How to Ask if a Store Has Something in Stock - Examples and Variations

Master how to ask if a store has something in stock with the key pattern

Also Appears In: Can Shop at a Grocery Store Can Shop At a Grocery Store

Lesson Notes

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Lesson Transcript

Let's look at some examples.

Listen and repeat or speak along with the native speakers.

소금 있어요? (So-geum iss-eo-yo?)

우유 있어요? (U-yu iss-eo-yo?)

사과 있어요? (Sa-gwa iss-eo-yo?)

후추 있어요? (Hu-chu iss-eo-yo?)

설탕은 어디에 있어요? (Seol-tang-eun eo-di-e iss-eo-yo?)

Did you notice how I used a different pattern?

설탕은 어디에 있어요? (Seol-tang-eun eo-di-e iss-eo-yo?)

"Where is the sugar?"

First is 설탕 (seol-tang), "sugar. 설탕. 설탕.

Next is 은 (eun), the topic-marking particle. 은. 은.

It marks "sugar" as the topic of the sentence. Think of it like "as for" in the expression "as for sugar."

Next is 어디 (eo-di), "Where." 어-디. 어디.

After this is the particle 에(e), the location marking particle. 에. 에.

In this sentence, think of it as the "on" or "at". In spoken Korean, it's often omitted, as speakers tend to omit particles when it's clear which particle would be used.

After this is 있어요? (iss-eo-yo?), translating as "is," as in "Where is the sugar?" in this context. 있어요?

있어요 is the informal-polite form of 있다 (it-da), meaning "to be," in this context. 있다.

Together, it's 설탕은 어디에 있어요? (Seol-tang-eun eo-di-e iss-eo-yo?) literally, "As for sugar, where is [it]?" but it translates as "Where is the sugar?

설탕은 어디에 있어요?

You should be aware of this pattern, but you won't need it for this lesson.

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