Korean grammar · Upper intermediate (B2)
Nuanced endings: -네요, -잖아요, -거든요 and more
The small endings that give spoken Korean its tone: noticing, reminding, explaining, reporting what you saw, guessing, regretting and trailing off.
Noticing: -네요 and -군요
-네요 (-neyo) reacts to something you have just noticed or learned: (biga mani oneyo), oh, it's really raining; (hangugeoreul jalhasineyo), you speak Korean well. It goes on any stem, including the past ( (beolsseo da meogeonneyo), you've already eaten it all). In casual speech it is -네.
-군요 (-gunyo) is similar but more thoughtful, “so that's how it is”, and a bit more formal or bookish: (geureokunyo), I see. Action verbs take -는군요 ( (ganeungunyo)). The casual form -구나 ( (geureokuna)) is very common between friends.
- 와, 경치가 정말 좋네요.Wa, gyeongchiga jeongmal jonneyo.Wow, the view is really lovely.
- 아, 그래서 늦었군요.A, geuraeseo neujeotgunyo.Ah, so that's why you were late.
Shared knowledge: -잖아요 and -지요
-잖아요 (-janayo) reminds the listener of something they already know or should know, like “you know” or “after all”: (jumarijanayo), it's the weekend, after all. It can sound reproachful when the listener forgot: (jega eoje malhaetjanayo), I told you yesterday. Use it with care towards older people. In casual speech: -잖아.
-지요, usually shortened to -죠 (-jyo), checks that the listener agrees, like a tag question: (nalssi jochyo?), lovely weather, isn't it? As a statement it sounds soft and friendly: (jega hajyo), I'll do it, then; (gachi gasijyo), let's go together. With a question word it makes a polite question: (nugusijyo?), who is it, please?
- 지하철이 더 빠르잖아요.Jihacheori deo ppareujanayo.The subway is faster, you know.
- 한국 사람이시죠?Hanguk saramisijyo?You're Korean, aren't you?
Explaining: -거든요 and trailing -는데요
-거든요 (-geodeunyo) gives a reason or background the listener didn't know, often after the main point, like “you see”: (oneureun mot gayo. Yaksogi itgeodeunyo), I can't go today. I've got plans, you see. It also opens a story, inviting the listener to keep listening: (jega eoje Myeongdonge gatgeodeunyo), so, yesterday I went to Myeongdong …
-(으)ㄴ/는데요 at the end of a sentence leaves it open. It sounds soft, invites a response and politely signals a problem: (jigeumeun jom bappeundeyo), I'm a bit busy just now …; (igeo jega jumunhan ge anindeyo), this isn't what I ordered …
- 우산 가져가세요. 오후에 비가 온대요. 제가 아까 뉴스를 봤거든요.Usan gajyeogaseyo. Ohue biga ondaeyo. Jega akka nyuseureul bwatgeodeunyo.Take an umbrella. They say it'll rain this afternoon; I saw the news earlier.
- 죄송한데요, 자리 좀 바꿔 주실 수 있어요?Joesonghandeyo, jari jom bakkwo jusil su isseoyo?Sorry, but could we swap seats?
What I saw: -더라고요
-더라고요 (-deoragoyo) reports something you saw, heard or experienced yourself in the past, and tells it as a fresh discovery: (geu sikdang jeongmal masitdeoragoyo), that restaurant was really good (I found). It is used for what you observed, not for your own deliberate actions: say , not 제가 가더라고요. Your own feelings at the time are fine: (saenggakboda museopdeoragoyo), it was scarier than I expected.
In casual speech the short form is -더라: (sarami jinjja manteora), there were so many people. The contraction -데요 is also common.
- 울릉도는 바람이 정말 많이 불더라고요.Ulleungdoneun barami jeongmal mani buldeoragoyo.It was really windy on Ulleungdo.
- 민지 씨 동생 봤는데 키가 크더라고요.Minji ssi dongsaeng bwanneunde kiga keudeoragoyo.I saw Minji's brother; he's tall.
Guessing and regretting: -(으)ㄹ걸요, -(으)ㄹ걸
-(으)ㄹ걸요 (-(eu)lgeoryo), said with a rising tone, is a confident guess, “I bet”, “probably”, often gently correcting the listener: (jigeum gado mun dadasseulgeoryo), it'll probably be closed by now.
-(으)ㄹ걸 (-(eu)lgeol), with a falling tone and no 요, is a regret, “I should have”, usually said to yourself: (deo iljjik olgeol), I should have come earlier. To someone else, add : (miri yeyakhalgeol geuraesseoyo), we should have booked. For “I shouldn't have”: (saji malgeol).
- 민수 씨는 벌써 집에 갔을걸요.Minsu ssineun beolsseo jibe gasseulgeoryo.Minsu has probably gone home already.
- 고등학교 때 공부 좀 할걸 그랬어요.Godeunghakgyo ttae gongbu jom halgeol geuraesseoyo.I wish I'd studied a bit harder at high school.
At a glance
All these endings come after the stem (and after -았/었- for the past). Drop 요 for casual speech.
| Ending | Feeling | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -네요 | oh, I've just noticed | (masinneyo), it's delicious |
| -군요 | I see (now I understand) | (geureokunyo), I see |
| -잖아요 | you know, after all | (malhaetjanayo), I told you |
| -죠 | right?, let's | (jochyo?), nice, isn't it? |
| -거든요 | you see (new reason) | (yaksogi itgeodeunyo), I've got plans |
| -더라고요 | I found, I saw | (joteoragoyo), it was good |
| -(으)ㄹ걸요 | I bet, probably | (geureolgeoryo), probably |
| -(으)ㄹ걸 | I should have | (mureobolgeol), I should have asked |
| -는데요 | soft, open-ended | (jom bappeundeyo), I'm a bit busy … |