For autodidact students of Korean, the demonstrative system uses three positions rather than English's two (this/that). 이 (i) means "this" — near the speaker. 그 (geu) means "that" — near the listener or previously mentioned. 저 (jeo) means "that over there" — distant from both. These are the Korean equivalents of the Japanese こそあど system and function as both adjectives (이 책 — this book) and pronouns: 이것 (this thing), 그것 (that thing), 저것 (that thing over there).
Key Takeaways: - 이 (i): this — near speaker; 이것 (igeot): this thing - 그 (geu): that — near listener / previously mentioned; 그것 (geugeot): that thing - 저 (jeo): that over there — distant from both; 저것 (jeogeot): that thing over there - 이/그/저 + noun: demonstrative adjective (이 책, this book) - 여기/거기/저기: here / there / over there — location equivalents - 이렇게/그렇게/저렇게: like this / like that / like that over there
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이 (this): ㅇ + ㅣ — single syllable. 그 (that): ㄱ + ㅡ — the ㅡ vowel is the close back unrounded vowel. 저 (that over there): ㅈ + ㅓ — ㅓ is open-mid back unrounded /ʌ/. When these become pronouns, add 것 (geot, thing): 이것, 그것, 저것. In casual speech these contract: 이거 (igeo), 그거 (geugeo), 저거 (jeogeo).
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13.1 이 (i) this 책은 (chaegeun) book-TOPIC 재미있어요 (jaemiisseoyo) interesting-POLITE
13.2 그 (geu) that 사람은 (sarameun) person-TOPIC 누구예요 (nuguyeyo) who-is-POLITE？
13.3 저것은 (jeogeoseun) that-over-there-TOPIC 뭐예요 (mwoyeyo) what-is-POLITE？
13.4 이것을 (igeoseul) this-OBJ 주세요 (juseyo) please-give-POLITE
13.5 그 (geu) that 영화는 (yeonghwaneun) film-TOPIC 정말 (jeongmal) really 좋았어요 (joasseoyo) was-good-POLITE
13.6 저 (jeo) that-over-there 건물이 (geonmuri) building-SUBJ 박물관이에요 (bangmulgwanieyO) museum-is-POLITE
13.7 이렇게 (ireoke) like-this 하세요 (haseyo) please-do-POLITE
13.8 그것은 (geugeoseun) that-TOPIC 제 (je) my 가방이에요 (gabangieyO) bag-is-POLITE
13.9 저기에 (jeogie) over-there-AT 앉으세요 (anjeuseyo) please-sit-POLITE
13.10 이 (i) this 음식이 (eumsigi) food-SUBJ 맛있어요 (massisseoyo) delicious-POLITE
13.11 그렇게 (geureoke) like-that 생각해요 (saenggakhaeyo) think-POLITE
13.12 이 (i) this 노래를 (noraereul) song-OBJ 아세요 (aseyo) know-POLITE？
13.13 저 (jeo) that 산이 (sani) mountain-SUBJ 정말 (jeongmal) really 아름다워요 (areumdawoyo) beautiful-POLITE
13.14 그 (geu) that 때 (ttae) time 행복했어요 (haengbokhaesseoyo) was-happy-POLITE
13.15 이것저것 (igeotjeogeot) this-and-that 다 (da) all 먹었어요 (meogeosseoyo) ate-POLITE
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13.1 이 책은 재미있어요. "This book is interesting." 13.2 그 사람은 누구예요? "Who is that person?" 13.3 저것은 뭐예요? "What is that over there?" 13.4 이것을 주세요. "Please give me this." 13.5 그 영화는 정말 좋았어요. "That film was really good." 13.6 저 건물이 박물관이에요. "That building over there is the museum." 13.7 이렇게 하세요. "Please do it like this." 13.8 그것은 제 가방이에요. "That is my bag." 13.9 저기에 앉으세요. "Please sit over there." 13.10 이 음식이 맛있어요. "This food is delicious." 13.11 그렇게 생각해요. "I think like that / I think so." 13.12 이 노래를 아세요? "Do you know this song?" 13.13 저 산이 정말 아름다워요. "That mountain over there is really beautiful." 13.14 그 때 행복했어요. "I was happy at that time." 13.15 이것저것 다 먹었어요. "I ate a bit of this and that."
