Korean - Asking questions
Asking questions in Korean is relatively straightforward. Unlike English, which relies on inverting the subject and verb ("Is it...?" vs. "It is..."), Korean questions are primarily marked by three things:
- Question Words (e.g., Who, What, Where)
- Question Endings (e.g., ~요, ~까)
- Rising Intonation (especially in informal speech)
1. Using Question Words
Korean question words are placed where their corresponding information would be in the sentence (though this position is flexible).
| Korean Word | Meaning | Example Structure |
|---|---|---|
| 누구 (nugu) | Who | 누가 왔어요? (Who came?) |
| 언제 (eonje) | When | 언제 만날 거예요? (When will we meet?) |
| 어디 (eodi) | Where | 어디에 가요? (Where are you going?) |
| 왜 (wae) | Why | 왜 공부해요? (Why are you studying?) |
| 무엇 (mueot) / 뭐 (mwo) | What | 뭐 해요? (What are you doing?) |
| 어떻게 (eotteoke) | How | 어떻게 만들었어요? (How did you make it?) |
| 어느 (eoneu) | Which | 어느 책이 좋아요? (Which book is good?) |
2. Using Question Endings
Question endings (interrogative endings) are sentence-final suffixes that turn a statement into a question.
A. Polite Informal: ~요 (yo)
This is the most common way to ask a question in everyday conversation. It is identical in form to the standard polite statement ending, but is distinguished by a rising intonation at the end.
| Statement | Question (with rising intonation) |
|---|---|
| Statement: 지금 가요. (I am going now.) | Question: 지금 가요? (Are you going now?) |
| Statement: 그 책이 좋아요. (That book is good.) | Question: 그 책이 좋아요? (Is that book good?) |
B. Formal/Public: ~(스)ㅂ니까? ((seu)mnikka?)
This is the formal, standard question ending, used in public addresses, news reports, and when speaking to superiors or in a very formal setting. It requires no change in intonation.
| Ending Rules | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb/Adj. ends in Vowel | ㅂ니까? (mnikka) | 가 + ㅂ니까? $\rightarrow$ 갑니까? (Are you going?) |
| Verb/Adj. ends in Consonant | 습니다? (seumnikka) | 먹 + 습니까? $\rightarrow$ 먹습니까? (Are you eating?) |
- Example: 사장님, 말씀이 있으십니까?
- Sajang-nim, malsseum-i isseumnikka?
- Boss, do you have something to say? (Very formal)
C. Informal/Casual: ~니? (ni?) or ~아/어? (a/eo?)
These endings are used only with very close friends, children, or those significantly younger than the speaker.
- ~니?: Often used after adjectives or in a more formal-sounding casual tone.
- 바쁘니? (Are you busy?)
- ~아/어?: Identical to the casual statement ending, distinguished only by intonation.
- 뭐 해? (What are you doing?)
3. The Special Marker: ~나/가요?
When you are asking a question about a noun or an adjective in the third person, you often use the ending ~나/가요? to soften the question or express a gentle wonder/guess.
-
Example (with Adjective):
- 저 영화 재미있나요?
- Jeo yeonghwa jaemi-itnayo?
- Is that movie interesting? (Asking for a general opinion)
-
Example (with Noun/Copula):
- 저 분이 의사인가요?
- Jeo bun-i uisa-ingayo?
- Is that person a doctor?