The verb 이다 is one of the first verbs I learned. It is an important verb to know, as it describes a state of being. It means “to be”. This is one of two “to be” verbs. You would use this if you want to talk about who you are and who or what someone/something is. On the other hand to express “to not be” you would use 아니다 (which I’ll touch upon a little later).
You won’t use 이다 to talk about locations of people or objects. For that you would use 있다 (to be, to have) or 없다 (to not be, to not have)..
이다, like other adjectives and verbs in Korean, conjugates into different forms which will depend on who you’re speaking to.
TO BE – 이다
N입니다 /입니까?
입니다 is the formal form of the verb 이다. You would use this form of 이다 when addressing people much older than you or people of higher positions than you (like your country’s leader, the owner of your company, etc.). You will also see this when reading newspapers and will hear it when you listen to news broadcasts.
제 이름은 코트니입니다. My name is Courtney.
미국 사람입니다. I am American.
To respectfully ask a question using the formal form of 이다, you will 입니까.
선생님입니까? Are you a teacher?
미국 사람입니까? Are you American?
N이에요 / 예요
This is the informal polite form of 이다. This is the politeness level I usually default to. When I’m speaking to anyone I don’t consider to be a close friend, I use this because it’s a safe way to ensure that I don’t offend anyone. Whether you use 이에요 or 예요 will depend on how the noun stem ends. If there is a batchim (final syllable ending consonant), you will use 이에요. If there is no batchim (the noun stem ends with a vowel), then you will use 예요.
.
이 연필이에요. This is a pencil.
론은 좋은 요리사예요. Ron is a good cook.
To use 이에요/예요 as a question, raise your voice at the end of the sentence to indicate that a question is being asked.
이 연필이에요. Is this a pencil?
론은 좋은 요리사예요. Is Ron a good cook?
N이야/야
This is the informal, casual form of 이다. You will typically use this form with young children (or someone significantly younger than you) and people you’re very close to. If there is a batchim for the word you’re attaching this form of 이다, you will use 이야 at the end and if there is no batchim, then you will add 야 to the end.
그 셔츠는 파란섹이야? That shirt is blue.
이 사람은 내 친구야. This person is my friend.
그의 코트야? Is it his coat?
어디야? Where is it/are you?
TO NOT BE – 아니다
N이/가 아닙니다
Just as 입니다 is the formal form of the verb 이다, 아닙니다 is the formal form of 아니다, which means to not be. You would use this form with the same people as you would use 입니다. With 아닙니다, you would attach the subject particle 이/가 to the end of the noun that directly precedes this verb.
저는 의사가 아닙니다. I am not a doctor.
캐나다 사람이 아닙니다. I am not Canadian.
N이/가 아니에요
This is the informal polite form of 아니다, the negative counterpart of the informal polite form of 이다.
아니요, 그건 초록색 접시가 아니에요. No, that’s not a green plate.
아직 7시 30분이 아니에요. It’s not 7:30 yet.
N아니야
“아니야!” This is something I hear almost every day when I’m teaching my 3 and 4 year Korean students English. Usually, after I tell all of the students to sit down and the last student takes their seat, the class will say that student’s name (to indicate that the student made it to their seat last). The student in question will then shout, “아니야!” In other words, that student is saying, “No I’m not!”
This form of 아니다 is, as you guessed it, the informal and casual form. These students say it to each other but would never say it to me or any of the other teachers.
그건 내 의자 아니야. That’s not my chair.
좋은 영화 아니야? Isn’t it a good movie?
So that’s a little bit about 이다 and 아니다. See y’all next time!
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