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13.1 이 책은 재미있어요. 13.2 그 사람은 누구예요? 13.3 저것은 뭐예요? 13.4 이것을 주세요. 13.5 그 영화는 정말 좋았어요. 13.6 저 건물이 박물관이에요. 13.7 이렇게 하세요. 13.8 그것은 제 가방이에요. 13.9 저기에 앉으세요. 13.10 이 음식이 맛있어요. 13.11 그렇게 생각해요. 13.12 이 노래를 아세요? 13.13 저 산이 정말 아름다워요. 13.14 그 때 행복했어요. 13.15 이것저것 다 먹었어요.
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이/그/저 as adjectives: Directly precede nouns with no space: 이 책 (this book), 그 사람 (that person), 저 건물 (that building over there). They do not change form for any grammatical category — no case, number, or gender agreement.
이것/그것/저것 as pronouns: Add 것 (thing): 이것 (this thing), 그것 (that thing), 저것 (that thing over there). In casual speech: 이거/그거/저거. With topic marker: 이것은/이건 (as for this).
여기/거기/저기 — location counterparts: 여기 (here — near speaker), 거기 (there — near listener), 저기 (over there — distant). 여기에 있어요 (it is here), 거기에 가요 (go there), 저기를 보세요 (look over there).
이렇게/그렇게/저렇게 — manner: 이렇다 (be like this), 그렇다 (be like that), 저렇다 (be like that over there). The 게 adverbial form: 이렇게 하다 (do like this), 그렇게 생각하다 (think like that). 그렇게 is especially common in conversation as "in that way / so / like that."
이것저것 — "this and that / various things": A fixed compound meaning "various things / bits of this and that." Very common in conversation about eating, shopping, or doing miscellaneous things.
Common Mistakes: - Confusing 그 (that — near listener/mentioned) with 저 (that — distant from both): In a shop, the item near you is 이것; the item the shopkeeper holds out is 그것; the item on the far shelf is 저것. - Spacing: 이책 (wrong — no space); 이 책 (correct — space between demonstrative and noun).
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그 때 (at that time) — 그 is the particle of memory and shared reference. In Korean conversation, 그 picks up what has just been said: 어제 공원에 갔어요. 그 공원에서 (I went to the park yesterday. At that park...). 그 functions as the cohesive glue of Korean narrative — it points backward to the shared known, as naturally as English "the" does. Learning 그 is learning how Korean discourse cohesion works.
이렇게 하세요 (do it like this) — the most useful phrase in any instructional context: cooking demonstrations, language classes, physical therapy, factory training. 이렇게 points at the immediately demonstrated action. Korean teachers, coaches and craftspeople use it constantly.
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이상 (Yi Sang), 《날개》— Wings, 1936
그것은 나의 날개였다.
F-A: Interlinear — 그것은 (geugeoseun) that-TOPIC 나의 (naui) my 날개였다 (nalgaeyeotda) wings-was-PAST
F-B: Translation — "That was my wings."
F-C: Original — 그것은 나의 날개였다.
F-D: Notes — 그것은: that thing, as topic. Yi Sang's modernist prose turns on 그것 — the thing that is unnamed, pointed at, defined only by its demonstrative distance. "That" — not "my wings," not "the wings" — but "that thing" which was wings. The demonstrative pronoun creates the existential distance between the self and what should be most intimate.
F-E: Commentary — Yi Sang, writing in Japanese colonial Korea, made the demonstrative pronoun carry enormous psychological weight. 그것 points at something already named or known — but in Wings, what 그것 points at keeps shifting, kept at demonstrative distance from the narrator who should own it. Learning 그/이/저 means learning how Korean places things in relation to speaker and listener — and occasionally, how a writer can use that placement to create estrangement.
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A child asking questions at a grandparent's house — every demonstrative used as the child points at unfamiliar objects.
