Continuous state: -아/어 있다

This pattern is a combination of a verb and the word 있다 (to be/exist). The -아/어 part acts as a bridge, connecting the action to its lasting result. When you attach 있다 to the conjugated verb, you are essentially saying, "This action happened, and its result is still existing right now." It is like a grammar traffic light that has turned red and stayed red. The focus isn't on the change itself, but on the state that follows. You’ll mostly find this used with verbs that describe posture (like sitting or standing) or the condition of objects (like being open or turned off). Because it focuses on a *state*, it is almost always used with intransitive verbs—the ones that don't need an object to make sense.

1. 1Creating this pattern is like making a quick sandwich. Just follow these three simple steps:
2. 2Find the verb stem: Take your verb and drop the -다 (e.g., 앉다 becomes 앉).
3. 3Conjugate to the -아/어 form:
4. 4If the stem ends in the vowels ㅏ or ㅗ, add -아. (Example: 앉다 → 앉아)
5. 5If the stem ends in any other vowel, add -어. (Example: 서다 → 서)
6. 6If the verb ends in -하다, it becomes -해. (Example: 결혼하다 → 결혼해)
7. 7Add 있다: Stick 있다 right after your conjugated verb.
8. 8Remember, you can then conjugate 있다 into whatever level of politeness you need, like 있어요 for friends or 있습니다 for your boss. If you're talking about someone you really respect, like your grandmother, you should use the honorific form 계시다 instead of 있다.

You’ll use this grammar whenever you want to describe a scene where things are "fixed" in a certain way.

• Physical Postures: This is the most common use. If someone is already in a chair, they are 앉아 있다. If they are standing in line, they are 서 있다. Even if they are lying down on the sofa (we've all been there), it's 누워 있다.
• States of Nature: Want to describe a beautiful park? You’d say the flowers are 피어 있다 (in bloom) or the leaves are 떨어져 있다 (fallen on the ground).
• The Condition of Things: Use this for objects in your house. The window is 열려 있다 (open), the computer is 켜져 있다 (turned on), or a picture is 걸려 있다 (hanging).
• Location: Use it for movement verbs like 가다 (to go) and 오다 (to come). 가 있다 means someone went somewhere and is still there. If your friend is already at the party, they 와 있어요.

This is where many people trip up! You can't just use this with any verb you like.

• No Transitive Verbs: You generally cannot use this with verbs that take an object (words followed by 을/를). You wouldn't say 밥을 먹어 있다. That sounds like you’re in a permanent, scary state of having eaten. For active things like eating, reading, or studying, always use -고 있다.
• No "In-Progress" Actions: If the action is still moving, this grammar is a no-go. If your friend is currently in the middle of lowering their body into a chair, they are 앉고 있다, not 앉아 있다.
• Specific Verbs Only: It doesn't work well with verbs that don't leave a physical, visible result. For example, 만나다 (to meet) doesn't really work here because once the meeting starts, the "action" of meeting is over, but there's no fixed physical posture associated with it in the same way as "sitting."

One of the biggest mistakes is using the active version of a verb when you should use the passive version for objects.

• ✗ Wrong: 창문을 열어 있어요. (This sounds like the window is actively opening itself).
• ✓ Correct: 창문이 열려 있어요. (The window is in the state of being open).

Another classic mistake is using -아/어 있다 for your own active clothes. In Korean, "wearing" clothes is actually treated as a process using -고 있다, even if you’ve been wearing them all day. So, always say 입고 있다 instead of 입어 있다. Yes, even native speakers think the "wearing" rules are a bit unique! Think of it as the one exception to the "photograph" rule.

Let’s clear up the confusion between -고 있다 and -아/어 있다 once and for all.

• -고 있다 (The Video): This is for an action that is happening *right now*. 꽃이 피고 있다 means the flower is literally opening its petals as you watch. It's exciting! It's dynamic!
• -아/어 있다 (The Photo): This is for a finished action with a lasting result. 꽃이 피어 있다 means the flower bloomed earlier and is now just sitting there looking pretty. It's calm. It's a state.

There's also -아/어 놓다. This means you did something and *deliberately* kept it that way for a reason. -아/어 있다 is just a description of what you see, while -아/어 놓다 hints that someone had a plan.