2 · Sentence endings that add a stance
Oh, look: noticing with -네요
the ending of fresh discovery
-네요 reacts to what you have just seen, heard, tasted or found out: “oh, it is …!”.
-네요 is added straight to the stem of any verb or adjective, whatever sound the stem ends in: 오다 → 오네요, 많다 → 많네요, 맛있다 → 맛있네요. There is no vowel to choose and no 으 to insert. The one change is the usual one before an n: a stem that ends in the letter rieul loses it, so 멀다 becomes 머네요 and 살다 becomes 사네요. After a noun the ending is 이네요 after a consonant and 네요 after a vowel: 학생이네요, 친구네요.
The ending reports a discovery made at this moment, through the speaker's own senses. You look out of the window and say 눈이 오네요, “oh, it's snowing”; you taste the soup and say 맛있네요. English marks the same thing with “oh”, “wow”, “I see” or a tone of voice; Korean puts it into the ending. Compare 비가 와요, a plain statement that it is raining, with 비가 오네요, “oh — it's raining”, said as you notice it.
Because it is a reaction, -네요 is the ending of small talk and compliments: 한국어를 잘하시네요, “your Korean is very good”. It also reacts to what somebody has just told you, and then it often carries -겠-, the guess: when a friend says they work every weekend, 힘들겠네요 is “that must be tiring”. The past stands in front of it as usual: 벌써 끝났네요, “oh, it has already finished”.
English speakers tend to use -네요 as a friendlier version of -아요/어요 for everything. It is not one: about yourself, or about something you have known for years, it sounds as if the fact had only just dawned on you — 저는 학생이네요 means something like “oh, it turns out I'm a student”. -네요 is polite enough for anyone you would speak to with -아요/어요; among friends it drops the 요: 비가 오네.
The form
| after a vowel | 오다 → 오네요 |
| after a consonant | 많다 → 많네요 |
| a stem in rieul loses it | 멀다 → 머네요 |
| past | 끝나다 → 끝났네요 |
| after a noun | 학생이네요 / 친구네요 |
| with a guess | 힘들다 → 힘들겠네요 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
-네요 attaches to any stem without a linking vowel; a stem ending in rieul drops it.
집이 회사에서 꽤 머네요.Your home is quite far from the office.
It reports something the speaker notices right now, first-hand.
와, 사람이 정말 많네요!Wow, there are so many people!
For something that has already happened, the past -았/었- stands before it.
벌써 열 시가 됐네요.Oh, it's already ten o'clock.
-겠네요 reacts to what you have just heard with a guess: “that must be …”.
매일 야근하시면 정말 피곤하시겠네요.If you work late every day, you must be really tired.
A closer look
What happens to the sound before the n
Because -네요 begins with an n, it changes the last sound of many stems. A final k, t or p becomes the nasal made in the same place: 먹네요 is said [멍네요], 있네요 [인네요], 덥네요 [덤네요]. A silent h before the n turns into an n as well: 좋네요 is [존네요], and 많네요 is [만네요].
None of this shows in the spelling, which always keeps the stem as it is. The romanisation under each word on this site follows the sound, so it is the line to read aloud: 맛있네요, masinneyo.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
-
the stem ends in the letter rieul (살다, 멀다, 만들다)
the rieul drops before the n of the ending: 사네요, 머네요, 만드네요.
케이크를 정말 잘 만드시네요.You're really good at making cakes.
A Korean stem in rieul loses it before an n, an s or a b — the same happens in 사는 and 사세요.
How to spot it
- -네요
- -았네요
- -겠네요
- 이네요
- 와
- 벌써
Example sentences
와, 밖에 눈이 오네요!Wow, it's snowing outside!
이 김치찌개 정말 맛있네요.This kimchi stew is really good.
한국어를 정말 잘하시네요.Your Korean is really good.
어, 벌써 아홉 시네요.Oh, it's already nine o'clock.
아이가 아빠를 많이 닮았네요.Your little one looks a lot like their dad.
주말에도 일하세요? 많이 바쁘시겠네요.You work at weekends too? You must be very busy.
8 more example sentences
오늘 날씨가 정말 좋네요.The weather is really lovely today.
이 가방 생각보다 무겁네요.This bag is heavier than I thought.
머리를 짧게 자르셨네요.Oh, you've had your hair cut short.
지하철에 사람이 별로 없네요.There aren't many people on the underground.
어, 지갑이 여기 있었네요.Oh, so my wallet was here.
이 노래 좋네요. 누구 노래예요?This song is good. Who sings it?
시험이 내일이에요? 긴장되겠네요.Your exam is tomorrow? You must be nervous.
벌써 봄이네요.It's spring already.
Worth knowing (2)
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Pointing out a problem gently
-네요 turns a complaint into an observation, which is why it is a common way to hesitate over a price in a shop: 좀 비싸네요, “hmm, that's a bit expensive”, leaves room for the price to come down.
이 신발은 좀 비싸네요.These shoes are a bit expensive.
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Agreeing with what you have just been shown
When somebody points something out and you see it too, 그렇네요, “so it is”, is the natural reply.
정말 그렇네요. 저는 몰랐어요.You're right. I hadn't noticed.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
Telling somebody a fact about yourself is not a discovery, so -네요 sounds as if you had only just found out what your job is. A plain statement takes -이에요/예요 or -아요/어요; -네요 is kept for what you notice.
Use -neyo for what you notice right now, never for what you already knew.
Your turn
10 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.