Progress vs. Maintained State
In Korean, there are two common ways to describe an action's state. The choice depends on whether the action is actively happening, or if the action is finished but its result remains.
Action in Progress: -고 있어요
Use this when someone is actively doing the action right now. The movement is not finished yet.
Maintained Result State: -아/어 있어요
Use this when the action is completely finished, but the result or position caused by that action is still maintained. Not all verbs can use this form—it is typically used with verbs that involve a change of state or position.
Changing the State
When dealing with things like doors, windows, and lights, Korean clearly separates the action of changing them from the state of them being changed.
Action in Progress (-고 있어요) · Maintained State (-아/어 있어요)
문을 열고 있어요
Someone is opening the door. · 문이 열려 있어요
The door is open.
불을 켜고 있어요
Someone is turning on the light. · 불이 켜져 있어요
The light is on.
Notice that the particle also commonly changes: the object particle ( 문을 ) is used for the active action, while the subject particle ( 문이 ) is used for the maintained state.
Postures: Sitting, Standing, Lying Down
In Korean, body postures like sitting (앉다), standing (서다), and lying down (눕다) are treated as actions that lead to a result state.
If you say 앉고 있어요 , it means you are in the middle of bending your knees to sit down. To say "I am sitting" (meaning you are already seated and resting in that position), you must use the maintained state: 앉아 있어요 .
의자에 앉아 있어요 (I am sitting on a chair.)
문 앞에 서 있어요 (I am standing in front of the door.)
소파에 누워 있어요 (I am lying on the sofa.)