Korean · TOPIK Band 1 · Chapter 13

이게 뭐예요?What's this?

Ige mwoyeyo?

Demonstrative pronouns 이것 (this), 그것 (that), 저것 (that over there). Unlike the ch8 determiners 이/그/저 + noun, the pronouns 이것/그것/저것 mean "this thing / that thing" on their own. In speech they shorten to 이거/그거/저거, and in the subject form they contract further: 이것이→이게, 그것은→그건. New words: clock, computer, pen, umbrella, wallet. Hangul corner: written contractions (이것이→이게, 그것은→그건).

Dialogue

i

Study this section in the Bookverse app

Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
Practice tasks with pass tracking
A teacher on every study screen
Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
Audio playback for dialogues and words
Speaking practice with feedback
Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app

You will be asked to register first.

이게 뭐예요?— What's This?

Minsu마ma이i클keul씨ssi,이i게ge뭐mwo예ye요yo?Michael, what's this?
Michael이i것geos이i시si계gye예ye요yo?Is this a watch? (a bit stiff: 이것이 usually contracts to 이게)
Minsu말mal할hal때ttae는neun"이i게ge"로ro줄jur여yeo요yo—이i게ge시si계gye예ye요yo.그geu건geon펜pen이i에e요yo.In speech it shortens to "이게" — 이게 시계예요. That's a pen.
Michael아a,이i게ge시si계gye예ye요yo!그geu럼reom저jeo거geo는neun뭐mwo예ye요yo?Ah, this is a watch! Then what's that over there?

Dialogue

i

Study this section in the Bookverse app

Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
Practice tasks with pass tracking
A teacher on every study screen
Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
Audio playback for dialogues and words
Speaking practice with feedback
Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app

You will be asked to register first.

저거는 뭐예요?— What's That Over There?

Jieun이i건geon제je지ji갑gab이i에e요yo.그geu건geon마ma이i클keul씨ssi컴keom퓨pyu터teo예ye요yo?This is my wallet. Is that your computer, Michael?
Michael네ne.그geu리ri고go그geu것geos은eun우u산san이i에e요yo.Yes. And that (far away) is an umbrella. (slip: 그것 is near you; for the far one use 저것)
Jieun저jeo쪽jjok건geon"저jeo것geot"이i에e요yo—저jeo거geo는neun우u산san이i에e요yo.그geu건geon제je거geo예ye요yo.The one over there is "저것" — 저거는 우산이에요. 그것 (near me) is mine.
Michael아a,저jeo거geo는neun우u산san이i에e요yo!이i건geon지ji갑gap,그geu건geon컴keom퓨pyu터teo,저jeo건geon우u산san이i에e요yo.Ah, that over there is an umbrella! This is a wallet, that's a computer, that one over there is an umbrella.

Vocabulary

i

Study this section in the Bookverse app

Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
Practice tasks with pass tracking
A teacher on every study screen
Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
Audio playback for dialogues and words
Speaking practice with feedback
Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app

You will be asked to register first.

이i것geot: pronounthis (thing)
이i거geo: pronounthis one (colloquial)
그geu것geot: pronounthat (thing)
그geu거geo: pronounthat one (colloquial)
저jeo것geot: pronounthat thing (over there)
저jeo거geo: pronounthat one (over there, colloquial)
것geot: nounthing, one
시si계gye: nounclock, watch
컴keom퓨pyu터teo: nouncomputer
펜pen: nounpen
우u산san: nounumbrella
지ji갑gap: nounwallet

Grammar

i

Study this section in the Bookverse app

Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
Practice tasks with pass tracking
A teacher on every study screen
Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
Audio playback for dialogues and words
Speaking practice with feedback
Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app

You will be asked to register first.

Demonstrative pronouns 이것 / 그것 / 저것

Explanation

In ch8, 이/그/저 were determiners before a noun (이 사람 = this person). Now they are pronouns pointing at a thing itself: 이것 (near me), 그것 (near you), 저것 (far from us both). In speech they usually shorten to 이거/그거/저거. With a particle they contract further: 이것이 → 이게, 그것이 → 그게, 이것은 → 이건, 그것은 → 그건. So "이게 뭐예요?" is the most natural question.

Examples

이i게ge뭐mwo예ye요yo?What's this? (이것이 → 이게)
그것은 시계예요.That's a watch.
저거는 제 가방이에요.That over there is my bag.
이건 펜이에요, 그건 우산이에요.This is a pen, that's an umbrella. (이건/그건)

Hangul

i

Study this section in the Bookverse app

Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
Practice tasks with pass tracking
A teacher on every study screen
Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
Audio playback for dialogues and words
Speaking practice with feedback
Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app

You will be asked to register first.

한글 복습: 축약 (이것이 → 이게)— Hangul Review: Contractions (이것이 → 이게)

Compare the full and contracted forms aloud:

Want to actually learn this — with audio, spaced repetition and progress tracking?

Study in the app →