Adverbs of Place

What are Adverbs of Place? (장소 부사)

Adverbs of place, or 장소 부사 , are words that specify where an action or state occurs. They modify predicates (like verbs and adjectives) to add information about location.

A key feature of these adverbs is that they function directly without needing location particles like -에 or -에서 , which are attached to place nouns .

Place Adverb vs. Place Noun + Particle

Type · Example · Usage

Adverb of Place · 여기 · 여기 앉으세요.

Place Noun + Particle · 학교에 · 학교에 가요.

For example, you say 여기 앉으세요 (Sit here). The word 여기 itself already contains the meaning of "at this place." While adding -에 is sometimes heard in casual speech, it's generally considered redundant in standard Korean.

Demonstrative Adverbs: 여기, 거기, 저기

These are some of the most common adverbs of place. Their usage depends on the position of the speaker and the listener.

여기 : Here (close to the speaker)

거기 : There (close to the listener, but not the speaker)

저기 : Over there (far from both the speaker and the listener)

Position Adverbs

These adverbs describe a specific position relative to an object or person.

Korean Adverb · English Meaning

위 · on, above, up

아래 · below, under, down

안 · inside

밖 · outside

앞 · front

뒤 · back, behind

옆 · side, next to

These adverbs are essential for giving and understanding directions.

Basic Directions

오른쪽 : Right side / to the right

왼쪽 : Left side / to the left