Basic Place and Time Questions | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 그것은 어디에 있어요?

   Where is it?

   그것은

   as for it

   어디에

   where

   있어요

   is located

   More detail

   그것은 combines 그것 (“it” or “that”) with the topic marker 은. Here, the topic is the thing referred to as “it”; the source and translation do not identify what that thing is. 은 marks the topic and contrasts with 는, which is used after a vowel-ending form. Example: 이것은 책이에요. — “This is a book.” 어디에 means “where” with 어디 (“where”) followed by the location particle 에. 에 marks a place where something exists or is located, so the reusable pattern is [thing]이/가 어디에 있어요? — “Where is [the thing]?” 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다, used here for something being located somewhere. The base form 있다 becomes 있어요 in this polite style. 있다 can also describe existence or possession in other contexts; its meaning here is location. Example: 책이 책상 위에 있어요. — “The book is on the desk.” Together, 그것은 sets “it” as the topic, 어디에 asks for its location, and 있어요 expresses that it is located there. The whole utterance therefore means “Where is it?” in a polite everyday style.

2. 어디에 있어요?

   Where are you?

   어디에

   where; in what place

   있어요?

   is/are located; exists

   More detail

   어디에 asks for a location. 어디 means “where,” and 에 marks the place associated with being or existing. This pattern is reusable for asking where someone or something is. Example: 책이 어디에 있어요? — “Where is the book?” 있어요? is the polite conversational question form of 있다, meaning “to be located” or “to exist.” The form itself does not mark person, number, or gender. Korean often leaves the subject unstated when the context makes it clear; here, the fixed translation identifies that omitted subject as “you.” Example: 민수는 집에 있어요. — “Minsu is at home.” Together, 어디에 and 있어요? form a polite question asking the listener’s location: “Where are you?”

3. 여기에서 무슨 일이 있었어요?

   What happened here?

   여기에서

   here

   무슨

   what kind of

   일

   event; thing

   있었어요

   happened

   More detail

   여기에서 means “here” as the place where the event occurred. 여기 is “here,” and 에서 marks the location of an action or event. Compare 여기에, which marks a destination or the place where something exists: 여기에서 만나요. — “Let’s meet here.” 무슨 means “what kind of” or, before a noun, simply “what.” It normally comes before the noun it describes. 무슨 일이에요? — “What is happening?” / “What’s the matter?” 일 means “event,” “matter,” or “thing” here. In 일이, the following 이 is the subject particle attached to 일; the selected word itself is 일. The phrase 무슨 일 therefore asks what event or matter is involved. Do not treat 일 here as the verb meaning “to work”; in this sentence it is a noun. 있었어요 is the polite past form of 있다. Its basic meaning is “existed,” “was present,” or “was happening,” but with an event noun such as 일, it naturally means “happened” or “took place.” The past element 었 places the event before the speaking time, and 어요 gives a polite conversational ending. For existence or presence, the same form can mean “was”: 사람이 있었어요. — “There was a person.” Together, 여기에서 identifies the place, 무슨 일이 asks which event or matter, and 있었어요 places that event in the past. The complete utterance means “What happened here?” It is a polite conversational question about a past event at this place.

4. 몇 시예요?

   What time is it?

   몇

   what

   시

   hour; o’clock

   예요

   is

   More detail

   몇 asks for an unspecified number or choice. In 몇 시, it means “what” in the question “what hour/time,” rather than asking for a person or event. It is commonly placed before a counting word or measure word: 몇 명 means “how many people,” while 몇 시 means “what time.” 시 means “hour” and is also used when telling or asking the time. In 몇 시, it works with 몇 as the time expression “what hour.” For a more precise time, Korean can add minutes after the hour, as in 세 시 십 분 (“3:10”). 예요 is the polite-present form of the copula, meaning “is” here. The copula connects the time expression 몇 시 to the question meaning “What time is it?” Korean uses 예요 after a noun ending in a vowel and 이에요 after a noun ending in a consonant; 시 ends in a vowel, so this sentence has 예요. This is a form choice based on the noun’s final sound, not on the time being singular. Together, 몇 시 (“what time”) and 예요 (“is”) form the polite question 몇 시예요? — “What time is it?”

5. 언제 올 거예요?

   When will you come?

   언제

   when

   올

   will come

   거예요?

   polite question ending

   More detail

   언제 means “when” and asks about the time of an event. It can be used with many verbs: 언제 와요? means “When do you come?” or “When are you coming?”, depending on context. The nearby 몇 시예요? asks “What time is it?”, while 언제 asks more generally when an event occurs. 올 comes from 오다, “to come.” Here it is the prospective form placed before 것 in V-(으)ㄹ 것이다 and related forms. Because 오다 has a vowel stem, it takes -ㄹ: 오다 → 올. This form is chosen by the construction, not by the subject. Example: 내일 올 거예요. — “I/They will come tomorrow.” The subject is understood from context. 거예요? is the polite question part of the pattern V-(으)ㄹ 거예요?, commonly used to ask about a future event, plan, or expectation. In this pattern, 거 is the contracted form of 것, and 예요 is the copula form attached to it; 것이에요 contracts to 거예요. The question mark and intonation make the whole expression a question. The Korean sentence does not state the subject, but the fixed translation identifies it as “you.” Together, 언제 + 올 + 거예요? forms “When will you come?” It is a polite question asking the addressee for the time of their coming.

6. 왜 늦었어요?

   Why are you late?

   왜

   why

   늦었어요

   are late

   More detail

   왜 means “why” and asks for a reason. It is a question word used to ask why something happens or is true. Example: 왜 웃어요? — “Why are you laughing?” 늦었어요 is the polite spoken form of 늦다, “to be late.” The form contains the past marker -었- and the polite ending -어요; here it presents the addressee as having become or being late in the situation being asked about. 늦다 is an adjective-like descriptive word in Korean, so it describes a state rather than naming an action performed on an object. Example: 회의에 늦었어요. — “I was late for the meeting.” Together, 왜 + 늦었어요? asks the addressee for the reason for being late: “Why are you late?” The subject “you” is understood from the question and is not separately written. This is a polite conversational question.