Prepositions of place

Location words with 에

Click any to hear pronunciation

Korean location words are usually a noun + 에 placed after the reference point.

Pattern: [place] + [location word] + 에 — e.g. 책상 위에 (on the desk), 가방 안에 (in the bag).

Common location words

Attach these to a noun and add 에 to say where something is. 위 covers both “on” and “above.” 왼쪽 / 오른쪽 are left and right.

Word	English	Examples
위	on / on top of / above	책상 위에 있어요. It's on the desk. 1 / 1
아래	under / below	의자 아래에 있어요. It's under the chair. 1 / 1
밑	under (directly beneath)	침대 밑에 있어요. It's under the bed. 1 / 1
옆	by / next to	은행 옆에 있어요. It's next to the bank. 1 / 1
왼쪽	on the left	은행 왼쪽에 있어요. It's on the left of the bank. 1 / 1
오른쪽	on the right	학교 오른쪽에 있어요. It's on the right of the school. 1 / 1
건너편	across (on the other side)	길 건너편에 있어요. It's across the street. 1 / 1
앞	in front of	학교 앞에 있어요. It's in front of the school. 1 / 1
뒤	behind	건물 뒤에 있어요. It's behind the building. 1 / 1
안	in / inside	가방 안에 있어요. It's in the bag. 1 / 1
밖	outside	집 밖에 있어요. It's outside the house. 1 / 1
사이	between (two things)	책상하고 의자 사이에 있어요. It's between the desk and the chair. 1 / 1
가운데	among / in the middle	사람들 가운데에 있어요. It's among the people. 1 / 1
근처	near / nearby	역 근처에 있어요. It's near the station. 1 / 1

Compass directions use 쪽 (side): 북쪽 (north), 남쪽 (south), 동쪽 (east), 서쪽 (west). Add 에 for location; combine for northwest, etc.

Word	English	Examples
북쪽	north / on the north side	산 북쪽에 있어요. It's on the north side of the mountain. 1 / 1
남쪽	south / on the south side	한국 남쪽에 있어요. It's in the south of Korea. 1 / 1
동쪽	east / on the east side	서울 동쪽에 있어요. It's east of Seoul. 1 / 1
서쪽	west / on the west side	바다 서쪽에 있어요. It's on the west side, toward the sea. 1 / 1
북동쪽	northeast	북동쪽으로 가요. I'm going northeast. 1 / 1
북서쪽	northwest	북서쪽에 바람이 불어요. The wind blows from the northwest. 1 / 1
남동쪽	southeast	남동쪽 바다가 예뻐요. The sea to the southeast is beautiful. 1 / 1
남서쪽	southwest	남서쪽에 공원이 있어요. There's a park in the southwest. 1 / 1