-아/어 있다 expresses a resultant state - the state that remains after an action has been completed. It means "be in the state of having [verb]-ed" and focuses on the resulting condition rather than the action itself.
Structure
Verb stem + -아/어 있다
Breakdown:
- -아/어: Connective ending (vowel harmony)
- 있다: To exist/be
Literal meaning: "Exist in [verb]-ed state" → "Be in the state of having done"
Vowel Harmony Rules
Bright Vowels (ㅏ, ㅗ): -아 있다
Last vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ:
- 앉다 → 앉아 있다 (be seated)
- 놓다 → 놓아 있다 (be placed)
- 담다 → 담아 있다 (be contained)
Dark Vowels: -어 있다
Last vowel is NOT ㅏ or ㅗ:
- 서다 → 서 있다 (be standing)
- 입다 → 입어 있다 (be wearing)
- 열다 → 열어 있다 (be open)
- 닫다 → 닫혀 있다 (be closed)
하다 Verbs: -해 있다
하다 verbs (rare with this pattern):
- 준비하다 → 준비해 있다 (be prepared)
Conjugation
Present Tense
Formal: -아/어 있습니다
Polite: -아/어 있어요
Casual: -아/어 있어
Past Tense
Formal: -아/어 있었습니다
Polite: -아/어 있었어요
Casual: -아/어 있었어
Future Tense (Less Common)
Polite: -아/어 있을 거예요
Core Meaning: Resultant State
State After Action
Focus on the resulting condition:
- 앉아 있어요 (be sitting - in seated position)
- 서 있어요 (be standing - in standing position)
- 입어 있어요 (be wearing - have clothes on)
- 열어 있어요 (be open - in open state)
- 닫혀 있어요 (be closed - in closed state)
Without -아/어 있다: The action
- 앉아요 (sit down - action)
- 서요 (stand up - action)
With -아/어 있다: The state
- 앉아 있어요 (be sitting - state)
- 서 있어요 (be standing - state)
Common Usage Patterns
Physical Positions
Body positions maintained:
- 앉아 있어요 (be sitting)
- 서 있어요 (be standing)
- 누워 있어요 (be lying down)
- 엎드려 있어요 (be lying face down)
- 기대어 있어요 (be leaning)
Wearing/Carrying
Having something on:
- 입어 있어요 (be wearing clothes)
- 쓰고 있어요 (be wearing hat/glasses)
- 신고 있어요 (be wearing shoes)
- 매고 있어요 (be wearing tied item)
- 들고 있어요 (be holding)
States of Objects
Condition of things:
- 열어 있어요 (be open - door, window)
- 닫혀 있어요 (be closed)
- 켜져 있어요 (be turned on)
- 꺼져 있어요 (be turned off)
- 놓여 있어요 (be placed)
Written/Recorded States
Text and information:
- 쓰여 있어요 (be written)
- 적혀 있어요 (be written down)
- 그려져 있어요 (be drawn)
- 새겨져 있어요 (be engraved)
Politeness Levels
Formal (합니다체)
- 앉아 있습니다 (be sitting)
- 서 있습니다 (be standing)
- 입어 있습니다 (be wearing)
Polite (해요체)
- 앉아 있어요 (be sitting)
- 서 있어요 (be standing)
- 입어 있어요 (be wearing)
Casual (반말)
- 앉아 있어 (be sitting)
- 서 있어 (be standing)
- 입어 있어 (be wearing)
Common Expressions
Location States
- 여기 있어요 (be here)
- 저기 서 있어요 (be standing there)
- 의자에 앉아 있어요 (be sitting on a chair)
- 침대에 누워 있어요 (be lying on the bed)
Object States
- 문이 열어 있어요 (door is open)
- 창문이 닫혀 있어요 (window is closed)
- 불이 켜져 있어요 (light is on)
- 에어컨이 꺼져 있어요 (AC is off)
Written Information
- 이름이 쓰여 있어요 (name is written)
- 가격이 적혀 있어요 (price is written)
- 지도가 그려져 있어요 (map is drawn)
- 날짜가 새겨져 있어요 (date is engraved)
Carrying/Wearing
- 모자를 쓰고 있어요 (be wearing a hat)
- 안경을 쓰고 있어요 (be wearing glasses)
- 가방을 들고 있어요 (be holding a bag)
- 신발을 신고 있어요 (be wearing shoes)
Passive-like Constructions
Objects in States
Using passive forms:
- 놓여 있다 (be placed)
- 걸려 있다 (be hung)
- 세워져 있다 (be erected/standing)
- 묶여 있다 (be tied)
- 감겨 있다 (be wound)
Examples:
- 벽에 그림이 걸려 있어요 (Picture is hung on the wall)
- 책상 위에 책이 놓여 있어요 (Book is placed on the desk)
Tense Usage
Present State
Currently in that state:
- 앉아 있어요 (is sitting)
- 문이 열어 있어요 (door is open)
- 이름이 쓰여 있어요 (name is written)
Past State
Was in that state:
- 앉아 있었어요 (was sitting)
- 문이 열어 있었어요 (door was open)
- 이름이 쓰여 있었어요 (name was written)
Negative Forms
Not In State
안 -아/어 있다:
- 안 앉아 있어요 (not sitting)
- 안 서 있어요 (not standing)
-아/어 있지 않다:
- 앉아 있지 않아요 (not sitting)
- 서 있지 않아요 (not standing)
Common Negative States
- 문이 안 열어 있어요 (door is not open)
- 불이 안 켜져 있어요 (light is not on)
Question Forms
Asking About States
Is it in that state?:
- 앉아 있어요? (Are you sitting?)
