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What Does 있다/없다 Mean in Korean?

10-Second Answer

있다 means "to exist" / "to have" / "there is." 없다 is its opposite — "to not exist" / "to not have" / "there isn't." Both pair with the subject marker 이/가, not the object marker 을/를 — a common trap for English speakers used to "have + object."

Quick Examples

시간이 있어요?

sigani isseoyo?

Do you have time?

Literally: Is there time?

돈이 없어요.

doni eopseoyo.

I don't have money.

Literally: Money doesn't exist.

고양이가 있어요.

goyangiga isseoyo.

I have a cat. / There's a cat.

Same sentence covers both possession and simple existence — context decides.

"Have" Isn't a Direct-Object Verb in Korean

English "I have money" treats money as an object. Korean says it more like "money exists (for me)" — so the noun takes 이/가, not 을/를.

English instinctCorrect Korean
돈을 있어요 ❌돈이 있어요 ✅
시간을 없어요 ❌시간이 없어요 ✅

Location, Possession, and Abstract Uses

책상 위에 책이 있어요.

chaeksang wi-e chaeg-i isseoyo.

There's a book on the desk.

Physical location.

저 남자친구 있어요.

jeo namjachingu isseoyo.

I have a boyfriend.

Relationship/possession.

걱정 없어요.

geokjeong eopseoyo.

No worries. / I have no worries.

Abstract things (worries, interest, meaning) use 있다/없다 too.

The Honorific Version: 계시다

For people you respect, 있다 (existing/being somewhere) is replaced by the honorific 계시다:

할머니는 집에 계세요.

halmeoni-neun jib-e gyeseyo.

Grandmother is at home.

계세요, not 있어요 — respect for an elder.

But possession ("have") still uses plain 있으세요 (있다 + honorific -으시-), not 계시다 — 계시다 is specifically for a person's LOCATION/existence, not for what they own.

Common Mistakes

Mistake #1 — Using 을/를 with 있다/없다

돈을 있어요 is a very common beginner error — use 이/가.

Mistake #2 — Using 있다 for an honored elder's location

할머니가 집에 있어요 undersells the respect — 계세요 is expected.

Mini Quiz

  1. 1. How do you say "I have time"?

  2. 2. You want to say your grandmother is at home, respectfully. You say:

  3. 3. 돈이 없어요 means:

Related Knowledge

Learn Next

What Does 하다 Mean? The Most Useful Verb in Korean

있다/없다 covers existence — 하다 covers almost every action. Between them you can build a huge share of basic Korean sentences.

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Last updated: 2026-08-10 · Written and reviewed by a native Korean speaker.