13.16 할머니 (halmeoni) grandmother 집에 (jibe) home-AT 처음 (cheoeum) first-time 갔을 (gasseul) went 때 (ttae) when，나는 (naneun) I-TOPIC 모든 (modeun) everything 것이 (geosi) thing-SUBJ 신기했다 (singihwotda) was-curious-PAST
13.17 「이게 (ige) this-SUBJ 뭐예요 (mwoyeyo) what-is？」라고 (rago) QUOT 물어봤다 (mureobwatda) asked-PAST
13.18 할머니는 (halmeonineun) grandmother-TOPIC 웃으면서 (useumyeonseo) smiling-while 「그건 (geugeon) that-TOPIC 옛날 (yennal) olden-days 다듬잇돌이야 (dadeumiitdoriya) fulling-stone-is」라고 (rago) QUOT 했다 (haetda) said-PAST
13.19 「저건 (jeogon) that-over-there-TOPIC 뭐예요 (mwoyeyo) what-is？」라고 (rago) QUOT 또 (tto) again 물었다 (mureotda) asked-PAST
13.20 「저건 (jeogon) that-over-there-TOPIC 할아버지 (harabeoji) grandfather 의 (ui) GEN 장기판이야 (janggipanikya) chess-board-is」
13.21 이것저것 (igeotjeogeot) this-and-that 만지면서 (manjimyeonseo) touching-while，할머니는 (halmeonineun) grandmother-TOPIC 하나씩 (hanassik) one-by-one 설명해 (seolmyeonghae) explained 주셨다 (jusyeotda) gave-HON-PAST
13.22 그 (geu) that 날 (nal) day，나는 (naneun) I-TOPIC 이 (i) this 집이 (jibi) house-SUBJ 정말 (jeongmal) really 좋아졌다 (joajyeotda) came-to-like-PAST
13.23 그것들은 (geugeotdeureun) those-things-TOPIC 그냥 (geunyang) just 물건이 (mulgeoni) objects-SUBJ 아니었다 (anieotda) not-were-PAST
13.24 이것 (igeot) this 하나하나에 (hananahanae) one-by-one-AT 이야기가 (iyagiga) story-SUBJ 있었다 (isseotda) existed-PAST
13.25 할머니가 (halmeoniGA) grandmother-SUBJ 그 (geu) that 이야기들을 (iyagideureul) stories-OBJ 들려주셨다 (deullyeojusyeotda) told-HON-PAST
13.26 저 (jeo) that 낡은 (nalgeun) old 장롱 (jangnong) wardrobe 안에 (ane) inside-AT 도 (do) also 이야기가 (iyagiga) story-SUBJ 있었다 (isseotda) existed-PAST
13.27 이렇게 (ireoke) like-this 오래된 (oraedoen) old 것들이 (geotdeuri) things-SUBJ 아름다울 (areumdaul) beautiful 수 (su) can 있다는 (issadaneun) exist-QUOT 걸 (geol) NMLZ 몰랐다 (mollattda) didn't-know-PAST
13.28 그 (geu) that 후로 (huro) after，나는 (naneun) I-TOPIC 오래된 (oraedoen) old 것에 (geose) thing-AT 관심이 (gwansimi) interest-SUBJ 생겼다 (saenggyeotda) arose-PAST
13.29 이것이 (igeosi) this-SUBJ 내 (nae) my 첫 (cheot) first 번째 (beonjjae) ORD 역사 (yeoksa) history 공부였다 (gongbuyeotda) study-was-PAST
13.30 그것은 (geugeoseun) that-TOPIC 할머니 (halmeoni) grandmother 의 (ui) GEN 집에서 (jibeseo) home-AT 시작됐다 (sijaktdwaetda) began-PAST
13.16 할머니 집에 처음 갔을 때，나는 모든 것이 신기했다. "When I went to grandmother's house for the first time, I was curious about everything." 13.17 「이게 뭐예요?」라고 물어봤다. "'What is this?' I asked." 13.18 할머니는 웃으면서 「그건 옛날 다듬잇돌이야」라고 했다. "Grandmother said with a smile, 'That is an old fulling stone.'" 13.19 「저건 뭐예요?」라고 또 물었다. "'What is that over there?' I asked again." 13.20 「저건 할아버지의 장기판이야.」 "'That over there is grandfather's chess board.'" 