How to Say "The fish is running in the garden" in Korean | -고 있어요 Grammar

Quick Answer: "The fish is running in the garden" in Korean is "물고기가 정원에서 달리고 있어요." (mulgogiga jeongwoneseo dalrigo iteoyo.). It uses the -고 있어요 grammar pattern (Present Progressive (V-고 있어요)). Level: A1-A2.

In Korean, "The fish is running in the garden" is expressed as "물고기가 정원에서 달리고 있어요.". This sentence demonstrates Present Progressive (V-고 있어요), one of the most useful grammar patterns for Korean learners. Let's explore the grammar and vocabulary.

Category: 동물

What does "The fish is running in the garden" mean in Korean?

The Korean sentence "물고기가 정원에서 달리고 있어요." translates to "The fish is running in the garden." in English. This sentence — "물고기가 정원에서 달리고 있어요." — is one you can start using right away. It expresses "the fish is running in the garden" in a natural, polished way that native speakers would instantly understand.

Pronunciation guide: mulgogiga jeongwoneseo dalrigo iteoyo.

Grammar Point: Present Progressive (V-고 있어요)

The pattern -고 있어요 describes an action happening right now, similar to English '-ing'. It combines a verb stem with -고 있다 in polite form. This sentence also uses 에서 and -아/어요.

Verb stem + 고 있어요. For example: 기다리다 → 기다리고 있어요 (is waiting).

Korean Sentence Structure Breakdown

Korean follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) word order, which is different from English (SVO). In "물고기가 정원에서 달리고 있어요.", the verb comes at the end of the sentence. Here is the word-by-word breakdown: • 물고기가 (mulgogiga) • 정원에서 (jeongwoneseo) • 달리고 (dalrigo) • 있어요 (iteoyo)

Korean sentences always end with the verb. Get comfortable putting the action word last — it is the most important difference from English.

Why This Korean Expression Sounds Natural

This expression sounds natural because Korean fairy-tale language closely mirrors real-life polite speech. Learning sentences like this prepares you for both storybooks and real conversations.

Cultural Insight

한국 전통 이야기에서 호랑이는 무서운 존재이면서도 때로는 어리숙한 캐릭터로 등장해요. '호랑이와 곶감' 같은 이야기가 대표적입니다.

Examples

물고기가 정원에서 달리고 있어요. — mulgogiga jeongwoneseo dalrigo iteoyo. — The fish is running in the garden.

물고기가 정원에서 달리고 있어요? — mulgogiga jeongwoneseo dalrigo iteoyo? — Does the fish is running in the garden?

물고기가 정원에서 달리고 안 있어요. — mulgogiga jeongwoneseo dalrigo an iteoyo. — The fish is not running in the garden.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect: 기다리있어요 → Correct: 기다리고 있어요. The connective particle -고 is required between the verb stem and 있어요. Skipping it makes the sentence ungrammatical.

Incorrect: 학교에 공부해요 → Correct: 학교에서 공부해요. For actions happening at a location, use 에서 not 에. The particle 에 is for static states (있다/없다) or destinations.

Quiz

How do you say "The fish is running in the garden" in Korean?

The correct Korean translation is "물고기가 정원에서 달리고 있어요.". mulgogiga jeongwoneseo dalrigo iteoyo.

Fill in the blank: 물고기가 정원에서 달리고 ___

The correct ending is "있어요". The polite -요 form is essential for everyday Korean conversation.