Korean Demonstratives 2026: 이 사람 그곳 저 물건 Guide

Why 이, 그, 저 with Nouns Matter in Korean

Korean demonstratives become much more useful when you learn how to place 이 i this, 그 geu that, and 저 jeo that over there before nouns. Instead of only saying 이거 igeo this thing, you can say 이 사람 i saram this person, 그곳 geugot that place, and 저 물건 jeo mulgeon that object over there. This pattern helps beginners move from pointing words to clearer noun phrases.

Many learners first meet 이거, 그거, and 저거. Those are useful because they mean this thing, that thing, and that thing over there. But real Korean often needs more detail. You may need to say this person, that store, that book, this food, that place, or that building over there. In those cases, Korean does not usually attach 거 to every noun. Instead, it uses 이, 그, or 저 directly before the noun.

This pattern makes your Korean more specific

If you only say 이거, the listener understands “this thing.” That can be enough when you are pointing to an object. But when you want to identify the type of noun, use 이 + noun. For example, 이 책 i chaek this book, 이 가게 i gage this store, and 이 음식 i eumsik this food all give more exact information than 이거.

This pattern helps you avoid calling people things

A very important beginner rule is that 이거, 그거, and 저거 mean “thing” forms. They are not the best way to refer to people. Instead of saying 이거 for a person, say 이 사람 i saram this person. Instead of 그거 for a person, say 그 사람 geu saram that person. This is clearer and more natural.

This pattern connects pointing words to real grammar

Korean learners often memorize words one by one. But fluency grows when you understand how small words combine. The structure 이 / 그 / 저 + noun is a basic building block. It can appear before sentence endings, particles, verbs, adjectives, and longer descriptions. Once you understand it, sentences such as 이 사람은 누구예요? i saram-eun nugu-yeyo? Who is this person? and 그곳에 가고 싶어요 geugot-e gago sipeoyo I want to go to that place become much easier to read.

The Basic Pattern: 이 / 그 / 저 + Noun

The most important beginner pattern is simple: choose 이, 그, or 저, then place it directly before a noun. These words do not stand alone in the same way as 이거, 그거, and 저거. They need a noun after them. That noun can be a person, place, thing, object, book, store, food, room, seat, sentence, or idea expressed as a noun.

Use 이 before a noun close to you

Use 이 before a noun when the person, place, or thing is close to you or directly connected to your attention. If a book is in your hand, you can say 이 책 i chaek this book. If you are sitting in a room, you can say 이 방 i bang this room. If a person is next to you and you need to identify them politely, you can say 이 사람 i saram this person.

Use 그 before a noun connected to the listener or context

Use 그 before a noun when the noun is near the listener or already known in the conversation. If your friend mentioned a restaurant, you can say 그 식당 geu sikdang that restaurant. If someone talked about a movie, you can say 그 영화 geu yeonghwa that movie. The word 그 often works like “that one we are talking about.”

Use 저 before a noun away from both people

Use 저 before a noun when the person, place, or thing is visible but away from both the speaker and listener. If a building is across the street, say 저 건물 jeo geonmul that building over there. If a person is standing far away, say 저 사람 jeo saram that person over there. If an object is on a distant shelf, say 저 물건 jeo mulgeon that object over there.

Do not add 거 when you already use a noun

A common beginner mistake is trying to combine everything at once. For example, 이거 사람 is not the normal way to say “this person.” Say 이 사람. The word 거 already means “thing” or “one” in these shortened demonstrative forms. If you already have a clear noun such as 사람 saram person, 책 chaek book, or 물건 mulgeon object, use 이, 그, or 저 directly before it.

How to Use 이 Before Korean Nouns

The word 이 i this comes before a noun that is close to the speaker, close to the speaker’s attention, or part of the speaker’s current situation. It can describe a person beside you, a place you are in, a sentence you are reading, a food you are eating, or an object you are holding. Beginners should not think of 이 as a complete sentence by itself. It needs a noun after it.

