Itda conjugation is marked special here because 있다 mixes verb and adjective patterns.
Key Facts
- Hangul: 있다 (itda)
- Meaning: to exist/have
- Part of speech: verb/adjective (existential) (동사·형용사)
- Level: A1
- Stem: 있
- Class: special
- Polite present: 있어요
- Polite past: 있었어요
- Formal present: 있습니다
- Objects: n/a
What Does 있다 (to exist/have) Mean?
- to exist/have. There is or exists; also used for having something and for staying in a place, as in 집에 있다.
- to stay. Remain in a place for a time, as in 집에 있어요.
Particles and objects. The thing that exists takes 이/가 (책이 있어요); the place takes 에 and an owner takes 은/는 or 에게 (저는 동생이 있어요).
Respectful speech. The honorific polite form 있으세요 is for a respected person having something (돈이 있으세요?). When a respected person is somewhere, use the special honorific verb 계시다 instead (선생님이 계세요).
How Do You Pronounce 있다 (to exist/have)?
있다 (to exist/have) is pronounced [읻따]; Revised Romanization: itda.
Sound changes in the conjugated forms (standard pronunciation):
- 있어요 sounds like [이써요]
- 있었어요 sounds like [이써써요]
- 있을 거예요 sounds like [이쓸꺼예요]
- 있겠어요 sounds like [읻께써요]
- 있습니다 sounds like [읻씀니다]
How Do You Use 있다 (to exist/have) in a Sentence?
책상 위에 책이 있어요.
There is a book on the desk.
Form shown: polite present (있어요).
어제는 시간이 있었어요.
I had time yesterday.
Form shown: polite past (있었어요).
시간이 있으면 같이 가요.
If you have time, let's go together.
Form shown: if (conditional) (있으면).
Itda Conjugation: What Are the Forms of 있다 (to exist/have)?
있다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 있어요 | ||
| Polite past | 있었어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 있을 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 있겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 있습니다 | ||
| Formal past | 있었습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 있을 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 있어 | ||
| Casual past | 있었어 | ||
| Casual future | 있을 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 있고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 있으세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 있어서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 있으면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 있는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 있던 / 있었던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 있을 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 있지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 있어요 | [이써요] |
| Polite past | 있었어요 | [이써써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 있을 거예요 | [이쓸꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 있겠어요 | [읻께써요] |
| Formal present | 있습니다 | [읻씀니다] |
| Formal past | 있었습니다 | [이썯씀니다] |
| Formal future | 있을 것입니다 | [이쓸꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 있어 | [이써] |
| Casual past | 있었어 | [이써써] |
| Casual future | 있을 거야 | [이쓸꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 있고 싶어요 | [읻꼬 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 있으세요 | [이쓰세요] |
| Because / and then | 있어서 | [이써서] |
| If (conditional) | 있으면 | [이쓰면] |
| Present modifier | 있는 | [인는] |
| Past modifier | 있던 / 있었던 | [읻떤 / 이썯떤] |
| Future modifier | 있을 | [이쓸] |
| Long negative | 있지 않아요 | [읻찌 아나요] |
What 있다 does not have.
- Negative with 안 (short): The negative of 있다 is the separate word 없다 (없어요).
Is 있다 (to exist/have) Regular or Irregular?
있다 counts as special rather than irregular: its stem never changes (있어요, 있었어요, 있습니다), but its negative is the separate word 없다 and its honorific splits between 계시다 and 있으시다. Lesson: 있는 and 없는 modifiers. Tool: conjugator.
Note on the label. The 표준국어대사전 lists 있다 as both a verb (동사) and an adjective (형용사). The existence and possession senses are adjective-like, and the stay sense is verb-like. Either way, the present modifier takes 는, like a verb: 있는.
What Is the Most Common Mistake with 있다 (to exist/have)?
Wrong: ✗ 할머니가 집에 있으세요
Correct: ✓ 할머니가 집에 계세요
Why: For a respected person being somewhere, use 계시다; 있으시다 is for a respected person having something.
More on this split: honorific and humble verbs.
How Is 있다 (to exist/have) Different from Similar Words?
| Word | How it differs from 있다 |
|---|---|
| 계시다 | 있다 is plain; 계시다 is the honorific for a respected person being somewhere (선생님이 계세요). |
| 없다 | 있다 is to exist or have; 없다 is the opposite. |
Looking for a Book at the Library
A visitor asks a librarian about a book. The exchange moves from current availability to yesterday’s location and then to a polite request.
Visitor
이 책 있어요?
I chaek isseoyo?
Do you have this book?
Librarian
네, 어제는 저기에 있었어요.
Ne, eojeneun jeogie isseosseoyo.
Yes, it was over there yesterday.
Visitor
지금도 있으면 보고 싶어요.
Jigeumdo isseumyeon bogo sipeoyo.
