1 · The basic sentence
A is B: 이에요/예요
the copula
A noun plus 이에요 after a consonant or 예요 after a vowel says what something is.
“A is B”, where B is a noun, is said with 이에요 or 예요 attached directly to the noun: 저는 학생이에요, “I am a student”; 이것은 커피예요, “this is coffee”. It is not a separate word: it is written together with the noun, like a particle, and it stands where the verb stands — at the end.
The form depends on the noun. After a final consonant it is 이에요: 학생이에요, 책이에요, 한국 사람이에요. After a vowel it is 예요: 의사예요, 친구예요, 커피예요. The same form asks a question with a rising voice: 학생이에요?, “are you a student?”. The past comes later: 학생이었어요, 친구였어요.
In formal speech — a first meeting at work, a presentation, an announcement — the form is 입니다 after both consonants and vowels: 저는 김민수입니다, “I am Kim Minsu”. The question is 입니까?. A self-introduction in a formal setting usually uses 입니다; everyday conversation uses 이에요 and 예요.
English speakers get two things wrong. First, this form only links two nouns. “The coffee is hot” does not use it: an adjective in Korean is a verb of its own, 커피가 뜨거워요. Second, it does not mean “is” in the sense of being somewhere: “the book is on the table” uses 있어요. 이에요 says what something is, 있어요 where it is.
The form
| after a consonant | 학생이에요. |
| after a vowel | 의사예요. |
| question | 학생이에요? |
| formal | 학생입니다. |
| formal question | 학생입니까? |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
After a final consonant the form is 이에요.
저는 대학생이에요.I am a university student.
After a vowel the form is 예요.
제 이름은 지수예요.My name is Jisu.
It is written together with the noun, without a space.
이건 제 가방이에요.This is my bag.
In formal speech 입니다 is used after both consonants and vowels.
저는 이 회사 직원입니다.I work for this company.
A question has the same form and a rising voice.
학생이에요?Are you a student?
A closer look
Where the two forms come from
Both forms belong to one word, the copula 이다, “to be (something)”. After a consonant its 이 is said in full: 학생이에요. After a vowel the 이 and the ending melt together into 예요, and in writing this short form is the standard one. In fast speech the formal 입니다 often loses its 이 after a vowel too, but in writing it keeps it: 의사입니다.
Because 이다 attaches to the noun, a particle never comes between them. The topic particle goes on the other noun: 저는 학생이에요, where 저는 is “as for me” and 학생이에요 is “am a student”.
How to spot it
- 이에요
- 예요
- 입니다
- 입니까?
Example sentences
저는 영국 사람이에요.I am British.
여기는 도서관이에요.This is the library.
우리 언니는 간호사예요.My older sister is a nurse.
이거 뭐예요?What is this?
오늘은 제 생일이에요.Today is my birthday.
안녕하세요. 저는 박지훈입니다.Hello. I am Park Jihun.
8 more example sentences
제 고향은 부산이에요.My home town is Busan.
이 사람은 제 남동생이에요.This is my younger brother.
저는 회사원이에요.I am an office worker.
지금은 점심시간이에요.It is lunchtime now.
이건 얼마예요?How much is this?
내일은 토요일이에요.Tomorrow is Saturday.
그 사람은 유명한 가수예요.That person is a famous singer.
저희 아버지는 요리사입니다.My father is a cook.
Worth knowing (2)
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Not for adjectives
이에요 links a noun to a noun. An adjective conjugates by itself: 방이 커요, “the room is big”, with no 이에요 anywhere.
제 방은 작아요.My room is small.
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Where is it?
One everyday question bends the rule of thumb: “where is …?” is very often asked with the copula, 화장실이 어디예요?, literally “the toilet is which place?”. Here 어디 is treated as a noun, “what place”. 화장실이 어디에 있어요? is equally correct.
화장실이 어디예요?Where is the toilet?
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
학생 ends in a consonant, so it takes 이에요. Pick the form by the last letter of the noun: a consonant takes 이에요, a vowel 예요. The slip is easy because the two forms run together in fast speech.
Consonant: ieyo; vowel: yeyo; formal: imnida — and only between two nouns.
Your turn
10 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.