KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › -아/어 있다
Korean Grammar “-아/어 있다”: Meaning and Usage (TOPIK 2)
Explanation
교실 창문이 열려 있어요.
“-아/어 있다” shows that a state continues after an action is completed, “be ~ed.” It is used with intransitive verbs such as 열리다 (to be opened). The sentence means “The classroom window is open.” Unlike the progressive “-고 있다,” it describes a lasting state.
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 교실 창문이 열려 있어요.
Said aloud, it sounds like [교실 창무니 열려 이써요].
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 교실 | ||
| 교 | ㄱ+ㅛ | gyo |
| 실 | ㅅ+ㅣ+ㄹ | sil |
| 창문이 | ||
| 창 | ㅊ+ㅏ+ㅇ | chang |
| 문 | ㅁ+ㅜ+ㄴ | [무] mu |
| 이 | ㅇ+ㅣ | [니] ni |
| 열려 | ||
| 열 | ㅇ+ㅕ+ㄹ | yeol |
| 려 | ㄹ+ㅕ | lyeo |
| 있어요 | ||
| 있 | ㅇ+ㅣ+ㅆ | [이] i |
| 어 | ㅇ+ㅓ | [써] sseo |
| 요 | ㅇ+ㅛ | yo |
A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.
Sound changes in this phrase
- Linking: when a syllable ending in a consonant (patchim) is followed by a syllable that starts with a vowel, the consonant moves over to the next syllable. 문이 → [무니]
Politeness level of the example
Ends in -요. The everyday polite style, and a safe choice with shop staff, colleagues, strangers and anyone older than you.
Words in the example sentence
These words from the TOPIK vocabulary lists appear in the phrase (shown in dictionary form).
| Korean | Part of speech | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 창문 | noun | window | TOPIK level 2 |
| 있다 | verb | to exist, to have | TOPIK level 1 |
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 교실 창문이 열려 ____.
Show the answer
Answer: 교실 창문이 열려 있어요.
More grammar at this level
Learn this phrase by playing: typing drills and quizzes help it stick.
Practice in the gameRead this page in: 日本語 简体中文 繁體中文 Tiếng Việt Bahasa Indonesia Oʻzbekcha Монгол Français Español (México) ไทย