- 문이 열어 있어요? (Is the door open?)
- 이름이 쓰여 있어요? (Is the name written?)
Where/How Questions
Location or manner:
- 어디 서 있어요? (Where are you standing?)
- 어떻게 입어 있어요? (How is it worn?)
Comparison with -고 있다
-아/어 있다: Resultant State
Focus on the state after action:
- 앉아 있어요 (be sitting - state)
- 입어 있어요 (be wearing - state)
-고 있다: Action in Progress
Focus on the ongoing action:
- 앉고 있어요 (be sitting down - action)
- 입고 있어요 (be putting on - action)
Detailed comparison in "-고 있다 vs -아/어 있다" section
Example Dialogues
Dialogue 1: Position
A: 거기 서 있지 말고 앉으세요.
(Don't stand there, please sit down.)
B: 괜찮아요, 서 있는 게 편해요.
(It's okay, standing is comfortable.)
Dialogue 2: State Check
A: 문이 열어 있어요, 닫을까요?
(The door is open, shall I close it?)
B: 네, 추우니까 닫아 주세요.
(Yes, it's cold so please close it.)
Dialogue 3: Written Information
A: 여기 뭐라고 쓰여 있어요?
(What does it say here? / What is written here?)
B: "출입금지"라고 쓰여 있어요.
(It says "No Entry.")
Dialogue 4: Wearing
A: 오늘 예쁜 옷 입어 있네요.
(You're wearing pretty clothes today.)
B: 고마워요. 새로 샀어요.
(Thank you. I just bought them.)
Common Mistakes
❌ Incorrect: 공부해 있어요
Using with action verbs that don't result in states
✅ Correct: 공부하고 있어요
Use -고 있다 for ongoing actions
❌ Incorrect: 앉고 있어요 (when meaning "be seated")
Using progressive for state
✅ Correct: 앉아 있어요
Use -아/어 있다 for resultant states
❌ Incorrect: 있어 있어요
Using -아/어 있다 with 있다
✅ Correct: 있어요
있다 doesn't need this pattern
Usage Notes
When to Use -아/어 있다
Use when:
- Describing maintained positions (sitting, standing)
- Describing states of objects (open, closed)
- Something is worn or carried
- Information is recorded (written, drawn)
- Emphasizing the resulting state, not the action
Common verbs:
- Position: 앉다, 서다, 눕다
- Attachment: 입다, 쓰다, 신다, 매다
- Opening/Closing: 열다, 닫다
- Recording: 쓰다, 적다, 그리다
- Placement: 놓다, 걸다, 세우다
Summary Table
| Verb | Action (-아/어요) | Resultant State (-아/어 있어요) |
|---|---|---|
| 앉다 | 앉아요 (sit down) | 앉아 있어요 (be sitting) |
| 서다 | 서요 (stand up) | 서 있어요 (be standing) |
| 입다 | 입어요 (put on) | 입어 있어요 (be wearing) |
| 열다 | 열어요 (open) | 열어 있어요 (be open) |
| 쓰다 | 써요 (write) | 쓰여 있어요 (be written) |
| 신다 | 신어요 (put on shoes) | 신고 있어요 (be wearing shoes) |
| 켜다 | 켜요 (turn on) | 켜져 있어요 (be on) |
| 놓다 | 놓아요 (place) | 놓여 있어요 (be placed) |
Key Takeaways
- ✅ Resultant state: Focus on the state after action is complete
- ✅ Not the action: Different from -고 있다 (ongoing action)
- ✅ Limited verbs: Mainly position, attachment, and state-change verbs
- ✅ Vowel harmony: -아/-어 있다
- ✅ Very common: Essential for natural Korean
- ✅ State emphasis: Emphasizes the resulting condition, not doing
-아/어 있다 is essential for describing states that result from completed actions. Master this pattern to naturally express positions, conditions, and states in Korean.