Your goal
Books and bags are mixed together. Use ownership information, not just the person standing closest.
Before you start
- 누구
- who
- 주인
- owner
- 제
- my: a polite form of 저의
- 거
- spoken form of 것; 누구 거예요? asks whose it is
- 씨
- a title after a peer’s name in these scenes
제 refers to the speaker’s possession: Yuna’s when Yuna speaks, Min-su’s when Min-su speaks.
Explore the situation
Your role now유나
These are fictional practice labels. You do not need to enter your real name or belongings.
Learn the expressions
| Expression | Meaning and use |
|---|---|
| 누구 거예요? | Ask whose it is |
| 제 책이에요. | Say it is my book |
| 민수 씨의 가방이에요. | Identify another owner by name |
| 제 가방이 아니에요. | Correct the claim that it is mine |
Read the conversation
The book’s owner
누구 거예요?
Show meaning
Whose is it?
제 책이에요.
Show meaning
It is my book.
The bag’s owner
누구 거예요?
Show meaning
Whose is it?
민수 씨의 가방이에요.
Show meaning
It is Min-su’s bag.
Build a sentence
Build a sentence about your own item and another about someone else’s.
Sentence-piece practice
1. Say it is your book.
Sentence pieces
- 책
- 이에요.
- 제
- 예요.
2. The bag belongs to Min-su.
Sentence pieces
- 가방
- 씨
- 이에요.
- 민수
- 의
Practice
Choose the Korean expression that fits the situation.
1. Speaker: Yuna. Book owner: Yuna. Choose a reply.
- 제 책이에요.
- 민수 씨의 책이에요.
- 제 책이 아니에요.
2. Speaker: Yuna. Bag owner: Min-su. Choose a reply.
- 제 가방이에요.
- 유나 씨의 가방이에요.
- 민수 씨의 가방이에요.
3. Ask for the owner, not the item’s name. Which question fits?
- 어디예요?
- 누구 거예요?
- 뭐예요?
4. Which ownership expression is spaced correctly?
- 민수 씨의 책이에요.
- 민수씨 의 책이에요.
- 민수 씨 의책이에요.
Try a new situation
Use the speaker and the labels to identify four owners. Do not call an item yours just because it is nearby.
Tasks
Try the tasks first, then compare with the answers and examples in step 10.
1. You are Mina. Say whose book it is.
Your role now미나
누구 거예요?
Show a hint
Use 제 + item for your own, and name + 씨의 + item for another person’s.
2. As Mina, identify the bag’s owner.
Your role now미나
누구 거예요?
Show a hint
Use 제 + item for your own, and name + 씨의 + item for another person’s.
3. Now Jun speaks. Answer whose phone it is.
Your role now준
누구 거예요?
Show a hint
Use 제 + item for your own, and name + 씨의 + item for another person’s.
4. As Mina, identify Min-su’s umbrella rather than claiming it.
Your role now미나
누구 거예요?
Show a hint
Use 제 + item for your own, and name + 씨의 + item for another person’s.
Check your learning
Try without the example. Check both the information and the expression.
1. Jun says 제 우산이에요. Who owns the umbrella?
- 유나
- 민수
- 준
2. You are Mina. Min-su’s book is beside you. Choose the true statement.
- 미나 씨의 책이에요.
- 민수 씨의 책이에요.
- 제 책이에요.
3. Say the bag is not yours.
- 제 가방이 아니에요.
- 제 가방이 없어요.
- 제 가방이에요.
4. Speaker and phone owner: Aki. Choose the reply.
- 제 휴대전화이에요.
- 민수 씨의 휴대전화예요.
- 제 휴대전화예요.
5. 누구 거예요? Label: Mina. Item: umbrella. Choose a reply.
- 우산이 아니에요.
- 미나 씨의 우산이에요.
- 우산이 있어요.
6. Yuna calls the book 제 책 and Min-su calls it 유나 씨의 책. Who is its owner?
- 유나
- 민수
- 아키
Reflect on your reading
Tick only what you actually checked. Feedback from another person is optional and is not required to finish the lesson.
Answers and explanations
Show answers and explanations
Practice questions
1. Speaker: Yuna. Book owner: Yuna. Choose a reply.
Answer: 제 책이에요.
The speaker is the owner, so 제 책 fits.
- 민수 씨의 책이에요. — “민수 씨의 책이에요.” does not match the information or the requested expression here. The speaker is the owner, so 제 책 fits.
- 제 책이 아니에요. — “제 책이 아니에요.” does not match the information or the requested expression here. The speaker is the owner, so 제 책 fits.
2. Speaker: Yuna. Bag owner: Min-su. Choose a reply.
Answer: 민수 씨의 가방이에요.
Min-su is the owner, so identify him with 씨의.
- 제 가방이에요. — “제 가방이에요.” does not match the information or the requested expression here. Min-su is the owner, so identify him with 씨의.