If it’s still there, I’d like to look at it.
Librarian
여기에 있어요.
Yeogie isseoyo.
It’s here.
있어요 asks about availability, 있었어요 gives a past location, and 있으면 makes the visitor’s wish conditional. The first line leaves out the particle after 책, which is common in conversation. The last line identifies the present location rather than who owns the book.
Common Phrases Built around 있다
| Phrase | Meaning | Useful context |
|---|---|---|
| 시간이 있다 | to have time | Availability for an invitation or task. |
| 관심이 있다 | to be interested | Interest exists in relation to a topic. |
| 자신이 있다 | to be confident | Confidence about doing something. |
| 맛이 있다 | to taste good | Often written as the single adjective 맛있다. |
| 재미가 있다 | to be interesting or fun | Also expressed with the adjective 재미있다. |
These patterns often correspond to English adjectives. 관심이 있어요 means “I’m interested”; it is not usually translated as “interest exists”. 자신이 있어요 expresses confidence rather than possession of a physical thing. The noun before 이/가 supplies the kind of state you are describing.
Where Will You Hear or See 있다?
In a shop or café, 있어요? can ask whether an item is available. The reply can be simply 있어요 when the product is understood.
When making plans, 시간 있어요? asks whether someone has time. It can lead into an invitation without asking who owns anything. At home, 어디에 있어요? asks where someone or something is. The noun and location phrase determine the English translation.
Formal notices may use 있습니다 for the presence of a facility or service. In casual conversation, 있어 can be either a question or a reply, with intonation carrying the difference. Use 있어요 with people you do not know well.
The Particle and Modifier Traps
English “have” encourages learners to put 을/를 on the thing possessed. With 있다, that thing normally takes 이/가: 시간이 있어요. The owner can be the topic, while the thing possessed is the grammatical subject.
The present noun modifier is 있는, even when 있다 describes possession or existence. 시간이 있는 사람 means a person who has time. The whole phrase 시간이 있는 comes before 사람. This lets you describe who you mean without making two separate sentences. The 있는 and 없는 lesson develops the pattern.
For an ordinary negative about existence or possession, choose 없어요. The long form 있지 않아요 is possible, and 안 있어요 can occur when 있다 means staying somewhere. That stay-related use is different from the basic “there isn’t any” answer a beginner needs in a shop.
Related Words for Presence and Location
| Korean | Meaning | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| 없다 | not to exist; not to have | The everyday opposite of 있다. |
| 계시다 | to be present, honorific | A respected person’s location. |
| 여기 | here | Close to the speaker. |
| 거기 | there | Often near the listener or at a place already mentioned. |
| 저기 | over there | A place away from both speakers. |
The location particle lesson explains 에 with 있다. Compare the three location words while pointing to real places: the choice depends on the conversation and where the speakers are.
Mini Drill: Availability and Presence
- Say “I have time” using 시간.
- Put that sentence in the polite past.
- Make it negative with 없다.
- Complete the respectful sentence 선생님이 교실에 ___, “The teacher is in the classroom.”
Show the presence sentences
- 시간이 있어요.
- 시간이 있었어요.
- 시간이 없어요.
- 선생님이 교실에 계세요.
Quick Self-Test
- Which particle normally marks the thing you have with 있다?
- Does 있어요? in a shop usually ask what the product is?
- Which form goes before a noun: 있는 or 인?
Show answers
- 이/가, as in 시간이 있어요.
- It normally asks whether the product is available.
- 있는 comes from 있다; 인 comes from 이다.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 있다 Regular or Irregular?
있다 counts as special rather than irregular. The stem never changes, so the polite present is 있어요 and the polite past is 있었어요, but the negative is the separate word 없다 and the honorific splits between 계시다 and 있으시다.
How Do You Say "There Is a Book on the Desk" in Korean?
Say 책상 위에 책이 있어요. In this sentence the verb is in the polite present form, 있어요.
How Do You Make 있다 Negative?
Use 없다 (없어요) for the ordinary negative of existence or possession. 안 있어요 can occur when 있다 means staying somewhere; it is not the usual way to say you do not have something.
What Is the Respectful Form of 있다?
It depends on the meaning. For a respected person having something, use 있으세요 (돈이 있으세요?). For a respected person being somewhere, use 계시다: 선생님이 계세요.
Which Particles Go with 있다?
The thing that exists takes 이/가 (책이 있어요); the place takes 에 and an owner takes 은/는 or 에게 (저는 동생이 있어요).
What Is the Difference between 있다 and 계시다?
있다 is plain; 계시다 is the honorific for a respected person being somewhere (선생님이 계세요).
Which Words Are Related to 있다 (to exist/have)?
What Should You Learn Next?
Next: 없다, or browse the verb dictionary. 있다 is to exist or have; 없다 is the opposite.