“Where” In Korean – What to say to find your way

Learning how to say “where” in Korean will open so many doors to more vocabulary. When learning a new language, even if you aren’t attempting to reach full fluency, there are pieces of vocabulary that absolutely should be learned. The word “where” is one such word. 

A girl with a confused expression

Today’s lesson will focus on how to say ‘where’ in Korean. Not only will it be explained to you briefly, but you will also be shown a lot of examples of the word in use. It is an easy word to learn and remember, but also so important. Now, where shall we start?

“Where” in Korean

The word for “where” in Korean is 어디 (eodi). Its most typical variations are 어디에 (eodie), 어디로 (eodiro) and 어디에서 (eodieseo).

어디에 (eodie) is used when no movement happens. 어디로 (eodiro) is typically used for future tense. And 어디에서 (eodieseo) is usually the one used for past tense.

Sample sentences:

어디에서 오셨어요? (eodieseo osyeosseoyo?)

Where are you from?

어디 사세요? (eodi saseyo?)

Where do you live?

실례하지만, 지하철역은 어디 있으세요? (sillyehajiman, jihacheolyeokeun eodi isseuseyo?)

Excuse me, where is the subway station?

여행을 어디로 갈거에요? (yeohaengeul eodiro galgeoeyo?)

Where will you go on vacation?

어디가 아파요? (eodiga aphayo?)

Where does it hurt?

그 카페는 어디쪽 있어? (geu khapheneun eodijjok isseo?)

Where is that cafe located?

내가 어디까지 이야기를 했지? (naega eodikkaji iyagireul haettji?)

Where was I?

발리에 있었을때 어디 가봤어? (Ballie isseosseulddae eodi gabwasseo?)

Where did you visit while in Bali?

어디서 볼까? (eodiseo bolkka?)

Where shall we meet?

Want more Korean phrases? Click here for a complete list!

“Anywhere” in Korean

Additionally, the words 어디서나 (eodiseona) and 어디엔가 (eodienka) mean “anywhere” in Korean.

Sample sentence:

그런 것은 어디서나 찾을 수 있어요. (geureon geoseun eodiseona chajeul su isseoyo.)

You can find things like that anywhere.

“Wherever” in Korean

Similarly, the word “wherever” translates to 어디에나 (eodiena) and 어디든지 (eodideunji) in Korean. You can use these words, especially 어디든지 (eodideunji), quite interchangeably.

Sample sentence:

어디에 가도 너를 생각할게. (eodie gado neoreul saengakhalke.)

Wherever I go, I’ll think of you.

“Everywhere” in Korean

Lastly, 어디나 (eodina) is one way to say “everywhere” in Korean.

Associations for “Where” in Korean

To remember 어디 (eodi), we can use an image of the dog character from the Garfield comic strip, Odie.

Odie the dog running with his tongue out
Source: wikipedia.org

So to remember “where” in Korean, tell yourself the story: “No one knows where 어디 (Odie) is!”

Can't read Korean yet? Click here to learn for free in about 60 minutes!

A word of caution about Romanization

While it is possible for you to study the words in this article simply by reading their Romanized versions, it will come in handy for you to be able to read Hangeul if you ever wish to come to Korea. Hangeul is the Korean alphabet, and not difficult to learn. In fact, you can learn it in just 90 minutes.

After you’ve familiarized yourself with Hangeul, life in Korea will suddenly seem so much easier, and the country won’t appear so foreign for you. So, if you’re serious about learning Korean, why not learn Hangeul today?

Additionally, to help you with responding to this question with places that involve numbers, we have a full guide for you to learn all about Korean numbers.

Wrap Up

So now that you know how to say “where” in Korean, what phrase would you like to learn next? Let us know in the comments below!

Was this post helpful?
YesNo

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *