이에요 vs 예요: say “am, is, are” in Korean

Look at the noun’s last block

학생 has a final consonant in 생, so add 이에요: 학생이에요, “am/is/are a student.” 의사 ends in the vowel ㅏ, so add 예요: 의사예요, “am/is/are a doctor.” The English verb depends on the subject and context; Korean does not change this ending for I, you, or they.

Use the noun to identify someone or something

저는 학생이에요 means “I am a student.” 이거는 책이에요 means “This is a book.” For a name, look at its Korean spelling: 민수예요 but 수빈이에요. Do not decide from the final English letter of a foreign name; use how the name is written and said in Korean.

Ask a question with the same form

학생이에요? can mean “Are you a student?” when addressed to someone. A question mark and question intonation distinguish the question in this simple pattern. 이름이 뭐예요? means “What is your name?” Practise the answer with a fictional name so you can focus on the ending.

Keep nouns separate from action verbs

먹다, “to eat,” uses 먹어요 in everyday polite speech, not 먹다예요. This lesson’s pattern identifies a noun; it is not a universal way to conjugate verbs. For “not be,” learn 아니에요 as its own correct form, as in 저는 학생이 아니에요, “I am not a student.” Avoid the misspelling 아니예요.

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Try each question before opening its answer.

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