naneun uija-e anja isseoyo.

I am sitting on a chair.

Breakdown of naneun uija-e anja isseoyo.

• ~에: destination particle
• ~는: topic particle
• 나: I
• 있다: to be
• 의자: chair
• 앉다: to sit

Questions & Answers about naneun uija-e anja isseoyo.

What does the particle 에 indicate in 의자에?

The particle 에 marks the location where something stays or the target of a non-motion verb. In 의자에, it means “on the chair.”

Why is 앉아 있어요 used instead of just 앉아요?

앉아요 usually means “sit down” (the action of sitting). By using 앉아 있어요, you combine 앉다 with -아/어 있다 to express the resulting state: “is sitting” (i.e., “I am in a seated state”).

What is the function of -아 있다 in 앉아 있어요?

-아/어 있다 attaches to a verb stem to show a continuing or resultant state after an action.
• 앉다 (to sit) + -아 있다 → 앉아 있다 = “to remain seated”

What does 나는 do in this sentence, and could you use 저는 instead?

나 is the informal word for “I,” and -는 is the topic marker (as in “As for me…”). In polite or formal speech, you would replace 나는 with 저는:
저는 의자에 앉아 있어요

Can you drop 나는 and just say 의자에 앉아 있어요?

Yes. Korean often omits the subject when it’s clear from context. 의자에 앉아 있어요 can stand alone to mean “(I) am sitting on the chair.”

Why use 에 rather than 에서 with 앉다?

에서 marks the location of an action or movement. 앉다 is considered a stative verb describing someone’s position, not an action in motion. Therefore, you use 에 to mark where that state holds true: 의자에 앉아 있어요.

How is 앉아 pronounced in natural speech?

Due to consonant assimilation, 앉아 is pronounced closer to [안자] (an-ja). The “ㄴ” sound blends with “ㅈ,” so it often sounds like 안자 있어요.

How would you change this sentence to past and future tense?

Past: 나는 의자에 앉아 있었어요.
(“I was sitting on the chair.”)
Future: 나는 의자에 앉아 있을 거예요.
(“I will be sitting on the chair.”)