나요, ㄴ/은가요, 니 and 아/어라: softer questions, blunter commands
By Daniel Buckley · 12 minute read · TOPIK 3
Vocabulary
- 간호사 - nurse
- 약국 - pharmacy
- 열 - fever
- 숙제 - homework
- 앉다 - to sit
- 조심하다 - to be careful
- 걱정하다 - to worry
- 건강하다 - to be healthy
- 귀엽다 - to be cute
- 아이고 - oh dear, ow
A nurse asks 어디가 아프신가요? A grandmother asks a small child 밥 먹었니? Neither is the plain 아/어요 question you've been using since Level 1, and both sound gentler for it.
Commands can go the other way. A parent calling a child to the table says 빨리 와라, which is firmer than plain 와. All of these keep the sentence as it is, and change how you're treating the person in front of you.
나요: the gentle polite question
나요 is still 해요체, so it's safe with strangers. Compared with 어디 가요?, 어디 가나요? asks more softly, with less pressure to answer. You'll meet it in shops, in clinics and in the titles of questions people post online.
Making 나요
- Verbs, 있다, 없다: add 나요 to the stem.가다 → 가나요먹다 → 먹나요맛있다 → 맛있나요
- Stem ends in ㄹ: the ㄹ drops.살다 → 사나요알다 → 아나요
- Past, on verbs and adjectives: add 나요 after 았/었.먹었나요바빴나요
- With 시: add 나요 after 시.가시나요드시나요
Pick a verb
가다가가나요
이 근처에 약국이 있나요?
Is there a pharmacy near here?
이거 어떻게 하나요?
How do you do this?
몇 시에 문을 닫나요?
What time do you close?
이 버스 시청에 가나요?
Does this bus go to City Hall?
어디에서 오셨나요?
Where have you come from?
어제 잘 주무셨나요?
Did you sleep well last night?
ㄴ/은가요: the same softness on adjectives
Present-tense adjectives and 이다 take ㄴ/은가요, built on the modifier you know from 좋은 and 큰. It does the same softening as 나요, and the split is the one from 나 보다 and ㄴ/은가 보다: verbs take 나, adjectives take ㄴ/은가.
Making ㄴ/은가요
- Adjectives: ㄴ/은가요.비싸다 → 비싼가요좋다 → 좋은가요춥다 → 추운가요
- Nouns: 인가요.학생 → 학생인가요얼마 → 얼마인가요
- With 시: 신가요.아프다 → 아프신가요누구 → 누구신가요
- A plan: ㄹ/을 건가요.가다 → 갈 건가요먹다 → 먹을 건가요
Pick a verb
비싸다비싸비싼가요
이 가방은 비싼가요?
Is this bag expensive?
어디가 아프신가요?
Where does it hurt?
요즘 많이 바쁜가요?
Are you very busy these days?
오늘 날씨가 어떤가요?
What is the weather like today?
화장실이 어디인가요?
Where is the toilet?
누구신가요?
Who is it, please?
내일 갈 건가요?
Are you going tomorrow?
※ In everyday speech you'll also hear 나요 on adjectives, especially 괜찮나요? The National Institute of Korean Language says 나 goes mainly with verbs and ㄴ/은가 with adjectives, so in writing I'd stick with 괜찮은가요. 맞다 is a verb, so 맞나요? is fine.
니: the question for children
니 is a 반말 question, and it's gentler than 냐. Adults use it with children and with younger people they're fond of. Some close friends use it with each other too.
Making 니
- Verbs and adjectives: add 니 to the stem.가다 → 가니먹다 → 먹니좋다 → 좋니
- Stem ends in ㄹ: the ㄹ drops.살다 → 사니울다 → 우니
- Past: add 니 after 았/었.먹었니했니
- Nouns: 이니, or 니 after a vowel.학생 → 학생이니뭐 → 뭐니
Pick a verb
가다가가니
밥 먹었니?
Have you eaten?
왜 우니?
Why are you crying?
몇 살이니?
How old are you?
어디 사니?
Where do you live?
학교가 재미있니?
Is school fun?
숙제는 다 했니?
Have you finished your homework?
Here's a rough guide to the three 반말 questions. 밥 먹었어 is neutral, 밥 먹었니 is warm and a little grown-up, and 밥 먹었냐 is rough. Tone of voice can move any of them.
아/어라: the plain command
Take the 아/어 form and add 라. 앉아 is already a 반말 command, and 앉아라 is the same order with more authority behind it. It's what parents, teachers and coaches say to children, and what friends say to each other when they're insisting or joking.
Making 아/어라
- Do it: the 아/어 form, plus 라.먹다 → 먹어라가다 → 가라하다 → 해라오다 → 와라듣다 → 들어라
- Don't: stem plus 지 마라.가다 → 가지 마라먹다 → 먹지 마라
Pick a verb
먹다먹어요먹어라
빨리 와라.
