Breakdown of namjjoge gongwoni isseoyo.
~에~e
destination particle
~이~i
subject particle
공원gongwon
park
있다issda
to exist
남쪽namjjok
south
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Questions & Answers about namjjoge gongwoni isseoyo.
What does the particle -에 indicate in 남쪽에?
-에 marks a static location when used with existential verbs like 있다. In 남쪽에, it simply means “in the south.”
Why is it 남쪽에 and not 남쪽에서?
Use -에 for where something exists (a state). Use -에서 for where an action takes place. Since 있다 expresses existence rather than an action, you use -에.
Why is 공원이 marked with -이 and not -을?
있다 is an intransitive verb, so the noun that “exists” is its grammatical subject. After a consonant you attach the subject particle -이, giving 공원이.
Could you omit the subject particle and say 남쪽에 공원 있어요?
Yes. In casual spoken Korean, particles are often dropped when the meaning is clear. 남쪽에 공원 있어요 sounds perfectly natural in everyday conversation.
What is the dictionary form of 있어요, and how do you get from 있다 to 있어요?
The dictionary (basic) form is 있다 (“to exist” or “to have”).
To form the polite present tense:
- Take the stem: 있-
- Because the stem vowel is ㅣ (not ㅏ/ㅗ), add -어요.
- Contract 있 + 어요 into 있어요.
Why is it 있어요 and not 이어요?
있다 is a ㅣ-irregular verb. When a verb stem ends in ㅣ, you drop that ㅣ before adding -어요, so it contracts to 있어요 rather than 이어요.
Why is the order 남쪽에 공원이 있어요 (locative + subject + verb)? Can it change?
Korean generally follows Subject–Object–Verb, but adverbial phrases (like locations) usually come before the subject. Word order is fairly flexible, though:
- 공원이 남쪽에 있어요 (“The park is in the south”) shifts emphasis to the park.
- 남쪽에 공원이 있어요 is the neutral way to introduce that a park exists in the south.
How can I emphasize that “as for the south,” there’s a park?
Attach the topic particle -는 to the locative: 남쪽에는 공원이 있어요. The ending -에는 (= -에 + -는) highlights “as for the south…”
What politeness level is 있어요, and how would I say it more formally?
있어요 is polite-casual (standard polite) and common in daily speech. To be more formal (e.g. in presentations or to superiors), use 있습니다.