Talk to Me in Korean

Level 1 Lesson 6 : What is this?, This is




After studying with this lesson, you will be able to say “This is ABC.” and also ask “Is this ABC?”and “What is this?” in polite/formal Korean.

이에요 / 예요
[i-e-yo / ye-yo]

In the previous lesson, you learned how 이에요 [i-e-yo] and 예요 [ye-yo] can be placed after a
noun to express the meaning of “It is ABC” or “I am DEF.”

Review / Example
책[chaek] +이에요[i-e-yo] =책이에요.[chaek-i-e-yo]
It’s a book.

저[jeo] + 예요[ye-yo] =저예요.[jeo-ye-yo]
It’s me.

** 이에요 and 예요 have a similar role to that of the English verb “to be”.
Final consonant + 이에요[i-e-yo]
No final consonant (Only vowel) + 예요[ye-yo]

이거 [i-geo] = this, this one
이[i] (“this”) + 것 [geot] (“thing”) = 이것 [i-geot] --> 이거[i-geo]

이거 [i-geo] is originally 이것 [i-geot] and it is a combination of 이 [i] (“this”) and 것 [geot](“thing”) but it is often used as just 이거 [i-geo] for the ease of pronunciation

Sample Sentences

이거 책이에요. [i-geo chaek-i-e-yo] = This is a book.
이거 카메라예요. [i-geo ka-me-ra-ye-yo] = This is a camera.
이거 커피예요. [i-geo keo-pi-ye-yo] = This is coffee.
이거 사전이에요. [i-geo sa-jeon-i-e-yo] = This is a dictionary.

이거 뭐예요?[i-geo mwo-ye-yo?]= What is this?

In Level 1 Lesson 5, we introduced the question, 뭐예요? [mwo-ye-yo?] and it means “What isit?”
You can add 이거 [i-geo] in front of it to ask “What is this?

이거 뭐예요?[i-geo mwo-ye-yo?]= What is this?
이거 핸드폰이에요.[i-geo haen-deu-pon-i-e-yo]= This is a cellphone.

이거 뭐예요?[i-geo mwo-ye-yo?]= What is this?
이거 물이에요.[i-geo mul-i-e-yo]= This is water

이거 뭐예요?[i-geo mwo-ye-yo?]= What is this?
이거 커피예요.[i-geo keo-pi-ye-yo]= This is coffee

Do you remember how to say “No”?
이거 커피예요?[i-geo keo-pi-ye-yo?] = Is this coffee?
아니요. 이거 물이에요.[a-ni-yo. i-geo mul-i-e-yo]= No. This is water

Do you remember how to say “Yes, that’s right”?
 이거 커피예요?[i-geo keo-pi-ye-yo?]= Is this coffee?
네. 맞아요. 이거 커피예요.[ne. ma-ja-yo. i-geo keo-pi-ye-yo]= Yes, that’s right. This is coffee