Come here, quick.
손 씻고 밥 먹어라.
Wash your hands and eat.
숙제부터 해라.
Do your homework first.
여기 앉아라.
Sit here.
차 조심해라.
Watch out for cars.
거짓말하지 마라.
Don't lie.
Not every 아/어라 is an order. From older people to younger ones, and between friends, it's also how you wish someone well.
잘 자라.
Sleep well.
잘 가라.
Get home safe.
시험 잘 봐라.
Good luck in your exam.
건강해라.
Look after yourself.
※ (으)라, with no 아/어, is a separate command that speaks to no one in particular. It's the form behind (으)라고, and you'll see it on protest signs: 사과하라! 아/어라 is said to someone in front of you.
아/어라 as a cry
On an adjective, 아/어라 can also be a small cry about how something feels right now. It usually isn't said to anyone, and it often follows 아이고 or 어머.
아이고, 추워라!
Oh, it's so cold!
아이고, 아파라!
Ow, that hurts!
어머, 귀여워라!
Oh, how cute!
어머, 예뻐라!
Oh, how pretty!
Which one?
Start from who you're talking to, then from whether it's a verb or an adjective.
이 근처에 은행이 ___?
Asking a stranger: is there a bank near here?
이 신발은 ___?
Asking a shop assistant: are these shoes expensive?
민수야, 숙제 ___?
Asking your young nephew: did you do your homework?
선생님, 여기 ___.
To your teacher: please sit here.
아이고, ___!
To yourself on a summer day: ugh, it's so hot!
Listen and type
1 / 3
Play it as often as you like.
In a conversation
First at a clinic, with a stranger and a lot of soft questions.
- 간호사
어디가 아프신가요?
Where hurts (honorific, soft)?
- 환자
어제부터 머리가 아파요.
From yesterday head hurts.
- 간호사
열도 있나요?
Fever also exists?
- 환자
네, 조금 있어요.
Yes, a little exists.
- 간호사
약은 드셨나요?
Medicine ate (honorific)?
Then at home, with a mother and her son.
- 엄마
민수야, 숙제 했니?
Minsu, homework did?
- 민수
아직 안 했어요.
Yet not did.
- 엄마
텔레비전 그만 보고 빨리 해라.
Television stop watching and quickly do.
- 민수
조금만 더 보면 안 돼요?
Only a little more if watch, not OK?
- 엄마
안 돼. 내일 학교 가야지. 숙제하고 일찍 자라.
Not OK. Tomorrow school must go. Homework do and early sleep.
Common mistakes
이 식당 맛있은가요?
이 식당 맛있나요?
맛있다 ends in 있다, so it takes 나요.
어제 바빴은가요?
어제 바빴나요?
After 았/었 the ending is 나요, on adjectives too.
할머니, 여기 앉아라.
할머니, 여기 앉으세요.
아/어라 goes to people younger than you, or to close friends.
Check yourself
Quick check
1 / 6
이 근처에 약국이 ___? (있다, use 나요) Is there a pharmacy near here?
있다 takes 나요.
Summary
| Dictionary | Stem | 나요 |
|---|---|---|
| 가다 | 가 | 가나요 |
| 먹다 | 먹 | 먹나요 |
| 살다 | 살 | 사나요 |
| 있다 | 있 | 있나요 |
| Dictionary | Stem | ㄴ/은가요 |
|---|---|---|
| 비싸다 | 비싸 | 비싼가요 |
| 좋다 | 좋 | 좋은가요 |
| 춥다 | 춥 | 추운가요 |
| 길다 | 길 | 긴가요 |
| Dictionary | Stem | 니 |
|---|---|---|
| 가다 | 가 | 가니 |
| 먹다 | 먹 | 먹니 |
| 살다 | 살 | 사니 |
| 좋다 | 좋 | 좋니 |
| Dictionary | 해요 | 아/어라 |
|---|---|---|
| 먹다 | 먹어요 | 먹어라 |
| 가다 | 가요 | 가라 |
| 하다 | 해요 | 해라 |
| 듣다 | 들어요 | 들어라 |
Who gets what
- 나요, ㄴ/은가요: polite and soft, for strangers and anyone you'd use 해요체 with.
- 니: warm 반말, mostly for children and younger people.
- 아/어라: a plain command to someone younger or a close friend. Also a wish, and on adjectives a cry.
Now you can say
이 근처에 약국이 있나요?
Is there a pharmacy near here?
몇 살이니?
How old are you? (To a child.)
시험 잘 봐라.
Good luck in your exam. (To a friend or someone younger.)
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