서술격 조사 이다: rules, examples & exercises | Korean Grammar A1

서술격 조사 이다

A1 — 동사

The copula 이다 (to be) and its negative 아니다 (to not be)

Can use 이다/아니다 to identify and negate nouns in polite speech

The copula 이다 (to be) and its negative 아니다 (to not be)

Examples

저는 학생이에요. — I am a student.
이것은 커피예요. — This is coffee.
저는 의사가 아니에요. — I am not a doctor.
여기는 어디예요? — Where is this place?

동사A1

Copula 이다 (to be)

The copula 이다 (to be) and its negative 아니다 (to not be)

Learning Goal

Can use 이다/아니다 to identify and negate nouns in polite speech

Exam Skills:쓰기읽기

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

저는 학생이에요.

I am a student.

이것은 커피예요.

This is coffee.

저는 의사가 아니에요.

I am not a doctor.

여기는 어디예요?

Where is this place?

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

서술격 조사 이다 — The Copula 'to be'

Korean's copula 이다 means 'to be' and attaches directly to the noun — it is technically a particle, not a verb!

Polite informal (해요체) forms:

Condition	Form	Example
After consonant	~이에요	학생이에요 (is a student)
After vowel	~예요	의사예요 (is a doctor)

Negative: 아니다 → 아니에요

Positive	Negative
저는 학생이에요. (I'm a student.)	저는 학생이 아니에요. (I'm not a student.)
이것은 책이에요. (This is a book.)	이것은 책이 아니에요. (This is not a book.)

Key pattern — X는 Y이에요/예요:

This is the most basic identification sentence: "X is Y".

저는 선생님이에요. = I am a teacher.
이것은 커피예요. = This is coffee.
여기는 학교예요. = This (place) is a school.

Note: 이다 is ONLY for nouns. For adjectives, Korean uses descriptive verbs (형용사): 커요 (is big), 좋아요 (is good) — NOT *큰이에요.

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

Practice Exercises

Learners use 이다 with adjectives (*좋다이에요) or forget the consonant/vowel form distinction. 🇬🇧 English speakers: English 'to be' works with both nouns AND adjectives ('She is a teacher' / 'She is tall'). In Korean, 이다 only works with nouns. For adjectives, use the adjective's own conjugation: 키가 커요 (is tall), NOT *키가 큰이에요. 🇩🇪 German speakers: Same issue — German 'sein' works with both nouns and adjectives. Also, German speakers may forget that 이다 literally attaches to the noun (학생이에요, not 학생 이에요 with a space).

Common Error Patterns

Used 이에요/예요 with an adjective instead of the adjective's own conjugation

이다 is ONLY for nouns: 학생이에요 (student). For adjectives, conjugate directly: 커요 (big), 좋아요 (good)

Used wrong copula form (이에요 after vowel or 예요 after consonant)

이에요 after consonant: 학생이에요. 예요 after vowel: 커피예요

저는 학생이에요.

I am a student.

학생 ends in consonant ㅇ, so use 이에요: 학생 + 이에요. Topic 저는 sets the context.

이것은 커피예요.

This is coffee.

커피 ends in vowel ㅣ, so use 예요: 커피 + 예요 (contracted from 이에요).

저는 의사가 아니에요.

I am not a doctor.

Negative pattern: noun + 이/가 + 아니에요. 의사 (doctor) + 가 (subject, after vowel) + 아니에요 (am not).

여기는 어디예요?

Where is this place?

여기 (here) + 는 (topic) + 어디 (where) + 예요 (is). Literally: 'As for here, where is it?'

Practice in course

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

A1 Course

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Put it into practice

Try a free exercise from the course

Frequently asked questions

When is 서술격 조사 이다 used?: Korean's copula 이다 means 'to be' and attaches directly to the noun — it is technically a particle, not a verb!
How is 서술격 조사 이다 formed?: Note: 이다 is ONLY for nouns. For adjectives, Korean uses descriptive verbs (형용사): 커요 (is big), 좋아요 (is good) — NOT *큰이에요.
What are common mistakes with 서술격 조사 이다?: Learners use 이다 with adjectives (*좋다이에요) or forget the consonant/vowel form distinction. 🇬🇧 English speakers: English 'to be' works with both nouns AND adjectives ('She is a teacher' / 'She is tall'). In Korean, 이다 only works with nouns. For adjectives, use the adjective's own conjugation: 키가 커요 (is tall), NOT *키가 큰이에요. 🇩🇪 German speakers: Same issue — German 'sein' works with both nouns and adjectives. Also, German speakers may forget that 이다 literally attaches to the noun (학생이에요, not 학생 이에요 with a space). 🇷🇺 Russian speakers: Russian drops 'to be' in present tense (Я студент), so remembering to include 이에요/예요 is challenging.