Use 이 사람 for this person

이 사람 i saram this person is useful when identifying a person near you or a person currently being shown. For example, if you are looking at a photo, you can ask 이 사람 누구예요? i saram nugu-yeyo? Who is this person?. If you are introducing someone beside you, you may hear 이 사람은 제 친구예요 i saram-eun je chingu-yeyo This person is my friend. In many real introductions, people use names or titles, but this phrase helps beginners understand the structure.

Use 이곳 for this place

이곳 igot this place is a noun phrase that refers to the place near the speaker or the place being described. It can sound a little more written or formal than 여기 yeogi here, but it is still useful to recognize. You may see 이곳은 조용해요 igot-eun joyonghaeyo This place is quiet or 이곳이 유명해요 igot-i yumyeonghaeyo This place is famous.

Use 이 물건 for this object

이 물건 i mulgeon this object / this item is useful when you want to be more specific than 이거. In a store, a learner may ask 이 물건 얼마예요? i mulgeon eolmayeyo? How much is this item?. In everyday conversation, people may simply say 이거 얼마예요?, but 이 물건 helps you understand how the noun pattern works.

Use 이 before learning nouns

Korean learners can use 이 with study-related nouns. You can say 이 단어 i dan-eo this word, 이 문장 i munjang this sentence, and 이 표현 i pyohyeon this expression. Then you can build practical questions: 이 단어 무슨 뜻이에요? i dan-eo museun tteus-ieyo? What does this word mean?.

How to Use 그 Before Korean Nouns

The word 그 geu that comes before a noun connected to the listener, a previously mentioned topic, or shared context. It is one of the most important Korean demonstratives because it often refers to something already known in the conversation. For English speakers, this use can be surprising because 그 is not always about physical distance. It can point to memory, context, and earlier conversation.

Use 그 사람 for that person

그 사람 geu saram that person can refer to a person already mentioned or a person connected to the listener’s side of the conversation. If your friend says they met someone yesterday, you can ask 그 사람 친절해요? geu saram chinjeolhaeyo? Is that person kind?. The person does not need to be visible. The person is already known through the conversation.

Use 그곳 for that place

그곳 geugot that place is a noun phrase for a place already mentioned or being discussed. If someone talks about a city, restaurant, school, or travel destination, you can say 그곳에 가고 싶어요 geugot-e gago sipeoyo I want to go to that place. In everyday conversation, 거기 geogi there may sound more casual, but 그곳 helps learners see the noun structure clearly.

Use 그 물건 for that object

그 물건 geu mulgeon that object is useful when talking about an item already mentioned or near the listener. If someone shows you an item, you can ask 그 물건 어디에서 샀어요? geu mulgeon eodi-eseo sasseoyo? Where did you buy that item?. If you discussed an item earlier, you can also refer to it as 그 물건.

Use 그 before abstract nouns too

그 can come before nouns that are not physical objects. You can say 그 생각 geu saenggak that thought / that idea, 그 질문 geu jilmun that question, and 그 이유 geu iyu that reason. This is why 그 is so common in real Korean. It can refer to a topic, not only a visible thing.

How to Use 저 Before Korean Nouns

The word 저 jeo that over there comes before a noun that is visible but away from both the speaker and the listener. It usually has a stronger visual distance than 그. When you use 저, the listener can often look in the direction you mean. That is why it works well with people, buildings, stores, objects, signs, seats, and places across a room or street.

Use 저 사람 for that person over there

저 사람 jeo saram that person over there refers to someone away from both speaker and listener. You can ask 저 사람 누구예요? jeo saram nugu-yeyo? Who is that person over there?. Use this carefully and politely because pointing at people can feel direct. The grammar is useful to know, but in real social situations, tone and context matter.

