# 있다 and 가지다



## AG82

what's the difference between 있다 and 가지다 and when use them?
I learn that  있다 means to be, to exist or to have, and 가지다 means to have. My doubt is with the "to have" (posesion) meaning, we use 있다 when we speak about persons or animals and 가지다 when we speak about objects for all I know. Is that correct?
But, how to difference, for example in this case: 나는 토끼 있어요, it would mean that I have a rabbit, or maybe that I am a rabbit? (in carnival for example).
I am so confused about  있다 and 가지다  :/
Thank you for your responses ^^


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## Huiring 1003

있다 can't have object like an intransitive verb. So we say 나는 토끼가 있다. without using 를/을 particle for objective.  and It only mean I have a rabbit. Because if you want to say I am a rabbit, we say 이다 not 있다.  있다 as to be is not like  "to become" or "to be" and can't have object. 이다 is more like "to be" and it  needs objects but 있다 doesn't.   있다 means more "to exist"  , an intransitive verb. 
산이 있다. it means Mountain exists. and can't mean have because it has no object in this sentence.
when 있다 means "to have" it will use in this form
나는 ~이 있다 : 나는 펜이 있다 I have a pen/나는 토끼가 있다/ 나는 가방이 있다 I have a bag


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## brandonkim

Hi
I am not quite sure if my guessing for your question is what I am going to answer you now or other things since I do not catch up your question exactly...

But if I guess what you do not know or what you are curious, then, it might be the matter of  '본용언(main preidcate)' vs '보조용언'(supporting predicate) rather than just the meaning of '가지다','있다'.
Also if I understood your question correctly, then, I recommend you to ask how to distinguish each of the predicates when they are used in a raw as a predicate if you have a Korean teacher who teaches Korean.

Well, first, I recommend you to know what is 용언 and what is 본용언 and 보조용언

용언; predicate(서술어)/ description word.
본용언; main predicate; it does describing role by itself without any help of supporting predicate.(보조용언)
보조용언; supporting preicate; it cannot perform its role by itself. It always has to be used together with  main preidcate(본용언)

ex) 나는 토끼를 가지고 있다.
가지고; 본용언(가지다->가지+고)
있다; 보조용언

a)if there is two predicates in a row(ex; 가지고 있다), then, first predicate(here;가지고) must be 본용언(main predicate)
-본용언 can be used by itself. (i.e;나는 토끼를 가지다, 나는 토끼를 가졌다, 나는 토끼를 가졌었다.etc..)

b)and the second predicate can be either 본용언 or 보조용언(depending on the sentence)
if the second predicate does not carry out its describing function by itself(i.e; 나는 토끼를 있다; it doesn't make sense.), it is 보조용언(supporting predicate)
or even though it can carry out its descibing function, if the predicate lose its original meaning of the words, then, it could be 보조용언(supporting predicate)

In the sentence, 나는 토끼를 가지고 있다.
the main words that carry out its describing function is '가지고'(가지다;가지+고) of which meaning is 'to have.'
then, the next describing word, '(-고)있다' is doing a role of showing that the act or happening is "present progressive"

examples)
듣고 있다.('듣다'의 진행; listening is being done)
먹고 있다.('먹다'의 진행; eating is being done)
자고 있다('자다'의 진행 sleeping is being done)
아이를 안고 있다.('안다' The status of holding a baby is being kept )
손잡이를 쥐고 있다(The statue of holding onto handrail is being kept)


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## AG82

wow!! both are great answers!!! thank you very very much, you rock! ^^
btw... how is "you rock" in korean?? hehe


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## lucky112

AG82 said:


> wow!! both are great answers!!! thank you very very much, you rock! ^^
> btw... how is "you rock" in korean?? hehe


"you rock" is 너 최고야! but it is quite formal. we do not use it much.
many young people use "오!(Oh) 너 쩐다" but it is a slang.


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## AG82

lucky112 said:


> "you rock" is 너 최고야! but it is quite formal. we do not use it much.
> many young people use "오!(Oh) 너 쩐다" but it is a slang.


Great!! thank you ^^


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