 | A’s B (owner, relationship) | 친구의 책 |
| 하고 · 와/과 | A and B | 친구하고 책 |
| 에 | to / at (place, time) | 친구 집에 가요 |
| 제 · 내 | my (polite / casual) | 제 책, 내 책 |
Mini Dialogue
A: 이것은 누구의 우산이에요? — Whose umbrella is this?
B: 제 우산이에요. — It’s my umbrella.
A: 저것은 누구의 우산이에요? — Whose umbrella is that over there?
B: 제 동생의 우산이에요. — It’s my younger sibling’s umbrella.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
- Wrong noun order: 유키의 가방 means “Yuki’s bag.” Put the owner first.
- Adding 의 twice: 제 가방 is correct for “my bag”; 제의 가방 is not.
- Choosing the wrong older-sibling word: a female speaker uses 언니/오빠; a male speaker uses 누나/형.
- Deleting every 의: some familiar phrases omit it naturally, but omission is not a universal rule.
Common mistakes
“My” is 제 (short for 저의), not just 저.
의 often sounds like [에] in speech, but it’s written 의.
의 attaches to the noun with no space.
내 is casual. When you talk to a teacher, use the polite 제.
Mini practice · six questions
All sentences below are new. Try each one before opening the answer.
- Fill in the blank이건 ______ 휴대폰이에요. (저 + 의)
Check answer
이건 제 휴대폰이에요.
저 + 의 → 제. “This is my phone.”
- Fill in the blank민수 씨___ 동생은 대학생이에요.
Check answer
민수 씨의 동생은 대학생이에요.
Add 의 directly to 씨. In speech people often drop it: 민수 씨 동생.
- Choose the better form(친구에게) 이거 (내 / 제) 우산이야.
Check answer
내
You’re speaking casually to a friend (이야), so the casual 내 fits.
- Choose the correct form우리 (어머니의 / 어머니에) 고향은 부산이에요.
Check answer
어머니의
“My mother’s hometown” needs 의 (owner). 에 is for places and times.
- Find and fix the mistake제의 가방은 검은색이에요.
Check answer
제 가방은 검은색이에요.
제 already includes 의 (저의 → 제), so don’t add it again.
- Say it in KoreanThis is my friend’s house.
Check answer
여기는 제 친구 집이에요.
의 is often dropped in speech: 친구 집. 친구의 집 is also correct.
Today’s Key Point
- N1의 N2 connects nouns and can show possession or a relationship.
- 의 stays the same after consonants and vowels.
- 저의 → 제; 나의 → 내.
- 우리 is common with family expressions.
- 의 is often omitted in familiar conversational phrases when the meaning is clear.
Try it now: Look at an object near you and say whose it is: 이것은 (owner)의 (belonging)이에요/예요.
Next lesson: Connect nouns with 과/와, 하고, and (이)랑.
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