Lesson 23 · In & Around the Room
HYEJU LANGUAGE LAB · BEGINNER · 23
Where is your book? What is next to the bank? These position words let you describe a room or neighborhood using familiar nouns and 있어요.
Words for this lesson
01 · 위
wi
on; above
위 is a position noun. 책상 위 means ‘the top of/on the desk.’
책상 위에 책이 있어요.
Chaeksang wie chaeg-i isseoyo.
There is a book on the desk.
02 · 아래
arae
below; underneath
Use 아래 for a lower position. 밑 is another common word for underneath.
책상 아래에 가방이 있어요.
Chaeksang arae-e gabang-i isseoyo.
There is a bag under the desk.
03 · 앞
ap
front
앞에 is pronounced with the final ㅍ moving into the next syllable.
문 앞에 의자가 있어요.
Mun ape uijaga isseoyo.
There is a chair in front of the door.
04 · 뒤
dwi
back; behind
Place 뒤 after the reference object: 의자 뒤.
의자 뒤에 가방이 있어요.
Uija dwie gabang-i isseoyo.
There is a bag behind the chair.
05 · 옆
yeop
side; next to
옆에 means beside or next to, not inside.
은행 옆에 편의점이 있어요.
Eunhaeng yeope pyeonuijeom-i isseoyo.
There is a convenience store next to the bank.
06 · 안
an
inside
Here 안 is a position noun, not the negative word 안.
가방 안에 열쇠가 있어요.
Gabang ane yeolsoega isseoyo.
There is a key inside the bag.
07 · 밖
bak
outside
밖에 here means ‘outside’; it is not the ‘only + negative’ particle.
집 밖에 고양이가 있어요.
Jip bakke goyang-iga isseoyo.
There is a cat outside the house.
08 · 책상
chaeksang
desk
책상 위에 and 책상 아래에 describe two different positions.
책상은 창문 옆에 있어요.
Chaeksang-eun changmun yeope isseoyo.
The desk is next to the window.
09 · 의자
uija
chair
Use 의자 beside a desk when describing a room.
의자는 책상 앞에 있어요.
Uijaneun chaeksang ape isseoyo.
The chair is in front of the desk.
10 · 문
mun
door
문 앞 is the area in front of a door.
문 뒤에 우산이 있어요.
Mun dwie usan-i isseoyo.
There is an umbrella behind the door.
11 · 은행
eunhaeng
bank
은행 옆에 uses the bank as the reference point.
은행은 어디에 있어요?
Eunhaeng-eun eodie isseoyo?
Where is the bank?
12 · 편의점
pyeonuijeom
convenience store
A useful landmark for describing a neighborhood.
편의점은 은행 옆에 있어요.
Pyeonuijeomeun eunhaeng yeope isseoyo.
The convenience store is next to the bank.
Practice
- Choose ‘under’: 위 / 아래.
- Choose the opposite of 안: 밖 / 옆.
- Complete ‘next to the bank’: 은행 ___에.
- Translate ‘There is a book on the desk.’
- Complete ‘behind the door’: 문 ___에.
- Which word names a convenience store: 편의점 / 의자?
Check your answers
- 아래. 위 means on or above.
- 밖. 안 is inside; 밖 is outside.
- 은행 옆에.
- 책상 위에 책이 있어요.
- 문 뒤에.
- 편의점. 의자 means chair.
Your turn
Describe three things in your room using different position words. Then use 은행 and 편의점 to describe a simple imaginary street.
Key point
Learn position words with a reference object: 책상 위, 문 앞, 가방 안. This makes the word order easier to remember.
Romanization is a reading aid. Read the Hangul as often as you can; English spelling cannot reproduce every Korean sound.
Hyeju Word Match
KOREAN VOCABULARY · BEGINNER
Words from the Korean Vocabulary lessons · Hyeju Language Lab
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