TeacherJoy

Today, let’s talk about two Korean verbs that learners often mix up: 가지다 and 있다.

If you watched my earlier video about transitive and intransitive verbs, this will click instantly. If not, you might want to check the verb series later for the full explanation.

Here’s the quick reminder:
Transitive verbs need an object, meaning the subject intentionally does something to it. Intransitive verbs don’t, it’s just what exists, what happens, or what someone finds.

So in Korean, “가지다” is transitive, and “있다” is intransitive.
Let’s see how it works.

I brought the noun 자신감, meaning confidence.

• I don’t have confidence. / I’m not confident. → 자신감이 없어요. / 자신이 없어요.
• Be confident. → 자신감을 가져요.

Why? Because 있다 and 없다 are intransitive, they simply describes whether something exists in you. But 가지다 is transitive, meaning you can take it, hold it, or build it.

Another one: 인내심, meaning patience.

• I’m not patient. → 인내심이 없어요.
• Be patient. → 인내심을 가져요.

And if you want to take it a step further, try this one:

• Please wait patiently. → 인내심을 가지고 기다려 주세요.

As a Korean speaker, I prefer “인내심을 가지고 기다려 주세요.”
In English, “patiently” is just an adverb. But in Korean, say what to do first, and then the main action. So you say “인내심을 가지고,” — “with patience” — and then “기다려 주세요.”

Last one: 희망, meaning hope.

• It’s hopeless. / I have no hope. → 희망이 없어요.
• Have hope. → 희망을 가져요.

If it’s about something that exists, use “있다.”
If it’s something you can take, build, or strengthen, use “가지다.”