Korean Conversation · Level 5
15 words
Korean word
이
Pronunciation
Romanizationi
Meaning
- determinerthis
Example
이 책은 재미있어요.i chae geun chae mi i sseo yo
This book is interesting.
More examples
이 사람은 누구예요?i sa ra meun nu gu ye yo
Who is this person?
Core concept
이 (i, "this") points to something near the speaker, either alone or before a noun.
Common phrases
이 사람i sa ram
this person
이 집i chip
this house
이 음식i eum sik
this food
Similar words
그keu: Refers to a person or thing that both speakers already know about.
저cheo: Refers to a person or thing located far from the speaker.
그런keureon: Describes something that has the same kind or quality as an earlier example.
이런ireon: Describes the kind of person, thing, or situation being noticed now.
Definition in Korean
단독으로 쓰일 때는 '이것'처럼 대명사 역할을 하고 명사 앞에서는 관형사로 가까운 대상을 가리키는 말tan do geu ro sseu il ttae neun i geot cheo reom tae myeong sa yeo ka reul ha go myeong sa a pe seo neun kwan hyeong sa ro ka kka un tae sang eul ka ri ki neun mal
Word origin
Historically, this word grew from a Korean demonstrative for nearness and became established both as a standalone reference and before nouns.
Usage tips
- English uses this broadly, while Korean uses different demonstratives for different distances, so the English translation alone does not always identify the natural choice.