Basic Place and Time Questions | Learn Korean in English

Korean lesson set in a contemporary Seoul everyday setting: A beginner practices six useful English phrases about basic place and time questions..

EN → KO / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Basic Place and Time Questions to practice Korean conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

그것은 어디에 있어요?

guh-guh-suhn uh-dee-eh ee-SUH-yoh Where is it?
B

어디에 있어요?

uh-dee-eh ee-SUH-yoh Where are you?
A

여기에서 무슨 일이 있었어요?

yuh-gee-eh-suh moo-SUHN ee-REE ee-SUH-ssuh-yoh What happened here?
B

몇 시예요?

myut SHEE-yeh-yoh What time is it?
A

언제 올 거예요?

uhn-JEH ohl-KKUH-yeh-yoh When will you come?
B

왜 늦었어요?

weh nuh-JUH-ssuh-yoh Why are you late?

Word by Word

그것은 In this dialogue, 그것은 means “it” or “that thing,” presented as the topic of the question. It refers to the thing whose location is being asked about in 그것은 어디에 있어요? A reusable pattern is 그것은 + description when saying something about that thing.
어디에 어디에 asks where something or someone is located. In 어디에 있어요?, it asks for the place of the subject. A reusable pattern is 어디에 있어요? when asking where a person or thing is.
있어요 있어요 says that someone or something is located or exists in a place, in a polite form. In 그것은 어디에 있어요? and 어디에 있어요?, it asks about location. A reusable pattern is [place]에 있어요 for saying that something is in a place.
여기에서 여기에서 means “here” as the place where an event or action occurs. In 여기에서 무슨 일이 있었어요?, it identifies this place as the setting of the event. A reusable pattern is 여기에서 + action or event when describing what happens here.
무슨 무슨 modifies the following noun to ask what kind of thing or event is involved. In 무슨 일이, it asks what event or thing is being referred to; the full meaning comes from the phrase 무슨 일이 있었어요?. A reusable pattern is 무슨 + noun when asking what kind of thing or event something is.
일이 In this dialogue, 일이 refers to an event or what happened, and 이 marks it as the subject. It appears in the question 무슨 일이 있었어요? about an event at this place. A reusable pattern is 일이 있었어요 when asking or saying that an event occurred.
있었어요 있었어요 says that something existed, was present, or happened in the past, in a polite form. With 일이 in 무슨 일이 있었어요?, it describes an event that occurred earlier. A reusable pattern is 일이 있었어요 when referring to a past event.
몇 몇 asks for a number before a counting word or time unit. In 몇 시예요?, it asks which hour it is. A reusable pattern is 몇 + counting word when asking for a number.
시예요 시예요 refers to an hour and forms a polite question about the time when used in 몇 시예요?. The form combines 시, the time unit “hour,” with polite 예요. A reusable pattern is 몇 시예요? when asking the current time.
언제 언제 asks when an action or event will happen. In 언제 올 거예요?, it asks the time of someone’s coming. A reusable pattern is 언제 + action question when asking when someone will do something.
올 올 means “come” in the future-oriented phrase 올 거예요. It is the form related to 오다 used before 거예요. A reusable pattern is 올 거예요 when asking or stating that someone will come.
거예요 In 올 거예요, 거예요 helps present the coming as an expected or planned situation. The meaning “will come” belongs to the whole phrase 올 거예요, not to 거예요 alone. A reusable pattern is [verb form] 거예요 for an expected or planned situation.
왜 왜 asks for the reason for something. In 왜 늦었어요?, it asks for the reason someone was late. A reusable pattern is 왜 + question when asking why an action or situation occurred.
늦었어요 늦었어요 says that someone was late or arrived late, in a polite form referring to a situation that has already occurred. In 왜 늦었어요?, it asks about the person’s lateness. A reusable pattern is 왜 늦었어요? when asking someone politely for the reason they were late.

Grammar Points

무슨 일 + 이 있었어요?

여기에서 무슨 일이 있었어요?

yuh-gee-eh-suh moo-SUHN ee-REE ee-SUH-ssuh-yoh

What happened here?

무슨 일 means “what thing,” while 있었어요 literally means “existed.” Together, they ask what happened.

V-(으)ㄹ 거예요

언제 올 거예요?

uhn-JEH ohl-KKUH-yeh-yoh

When will you come?

올 거예요 expresses a future action or plan. The verb 오다 changes to 올 before 거예요.

Korean Vocabulary

그것은 pron
guh-guh-suhn it

그것은 어디에 있어요?

몇 det
myut what number; how many

몇 시예요?

무슨 det
moo-SUHN what; which

무슨 일이 있었어요?

시 noun
SHEE o'clock; hour

몇 시예요?

어디 adv
uh-DEE where

어디에 있어요?

언제 adv
uhn-JEH when

언제 올 거예요?

여기에서 adv
yuh-gee-eh-suh here

여기에서 무슨 일이 있었어요?

올 거예요 phrase
ohl-KKUH-yeh-yoh will come

언제 올 거예요?

왜 adv
weh why

왜 늦었어요?

일 noun
eel thing; event

무슨 일이 있었어요?

있어요 verb
ee-SUH-yoh is; are; exists

그것은 어디에 있어요?

있었어요 verb
ee-SUH-ssuh-yoh happened; was

무슨 일이 있었어요?

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Where is it?

Show Answer그것은 어디에 있어요?

Where are you?

Show Answer어디에 있어요?

What happened here?

Show Answer여기에서 무슨 일이 있었어요?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

happened; was

Show Answer있었어요

here

Show Answer여기에서

it

Show Answer그것은

when

Show Answer언제