About This Lesson
Use Pointing and Belonging to practice Korean conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
이건 뭐예요?
ee-GUN mwoh-YEH-yoh? What is this?
B
저건 뭐예요?
juh-GUN mwoh-YEH-yoh? What is that?
A
저 사람은 누구예요?
juh SAH-ram-un noo-GOO-yeh-yoh? Who is that?
B
어느 게 네 거예요?
uh-NUH geh neh GUH-yeh-yoh? Which one is yours?
A
이건 내 거예요.
ee-GUN neh GUH-yeh-yoh. This one is mine.
B
저건 네 거예요.
juh-GUN neh GUH-yeh-yoh. That one is yours.Word by Word
이건
“이건” means “this one” when the speaker points to a nearby item and makes it the topic. It is the contracted form of 이거는 and appears in “이건 뭐예요?”; use the same pattern when asking what a nearby item is.
뭐예요
“뭐예요” asks what something is in a polite question, as in “이건 뭐예요?” and “저건 뭐예요?”. “뭐” is the conversational form used for “what” here, and “예요” makes the expression polite. Reuse it after an item you want someone to identify.
저건
“저건” means “that one” here, pointing to an item farther away and making it the topic. It is the contracted form of 저거는 and appears in “저건 뭐예요?” and “저건 네 거예요.” Use it when asking about or identifying a distant item.
저
“저” means “that” before 사람, referring to a person farther away. It is the demonstrative in “저 사람은 누구예요?”; use it before a noun when identifying a distant person or thing.
사람은
“사람은” means “as for the person” in “저 사람은 누구예요?”. It combines 사람, meaning “person,” with the topic marker 은. The pattern “[person]은 누구예요?” asks who someone is.
누구예요
“누구예요” means “who is it?” or “who is that person?” when asking about a person’s identity, as in “저 사람은 누구예요?”. 누구 supplies “who,” and 예요 makes the question polite. Reuse it after a person or person-reference when asking who they are.
어느
“어느” means “which” when choosing one item from known options. In “어느 게 네 거예요?”, it comes before 게 to ask which item is yours. Use 어느 before the selected noun or item expression in a choice question.
게
“게” refers to the item being selected in “어느 게 네 거예요?”, so 어느 게 means “which one.” It is the contracted form of 것이 in this use. Reuse 게 after a choice word such as 어느 when selecting one item.
네
“네” means “your” and identifies the person addressed as the owner in “네 거예요?”. It combines with 거 to form “네 거,” meaning “yours.” Use it before 거 when asking or stating that something belongs to the person addressed.
거예요
“거예요” completes the polite ownership expression in “네 거예요?” and “내 거예요.” Here 거 refers to the thing, while 예요 provides the polite “is” form, so the full expression asks or states whose thing it is. Reuse it after a possessive such as 네 거 or 내 거.
내
“내” means “my” in “내 거예요.” and identifies the speaker as the owner. It is the possessive form used before 거 to make “내 거,” meaning “mine.” Use it when saying that an item belongs to you.
Grammar Points
이건/저건 + 뭐예요?
이건 뭐예요?
ee-GUN mwoh-YEH-yoh?What is this?
이건 and 저건 are shortened topic forms meaning “as for this/that.”
어느 게 + 네 거/내 거예요?
어느 게 네 거예요?
uh-NUH geh neh GUH-yeh-yoh?Which one is yours?
어느 게 asks “which one”; 게 means “one” or “thing” in this pattern.
Korean Vocabulary
게
noun
geh
one; thing
어느 게 네 거예요?
내 거
phrase
neh GUH
mine
이건 내 거예요?
네 거
phrase
neh GUH
yours
어느 게 네 거예요?
누구예요
phrase
noo-GOO-yeh-yoh
who is it?
저 사람은 누구예요?
뭐예요
phrase
mwoh-YEH-yoh
what is it?
이건 뭐예요?
어느
det
uh-NUH
which
어느 게 네 거예요?
이건
pron
ee-GUN
this one
이건 뭐예요?
저 사람
phrase
juh SAH-ram
that person
저 사람은 누구예요?
저건
pron
juh-GUN
that one
저건 뭐예요?
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
What is this?
Show Answer
이건 뭐예요?What is that?
Show Answer
저건 뭐예요?Who is that?
Show Answer
저 사람은 누구예요?Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
who is it?
Show Answer
누구예요what is it?
Show Answer
뭐예요this one
Show Answer
이건that one