What Does 있다/없다 Mean in Korean?
Written and reviewed by Jun and Jin, native Korean speakers
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After this page, you can say what exists and what you have with 있다 (itda) and 없다 (eopda), plus the honorific 계시다.
10-second answer
What does Issda/Eopda mean?
있다 (itda) means "to exist" / "to have" / "there is." 없다 (eopda) is its opposite — "to not exist" / "to not have" / "there isn't." Both pair with the subject marker 이/가 (i/ga), not the object marker 을/를 (eul/reul) — a common trap for English speakers used to "have + object."
Quick check — did that land?
1. How do you say "I have time"?
있다 and 없다 don’t only mean exist and not exist.
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.
A note on spelling. The official romanization of 있다 is itda (spelled issda letter by letter), and 없다 is eopda. You'll also see them written itta, upda or opda. They're all the same words.
See also: 이/가 — the subject marker
"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 instinct | Correct 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 남자 친구 있어요.
jeo namja chingu 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.
계시다 is the honorific form of 있다 — the full set of honorific verbs is on 드시다, 계시다, 주무시다.
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
2. You want to say your grandmother is at home, respectfully. You say:
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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