Use 저곳 for that place over there

저곳 jeogot that place over there is a place noun phrase. You might see or hear it in descriptions, signs, narration, or careful speech. For everyday speech, 저기 jeogi over there may be more common. But 저곳 is helpful when you want to understand a noun phrase like 저곳은 유명해요 jeogot-eun yumyeonghaeyo That place over there is famous.

Use 저 물건 for that object over there

저 물건 jeo mulgeon that object over there works when an object is visible but not close to either person. In a store, you may ask 저 물건 얼마예요? jeo mulgeon eolmayeyo? How much is that object over there?. In everyday speech, people may use 저거 얼마예요?, but the noun phrase 저 물건 helps you understand how 저 modifies a noun.

Use 저 before visible nouns, not just mentioned topics

The difference between 그 and 저 matters. Use 그 when the noun is already mentioned or connected to the listener. Use 저 when you are pointing to something away from both people. If your friend talked about a store yesterday, say 그 가게 geu gage that store. If both of you are looking at a store across the street, say 저 가게 jeo gage that store over there.

People, Places, and Things: The Most Useful Noun Groups

Korean demonstratives with nouns become easier when you practice them by noun group. Instead of memorizing random phrases, group them into people, places, and things. This helps you choose the right word faster. For people, use nouns such as 사람 saram person or 친구 chingu friend. For places, use 곳 got place, 가게 gage store, or 식당 sikdang restaurant. For things, use 물건 mulgeon object / item, 책 chaek book, or 음식 eumsik food.

People: 이 사람, 그 사람, 저 사람

The most useful person pattern is 이 사람 i saram this person, 그 사람 geu saram that person, and 저 사람 jeo saram that person over there. You can ask 이 사람 누구예요? i saram nugu-yeyo? Who is this person?. You can also say 그 사람 알아요? geu saram arayo? Do you know that person?. For 저 사람, use a careful tone because talking about a person while pointing can feel sensitive.

Places: 이곳, 그곳, 저곳

Place phrases include 이곳 igot this place, 그곳 geugot that place, and 저곳 jeogot that place over there. These forms can sound more written or descriptive than 여기, 거기, and 저기, but they are important for reading and structured sentences. For example, 그곳에 가고 싶어요 geugot-e gago sipeoyo I want to go to that place.

Things: 이 물건, 그 물건, 저 물건

Thing or object phrases include 이 물건 i mulgeon this object, 그 물건 geu mulgeon that object, and 저 물건 jeo mulgeon that object over there. These are useful when the object type matters. You can ask 이 물건 이름이 뭐예요? i mulgeon ireum-i mwoyeyo? What is the name of this object?. You can also ask 저 물건 살 수 있어요? jeo mulgeon sal su isseoyo? Can I buy that object over there?.

Daily nouns: book, food, store, seat, and room

Once the main pattern feels clear, practice with daily nouns: 이 책 i chaek this book, 그 음식 geu eumsik that food, 저 가게 jeo gage that store over there, 이 자리 i jari this seat, and 그 방 geu bang that room. These phrases help you describe real situations without memorizing complicated grammar.

Useful Sentence Patterns with 이, 그, 저 + Noun

After you learn noun phrases, the next step is using them in full sentences. A phrase like 이 사람 means “this person,” but a sentence like 이 사람은 누구예요? asks “Who is this person?” Korean becomes practical when you connect the noun phrase to particles, question words, verbs, and endings. You do not need to master every grammar detail at once. Start with a few sentence patterns and reuse them with different nouns.

Pattern 1: Asking who someone is

Use 누구예요? nugu-yeyo? Who is it? with person phrases. Say 이 사람 누구예요? i saram nugu-yeyo? Who is this person?, 그 사람 누구예요? geu saram nugu-yeyo? Who is that person?, and 저 사람 누구예요? jeo saram nugu-yeyo? Who is that person over there?. This is useful when talking about photos, groups, events, or people you do not know.

