This, That and What in Korean: 이거, 그거, 저거 and 뭐예요
Korean demonstratives explained: 이거 this, 그거 that near you, 저거 that over there, plus asking 뭐예요 and the subject marker 이/가 — with dialogue and quiz.
Published:
Written by Alvin Lim Certified Korean Language Teacher (Level 2)
Korean splits “this and that” three ways: 이거 for a thing near the speaker, 그거 for a thing near the listener, and 저거 for a thing far from both. Add the question 뭐예요? — what is it? — and you can ask about every unfamiliar object in Korea, which on your first week is most of them. This lesson also gives you a first look at the subject marker 이/가.
The pointing words
Four words carry the whole system. The base forms are 이것, 그것, 저것 and 무엇, but spoken Korean contracts them, and the contractions are what you should learn first.
이 = near me. 그 = near you (or already mentioned). 저 = away from both of us, and visible. Attach 것 — “thing”, spoken as 거 — and you get the pronouns: 이거, 그거, 저거. The same three prefixes work before any noun: 이 책 = this book, 그 가방 = that bag (by you), 저 사람 = that person over there. Textbook-formal 이것은 무엇입니까? shrinks to real-life 이거 뭐예요?
The trap for English speakers: English “that” covers two Korean words. Point at the listener’s phone — 그거. Point at a building across the street — 저거. If you remember 그 as “your-side” and 저 as “yonder”, the system never fails.
Seven objects you will point at first
Everyday carry plus survival items — the nouns that show up in every beginner conversation about stuff.
First look: the subject marker 이/가
뭐예요 questions quietly introduce the next particle in the family. Where 은/는 marks the topic (Lesson 4), 이/가 marks the grammatical subject — typically the new or asked-about thing.
Same last-letter logic as always, with its own pair: Batchim → 이: 이름이 뭐예요? = What is (your) name? Vowel → 가: 친구가 — (my) friend (as the subject). Bonus contraction: 이거 + 가 → 이게. 이게 뭐예요? = What is THIS one (specifically)? For now, recognize it; the full 은/는 vs 이/가 showdown comes later in the curriculum.
Inside a Korean home
You are visiting a Korean friend’s place — or your homestay family’s kitchen — and the unfamiliar objects start talking to you. Watch the demonstratives travel with each speaker.
Look at the first two bubbles: the same bottle is 이거 in your mouth and 그거 in theirs. The pointing words travel with the speaker, not with the object — once that clicks, the system is yours.
And yes, the dialogue is culturally accurate. Most Korean homes run a 김치냉장고, a dedicated second refrigerator tuned for fermentation, and a cold bottle of 보리차 (barley tea) often sits where you expect plain water. Asking 이거 뭐예요? about either one is the most natural icebreaker a guest can offer.
FAQ
What is the difference between 이것 and 이거? Same word. 이것 is the full written form; 이거 is the spoken contraction, and it is what you will hear most of the time. The same pairs exist for 그것/그거, 저것/저거, and 무엇/뭐.
English only has this and that — how do I choose between 그 and 저? Ask where the object is relative to the LISTENER. Near them, or already mentioned in the conversation → 그. Far from both of you but visible enough to point at → 저. Distance from you alone is not enough information in Korean.
Is 뭐예요 polite enough for strangers? Yes — 뭐예요? is standard polite speech, perfectly fine in shops and cafés. The extra-formal 무엇입니까? belongs to announcements and written tests. Among close friends you will hear the casual 뭐야?
Next: Korean verbs and the 해요 form. Previous: introduce yourself in Korean. Full path: curriculum hub.