- 유나 씨의 가방이에요. — “유나 씨의 가방이에요.” does not match the information or the requested expression here. Min-su is the owner, so identify him with 씨의.
3. Ask for the owner, not the item’s name. Which question fits?
Answer: 누구 거예요?
누구 거예요? asks who owns it.
- 어디예요? — “어디예요?” does not match the information or the requested expression here. 누구 거예요? asks who owns it.
- 뭐예요? — “뭐예요?” does not match the information or the requested expression here. 누구 거예요? asks who owns it.
4. Which ownership expression is spaced correctly?
Answer: 민수 씨의 책이에요.
Leave a space before 씨 and attach 의 to it.
- 민수씨 의 책이에요. — “민수씨 의 책이에요.” does not match the information or the requested expression here. Leave a space before 씨 and attach 의 to it.
- 민수 씨 의책이에요. — “민수 씨 의책이에요.” does not match the information or the requested expression here. Leave a space before 씨 and attach 의 to it.
Learning check
1. Jun says 제 우산이에요. Who owns the umbrella?
Answer: 준
제 refers to the current speaker Jun’s possession.
- 유나 — “유나” does not match the information or the requested expression here. 제 refers to the current speaker Jun’s possession.
- 민수 — “민수” does not match the information or the requested expression here. 제 refers to the current speaker Jun’s possession.
2. You are Mina. Min-su’s book is beside you. Choose the true statement.
Answer: 민수 씨의 책이에요.
Being nearby does not change ownership. It is Min-su’s.
- 미나 씨의 책이에요. — “미나 씨의 책이에요.” does not match the information or the requested expression here. Being nearby does not change ownership. It is Min-su’s.
- 제 책이에요. — “제 책이에요.” does not match the information or the requested expression here. Being nearby does not change ownership. It is Min-su’s.
3. Say the bag is not yours.
Answer: 제 가방이 아니에요.
아니에요 denies that it is your bag; 없어요 concerns availability.
- 제 가방이 없어요. — “제 가방이 없어요.” does not match the information or the requested expression here. 아니에요 denies that it is your bag; 없어요 concerns availability.
- 제 가방이에요. — “제 가방이에요.” does not match the information or the requested expression here. 아니에요 denies that it is your bag; 없어요 concerns availability.
4. Speaker and phone owner: Aki. Choose the reply.
Answer: 제 휴대전화예요.
Use 제 for one’s own phone and 예요 after 휴대전화.
- 제 휴대전화이에요. — “제 휴대전화이에요.” does not match the information or the requested expression here. Use 제 for one’s own phone and 예요 after 휴대전화.
- 민수 씨의 휴대전화예요. — “민수 씨의 휴대전화예요.” does not match the information or the requested expression here. Use 제 for one’s own phone and 예요 after 휴대전화.
5. 누구 거예요? Label: Mina. Item: umbrella. Choose a reply.
Answer: 미나 씨의 우산이에요.
Answer the ownership question with the owner Mina’s name.
- 우산이 아니에요. — “우산이 아니에요.” does not match the information or the requested expression here. Answer the ownership question with the owner Mina’s name.
- 우산이 있어요. — “우산이 있어요.” does not match the information or the requested expression here. Answer the ownership question with the owner Mina’s name.
6. Yuna calls the book 제 책 and Min-su calls it 유나 씨의 책. Who is its owner?
Answer: 유나
Both expressions identify Yuna, despite the different speakers.
- 민수 — “민수” does not match the information or the requested expression here. Both expressions identify Yuna, despite the different speakers.
- 아키 — “아키” does not match the information or the requested expression here. Both expressions identify Yuna, despite the different speakers.
Example answers
Written responses are examples. Other wording can also meet the same conditions.
1. You are Mina. Say whose book it is.
누구 거예요?
제 책이에요.
제 거예요.
저의 책이에요.
Mina, the owner, is speaking, so 제 fits.
2. As Mina, identify the bag’s owner.
누구 거예요?
유나 씨의 가방이에요.
유나 씨의 거예요.
The bag belongs to Yuna, not the speaker Mina.
3. Now Jun speaks. Answer whose phone it is.
누구 거예요?
제 휴대전화예요.
제 거예요.
저의 휴대전화예요.
When Jun speaks, 제 refers to Jun’s possession.
4. As Mina, identify Min-su’s umbrella rather than claiming it.
누구 거예요?
민수 씨의 우산이에요.
민수 씨의 거예요.
The label says 민수.
Sentence-piece practice
1. Say it is your book.
제 책이에요.
Separate 제 and 책, then attach 이에요 to 책.
2. The bag belongs to Min-su.
민수 씨의 가방이에요.
민수 씨의 names the owner; 가방이에요 identifies the item.
Review and continue
Come back to these
Recall without the example
Have two speakers describe the same book, changing 제 to a name + 씨의 when needed.
Change one detail
Change an item, person or place and make the sentence again.
Review what felt difficult
I confuse who 제 refers to.Check the speaker again. →Completion and independent use are different checks. Start your review with a difficult expression.