13.21 이것저것 만지면서，할머니는 하나씩 설명해 주셨다. "While I touched this and that, grandmother explained each one by one." 13.22 그 날，나는 이 집이 정말 좋아졌다. "That day, I came to really like this house." 13.23 그것들은 그냥 물건이 아니었다. "Those things were not just objects." 13.24 이것 하나하나에 이야기가 있었다. "Each one of these things had a story." 13.25 할머니가 그 이야기들을 들려주셨다. "Grandmother told me those stories." 13.26 저 낡은 장롱 안에도 이야기가 있었다. "Even inside that old wardrobe over there was a story." 13.27 이렇게 오래된 것들이 아름다울 수 있다는 걸 몰랐다. "I didn't know that old things like this could be beautiful." 13.28 그 후로，나는 오래된 것에 관심이 생겼다. "After that, an interest in old things arose in me." 13.29 이것이 내 첫 번째 역사 공부였다. "This was my first history lesson." 13.30 그것은 할머니의 집에서 시작됐다. "It began at grandmother's house."
13.16 할머니 집에 처음 갔을 때，나는 모든 것이 신기했다. 13.17 「이게 뭐예요?」라고 물어봤다. 13.18 할머니는 웃으면서 「그건 옛날 다듬잇돌이야」라고 했다. 13.19 「저건 뭐예요?」라고 또 물었다. 13.20 「저건 할아버지의 장기판이야.」 13.21 이것저것 만지면서，할머니는 하나씩 설명해 주셨다. 13.22 그 날，나는 이 집이 정말 좋아졌다. 13.23 그것들은 그냥 물건이 아니었다. 13.24 이것 하나하나에 이야기가 있었다. 13.25 할머니가 그 이야기들을 들려주셨다. 13.26 저 낡은 장롱 안에도 이야기가 있었다. 13.27 이렇게 오래된 것들이 아름다울 수 있다는 걸 몰랐다. 13.28 그 후로，나는 오래된 것에 관심이 생겼다. 13.29 이것이 내 첫 번째 역사 공부였다. 13.30 그것은 할머니의 집에서 시작됐다.
좋아지다 (joajida) — "come to like / grow to like": 좋다 (good/like) + 아지다 (become). The 아/어지다 construction turns an adjective into a "become" verb: 좋아지다 (come to like / become good), 예뻐지다 (become pretty), 어려워지다 (become difficult). 나는 이 집이 좋아졌다 (I came to like this house — the liking developed).
들려주다 (deullyeojuda) — "tell / let hear": 듣다 (hear) → 들리다 (be heard) → 들려주다 (cause to be heard / tell stories to someone). The complex causative-benefactive: let me cause [the stories] to be heard for you. One of Korean's characteristic compound verbs of transmission.
-다는 걸 몰랐다 (daneun geol mollattda) — "didn't know that ~": Verb + 다는 (quoting the proposition) + 것 (nominaliser) + 을 (object) + 모르다 (not know). 아름다울 수 있다는 걸 몰랐다 (didn't know that [they] could be beautiful). The quoting-nominalising construction is essential for reporting thoughts and knowledge states in Korean.
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이 (i) — IPA: /i/ — High front unrounded vowel. Short and clear. 그 (geu) — IPA: /kɯ/ — Velar stop + close back unrounded vowel /ɯ/. The ㅡ is the hardest Korean vowel for English speakers — flat lips, tongue back. 저 (jeo) — IPA: /tɕʌ/ — Palatal affricate /tɕ/ + open-mid back unrounded vowel /ʌ/.
이것 (igeot) — IPA: /i.gʌt/ — Two syllables. The final ㅅ in 것 is unreleased: /t̚/. In speech before 은/이/을 the ㅅ links: 이것은 → [i.gʌ.sɯn].
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