Where it is: 에 있어요 and the position nouns

The place takes 에

To say where something is, name the place, add the particle 에, and finish with 있어요: 책은 집에 있어요 the book is at home. 에 is the same for every noun, consonant or vowel. The question is 어디에 있어요? – often shortened to 어디 있어요? in speech. Notice the order, which never changes: the thing, the place with 에, the verb.

Above, below, in front, behind

Korean has no prepositions; it has position nouns that come after the landmark. 위 top, 아래 bottom, 앞 front, 뒤 back, 옆 side, 안 inside, 밖 outside, 사이 between. Put the landmark first, the position noun second, and 에 on the position noun: 책상 위에 on the desk, 가방 안에 in the bag, 은행과 학교 사이에 between the bank and the school. Read the chain from the outside in: 책이 책상 위에 있어요 – the book, the desk, its top, is there.

휴대폰이 가방 안에 있어요The phone is in the bag.

우리 집은 학교 뒤에 있어요Our house is behind the school.