Pattern 2: Asking what something is

Use 뭐예요? mwoyeyo? What is it? with object phrases. You can ask 이 물건 뭐예요? i mulgeon mwoyeyo? What is this object?. If the object was already mentioned, ask 그 물건 뭐예요? geu mulgeon mwoyeyo? What is that object?. If the object is far away, ask 저 물건 뭐예요? jeo mulgeon mwoyeyo? What is that object over there?.

Pattern 3: Talking about a place

With place nouns, use patterns such as 유명해요 yumyeonghaeyo is famous, 조용해요 joyonghaeyo is quiet, and 가고 싶어요 gago sipeoyo want to go. For example, 이곳은 조용해요 igot-eun joyonghaeyo This place is quiet, 그곳에 가고 싶어요 geugot-e gago sipeoyo I want to go to that place, and 저곳은 유명해요 jeogot-eun yumyeonghaeyo That place over there is famous.

Pattern 4: Asking about price, name, or location

Demonstrative noun phrases are also useful in practical questions. Say 이 책 얼마예요? i chaek eolmayeyo? How much is this book?, 그 가게 이름이 뭐예요? geu gage ireum-i mwoyeyo? What is the name of that store?, or 저 건물 어디예요? jeo geonmul eodi-yeyo? Where is that building over there?. These questions connect grammar to shopping, travel, study, and daily conversation.

Common Beginner Mistakes with 이, 그, 저 and Nouns

Learners often understand 이, 그, and 저 in theory, but mistakes happen when they try to build sentences quickly. The most common issues are mixing up 이 and 이거, using thing-forms for people, choosing 그 when 저 is better, or forgetting that 이, 그, and 저 need nouns after them.

Mistake 1: Saying 이거 사람 instead of 이 사람

이거 already means “this thing.” If you want to say “this person,” do not add 사람 after 이거. Say 이 사람 i saram this person. In the same way, say 그 사람 geu saram that person and 저 사람 jeo saram that person over there. This is one of the most important corrections for beginners.

Mistake 2: Using thing-forms for people

Because 이거, 그거, and 저거 are convenient, beginners may use them too widely. But for people, use person nouns. Say 이분 ibun this person / this gentleman or lady in more respectful situations, or 이 사람 in neutral learning contexts. Avoid treating people as 거 forms. This helps your Korean sound more respectful and natural.

Mistake 3: Using 그 for every English “that”

English “that” can become 그 or 저 in Korean. Use 그 when the noun is near the listener or already mentioned. Use 저 when the noun is visible and away from both people. If a building is across the street, say 저 건물, not automatically 그 건물. If the building was already discussed, then 그 건물 can be natural.

Mistake 4: Letting 이, 그, 저 stand alone

In this noun pattern, 이, 그, and 저 need a noun after them. Do not stop at 이 when you mean “this thing.” Use 이거 if there is no noun. Use 이 책 if the noun is 책. Think of 이, 그, and 저 as noun helpers.

Mistake 5: Depending only on romanization

Romanization can support pronunciation, but Korean structure becomes clearer when you read Hangul directly. Notice how the first word changes: 이 사람, 그 사람, 저 사람. The noun stays the same, but the demonstrative changes. Read the Korean phrase first, then use i saram, geu saram, and jeo saram as support.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion: Use 이, 그, 저 to Build Clear Korean Noun Phrases

Learning 이, 그, and 저 before nouns helps you move beyond basic pointing words. Instead of saying only 이거, you can identify the noun clearly: 이 사람 i saram this person, 이 책 i chaek this book, or 이 단어 i dan-eo this word. Instead of using a general “that,” you can choose 그 for shared context and 저 for visible distance.

The main pattern is easy to remember: 이 / 그 / 저 + noun. Use 이 for something near you or near your attention. Use 그 for something near the listener or already mentioned. Use 저 for something visible and away from both people. Then add sentence patterns such as 누구예요?, 뭐예요?, 얼마예요?, and 가고 싶어요 to create real beginner Korean sentences.