INT 14 | Plain level (least polite) : ~다, 자, 냐?/니?, 라.
USAGE
This is the least polite and most casual sentence ending in Korean. It is used when there is no designated listeners and thus no need to use particular politeness levels (writing) or when you can be completely casual to the listener (friends, yourself)
– Used in writings: journals, diaries, reports, essays, news articles, novels, etc.
– Spoken among close friends and families: often mixed with ~어/아 ening
– Talking to yourself: when you’re reacting and thinking out loud
Learn all the speech levels in Korean form the most formal to least polite.
STATEMENT (Declarative)
| ADJECTIVE | ~다 (Same as dictionary form) | 맛있다! (reacting, thinking out loud) 날씨 좋다! 그치? (to close friends) |
| VERB | C는다 Vㄴ다 ㄹ drops | 잘 먹는다! (reacting, thinking out loud) 나 먼저 간다! (to close friends) 나는 지금 한국에 산다. (writing a diary) |
| NOUN이다 | C이다 V다 -이/가 아니다 | 어? 우리 선생님이다! (reacting, thinking out loud) 어? BTS다! 와… 그건 진짜 아니다. (reacting, thinking out loud) |
PAST TENSE
~았/었다 for both verb and adjective.
어? 버스 왔다! The bus came!
와… 진짜 잘했다. Wow, you did really well.
아… 잘 먹었다! Ah… that was a good meal (I ate well).
오늘 진짜 재미있었다. 나 간다. Today was really fun. I’ll get going.
너 진짜 나빴다. 어떻게 나한테 이럴 수가 있어? You were awful. How can you do this to me?
QUESTION (Interrogative)
STEM + ~냐? / ~니?
Full form of ~냐 is in fact VERB~느냐? and ADJECTIVE~(으)냐? : People no longer use the full form in modern Korean and just add ~냐 after any stems.
Full form of ~니 is ADJECTIVE~(으)니? : People use the shorten ~니 much more frequently than the full form ~(으)니 as well.
| 좋다 (adj) | 좋(으)냐? / 좋(으)니? | 그렇게 좋냐/좋니? Are you that happy? (like it that much?) |
| 나쁘다 (adj) | 나쁘냐? / 나쁘니? | 기분 나쁘냐/나쁘니? Does that offend you? (mood is bad?) |
| 먹다 (v) | 먹(느)냐? / 먹니? | 밥 먹냐/먹니? Are you eating? |
| 자다 (v) | 자(느)냐? / 자니? | (texting) 자냐/자니? Are you sleeping? |
Difference between ~냐 and ~니?
~냐 sounds more playful, casual, and blunt: used between really close friends or when teasing or being aggressive
~니 sounds more caring and by someone older than you to show their care or authority: 언니, 오빠, 누나, 형 or elderly will used this either to show that they care or to sound authoritative and disapproving
PAST TENSE
~았/었냐? ~았/었니? for both verb and adjective.
밥 먹었냐? Did you eat? (friends)
밥 먹었니? Did you eat? (mom, auntie, older friends)
SUGGESTION
VERB STEM + ~자.
같이 점심 먹자. Let’s eat lunch together.
쇼핑 가자. Let’s go shopping.
내일 이야기하자. Let’s talk tomorrow.
COMMAND (Imperative)
VERB STEM + ~어/아라. (Conjugation rule is same as ~아/어요
– This sounds too casual to use towards anyone older than you including 언니/누나, 오빠/형. You will used this only to someone younger than you. Instead of this, use the regular ~아/어 to tell others to do something in 반말.
밥 먹어라. Eat. (Your parents will say this to you)
숙제해라. Do your homework. (Your parents will say this to you)
