Learn Hardcore Korean: noteubuk chungjeongiga eodi issneunji ara?

It turns a direct wh-question into an embedded question. So 어디 있어? (Where is it?) becomes 어디 있는지 (where it is), which can then be used as the object of verbs like 알다 (to know), 모르다 (to not know), 묻다/물어보다 (to ask), 생각하다 (to think/wonder).

Here: 알아? = Do you know? → 어디 있는지 알아? = Do you know where it is?

Why is it 있는지 and not 있어 or 있니?

Because you cannot put a direct question form in front of 알다. You must embed it:

Direct: 어디 있어?
Embedded: 어디 있는지 Only the main verb (알아?/알아요?/아세요?) carries the sentence-ending (politeness) ending.

Why is there -가 on 노트북 충전기?

-가 marks the subject of the embedded clause. Inside the clause [노트북 충전기가 어디 있는지], the charger is the thing that “is (located).” The whole bracketed clause is the object of 알아.

Can I drop the subject marker and say 노트북 충전기 어디 있는지 알아?

Yes, in casual speech you’ll often hear the -가 omitted. Including -가 is a bit clearer/cleaner; omitting it sounds natural in conversation.

Why 어디 있는지 and not 어디에 있는지?

Both are fine. 어디 already implies location, so 에 is often omitted in speech. 어디에 있는지 is a touch more explicit; 어디 있는지 is a bit snappier. No real difference in meaning here.

What’s the difference between 어디 있는지 and 어디인지/어딘지?

어디 있는지 = “where it is (located)” and is very common with objects.
어디인지 / 어딘지 = “which place it is.” This can sound a bit more like identifying the place itself, not just the location of an item. With lost objects, 어디 있는지 is the default.

How does politeness change the sentence?

Only the final verb changes:

Casual: …알아?
Polite: …알아요?
Honorific to listener: …아세요?
Formal: …아십니까? The embedded part stays …어디 있는지 (no 요 needed inside).

Could I use 모르다 instead of 알다?

Yes, but the meaning shifts:

…알아? = Do you know …?
…몰라? = Do you not know …? (Can sound a bit confrontational unless softened.) A neutral alternative when asking is 혹시 … 알아요? (“By any chance, do you know…?”)

How does tense work with -는지?

Present (action verbs): -는지 → 어디 있는지 알아? (where it is)
Past: -었/았는지 → 어디 있었는지 알아? (where it was)
Future/guess: -(으)ㄹ지 → 어디 있을지 알아? (where it will/might be) For descriptive verbs (adjectives), present uses -(으)ㄴ지. 있다/없다 take -는지 (→ 있는지/없는지).

Is 노트북 충전기 the same as “laptop charger” in English?

Yes. 노트북 in Korean means “laptop” (not a paper notebook), and 충전기 is “charger.” So 노트북 충전기 = laptop charger. You’ll also hear 랩탑 colloquially, but 노트북 is standard.

Why not 노트북의 충전기?

In Korean, noun–noun compounds are more natural than using the possessive 의 in many everyday phrases. 노트북 충전기 is the normal way to say “laptop charger.” 노트북의 충전기 sounds more formal or textbook-like.

Is the spacing correct? Could it be 노트북충전기?

Standard spacing is 노트북 충전기 (two words). You’ll see 휴대폰 충전기, 전동칫솔 충전기 etc. as two words. Writing it all together is less standard in general prose.

Why not 어디에서 있는지?

With 있다 (to be located/exist), use 에 (static location), not 에서 (location of an action). So:

Correct: 어디(에) 있는지
With actions: 어디에서 샀는지 (where you bought it)

What’s the difference between …있는지 물어봤어 and …있냐고 물어봤어?

Both report a question, but:

…있는지 물어봤어 uses the embedded-question form (neutral, very common).
…있냐고 물어봤어 uses quoted/indirect speech (more like “asked, ‘is it…?’”). They’re largely interchangeable in everyday speech.

Do I ever need 것 after -는지, like …있는지(를) 아세요? vs …있는 것을 아세요?

With -는지, 것 is not required. The entire clause can function as the object:

어디 있는지 알아요. (natural) You can add an object marker to the clause: 어디 있는지를 알아요. That’s optional and a bit more formal. Using …있는 것을 알아요 changes the structure and can sound unnatural here.

Could I topicalize the charger: 노트북 충전기는 어디 있는지 알아?

You can, but it changes the nuance to “As for the laptop charger, do you know where it is?” It sets up contrast or shifts the topic. In a neutral one-off question, 노트북 충전기가… is more typical.