Learn Hardcore Korean: naengjanggo ane muri isseoyo. - There is water in the refrigerator.

안 is a noun meaning inside, and adding the locative particle 에 turns it into 안에, indicating the location “inside something.” Thus, 냉장고 안에 literally means inside the refrigerator.

Why is 물 followed by 이 instead of 가 in 물이 있어요?

Korean uses 이 as the subject particle after a consonant-ending noun and 가 after a vowel-ending noun. Since 물 ends with the consonant ㄹ, it takes 이, forming 물이, which marks “water” as the subject of 있다.

What does 있어요 mean here, and is it a verb or an adjective?

있어요 is the polite present-tense form of the verb 있다. In locative expressions like this, it means to exist (“there is”). It can also mean to have in possessive contexts, but here it simply states that water exists in the fridge.

Why do we need the particle 에 after 안? Isn’t 안 already showing “inside”?

안 by itself is a noun (“inside”), not a case particle. To mark it as a location where something exists or happens, you must attach the locative particle 에. Hence, 안에 = 안 (inside) + 에 (location marker).

Can we say 냉장고에 물이 있어요 instead of 냉장고 안에 물이 있어요? Will the meaning change?

Yes, 냉장고에 물이 있어요 is grammatically correct and still means There is water in the refrigerator. However, without 안, it’s a bit more general; 냉장고 안에 specifically emphasizes the interior.

Is it okay in casual speech to drop 이 or the polite ending -어요, e.g. 냉장고 안에 물 있어?

Absolutely. In informal conversation you can say 냉장고 안에 물 있어 (dropping 이) or even 냉장고 안 물 있어. Just be aware that this level of brevity is only suitable among friends or in very casual settings.

What would happen if we used 물은 instead of 물이? How would the nuance change?

Using 물은 employs the topic particle 은, framing “water” as the known topic (“As for the water…”), often implying contrast or emphasis. 물이 with the subject particle simply presents “water” as new information: There is water.

Can we switch the word order to 물이 냉장고 안에 있어요? Does it still mean the same?

Yes. Korean allows flexible word order. 물이 냉장고 안에 있어요 still means There is water in the refrigerator, though beginning with 물이 places slight emphasis on “water” rather than the location.

What’s the difference between 안에 and 속에 when both can mean “inside”?

Both mean inside, and in many contexts they’re interchangeable. 안에 is more common in everyday speech, while 속에 can sound a bit more formal or literary. For most practical purposes, 냉장고 안에 is the preferred choice.