Korean Language for Beginners

THIS AND THAT (이/그/저)

We use 이 in Korean when we are talking about something that is within touching distance. Just like in English, 이 is placed before the noun it is describing. For example:
이 사람 this person
이 여자 this woman
이 의자 this chair

Unfortunately, there are two words for "that": 그 and 저. Early learners of Korean are always confused with the difference between 그 and 저.

We use 그 when we are talking about something from a previous sentence or from previous context, regardless of if you could see it or not.

We use 저 when we are talking about something that we can see but cannot touch because it is too far away.

We can place 그 or 저 before a noun to describe "that" thing just like we did with 이.

그 사람 that person
그 여자 that woman
그 의자 that chair

저 사람 that person
저 여자 that woman
저 의자 that chair

Again, although the English translations of 그 and 저 are the same, it is important to remember that they are not the same word in Korean.

One of the most common words in Korean is 것 (thing). When 이, 그 or 저 are placed before 것, the result is compound word. Therefore, when placing 것 after 이, 그 or 저, there should not be a space between the two. In other words, the following are words in and within themselves and not two separate words:
이것 this thing
그것 that thing
저것 that thing