Learn Hardcore Korean: robi hanjjoge sopaga isseoyo. - There is a sofa on one side of the lobby.

한쪽 literally means “one side/one part” of a larger area. In this sentence, it suggests “on one side (portion) of the lobby.” It doesn’t specifically mean a sharp corner; if you want “corner,” 구석 or 귀퉁이 is clearer. For a softer “one small side/corner,” 한켠 can be used.

Why is there no 의 between 로비 and 한쪽? Could I say 로비의 한쪽에?

Yes, 로비의 한쪽에 is correct, especially in formal or written styles. In everyday Korean, the possessive 의 is often omitted with place relationships, so 로비 한쪽에 is very natural.

Why is the location particle 에 used and not 에서?

에 marks a static location (“at/in” where something exists). 있다 is a state/existence verb, so 에 fits: 로비 한쪽에 소파가 있어요. Use 에서 for places where actions happen (e.g., 로비에서 기다려요 “I wait in the lobby”).

Can I switch the word order to “소파가 로비 한쪽에 있어요”?

Yes. 소파가 로비 한쪽에 있어요 is also natural. Korean allows flexible order; putting the location first often sets the scene, while putting 소파가 first emphasizes the sofa as the topic of interest.

What’s the nuance difference between 소파가 있어요 and 소파는 있어요?

소파가 있어요 introduces new information or simply states existence.
소파는 있어요 topicalizes/contrasts: “As for a sofa, (there) is one (but maybe something else isn’t).” Example: 소파는 있어요, 의자는 없어요.

Can I drop particles in casual speech?

You’ll often hear the subject marker dropped: 로비 한쪽에 소파 있어요. Omitting 에 is not natural here; the location marker 에 is needed.

How do I pronounce the sentence? Any tricky parts?

Rough romanization: Robi hanjjoge sopaga isseoyo.
Key points:
- 있어요 is pronounced like [이써요] (“i-sseo-yo”), not “it-seo-yo.”
- 한쪽 has a tense ㅉ sound: [한쪽].
- Overall: [로비 한쪽에 소파가 이써요].

Is “소파” the correct spelling? I’ve seen “쇼파” too.

The standard spelling is 소파. You may hear 쇼파 colloquially, but it’s nonstandard in writing.

How would I count the sofa if I want to say “There is one sofa”?

Use the counter 개 for a sofa in everyday speech:

로비 한쪽에 소파 한 개가 있어요. You can also say 소파가 한 개 있어요. Avoid 대 (used for machines/vehicles). In many cases, Korean simply omits the number if it’s not important.

Could I say 로비 한쪽에는 소파가 있어요? What does 는 add?

Yes. 에는 topicalizes the location, often with a contrast: “As for one side of the lobby, there is a sofa (perhaps elsewhere there isn’t).” It sets up comparisons like: 로비 한쪽에는 소파가 있고, 다른 쪽에는 의자가 있어요.

Why is it 소파가 and not 소파이?

The subject marker alternates as 이/가: use 이 after a consonant and 가 after a vowel. 소파 ends in a vowel, so 소파가 is correct.

Is “있어요” the right politeness level? What about 있어/있습니다 or 계세요?

있어요 is the standard polite (해요체) form.
있습니다 is more formal/polite (합니다체).
있어 is casual.
계세요 is only for honorific reference to people (existence/staying), not objects. So for a sofa, use 있어요/있습니다.

Could I say 놓여 있어요 instead of 있어요?

Yes, with a nuance difference:

있어요: simple existence/location.
놓여 있어요: emphasizes that it is “placed” there (state resulting from being put there). For a more descriptive tone: 로비 한쪽에 소파가 놓여 있어요.

What’s the difference between 한쪽, 한켠, 한편, and 구석 for locations?

한쪽: one side/part of a space (neutral, common).
한켠: one small side/corner; slightly literary/softer nuance.
구석: (literal) corner/inner corner; can imply tucked-away.
한편: often used as “on the other hand” (discourse); for physical space, 한쪽 is safer.