1 · The basic sentence
Yes–no questions and answering 네/아니요
questions by intonation
A polite question is the statement with a rising voice, and 네 means “that’s right” — even after a negative question.
In the polite style a question has exactly the same form as a statement; only the voice rises at the end. 커피 마셔요. with a falling voice is “I drink coffee”; 커피 마셔요? with a rising voice is “do you drink coffee?”. There is no “do”, no change of order, and in writing only the question mark shows the difference.
The formal style does mark the question: the statement ends in 니다, the question in 니까. 갑니다(I go)갑니까?(do you go?); 학생입니다, 학생입니까?. You hear it in announcements, interviews and very polite service.
The answer begins with 네 (yes) or 아니요 (no); 예 is a more formal yes. 네 has a second, very common use: it says “I hear you”, “right”, and Koreans say it while listening — which English speakers sometimes mistake for agreement.
With a negative question the answers flip, and this is the trap. 네 and 아니요 answer whether what the asker said is right, not whether the fact is positive. To 안 가요?, “aren’t you going?”, the answer 네, 안 가요 means “right, I’m not going”, where English says “no”. And 아니요, 가요 means “that’s not right — I am going”, where English says “yes”. Think of 네 as “that’s right” and 아니요 as “that’s not right”, and the answers come out correctly.
The form
| statement: the voice falls | 커피 마셔요. |
| question: the voice rises | 커피 마셔요? |
| formal question | 커피 마십니까? |
| yes, no | 네. 아니요. |
| to a negative question: yes means “right” | 네, 안 마셔요. |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
A polite question has the same form as the statement and a rising voice.
한국 음식 좋아해요?Do you like Korean food?
In the formal style a question ends in 니까.
여기가 매표소입니까?Is this the ticket office?
네 means “that’s right”, 아니요 “that’s not right”.
학생이에요? — 네, 학생이에요.Are you a student? — Yes, I am.
To a negative question, 네 confirms the negative.
안 추워요? — 네, 안 추워요.Aren’t you cold? — No, I’m not.
A closer look
The listening yes
In a conversation, and above all on the phone, a Korean listener says 네 again and again while the other person speaks. It means “I am following”, not “I agree”, much as an English speaker says “mm” or “right”. Staying silent instead can sound as if you are not listening at all.
The same word, said with a rising voice, asks the speaker to repeat: 네?, “sorry?”, “pardon?”. It is the most useful single word for a learner who did not catch something.
How to spot it
- ?
- 네
- 아니요
- 입니까?
- -습니까?
Example sentences
지금 바빠요?Are you busy now?
네, 조금 바빠요.Yes, I’m a bit busy.
아니요, 괜찮아요.No, I’m fine.
내일 학교에 안 가요? — 네, 안 가요.Aren’t you going to school tomorrow? — No, I’m not.
점심 안 먹었어요? — 아니요, 먹었어요.Haven’t you had lunch? — Yes, I have.
이 버스 시청에 갑니까?Does this bus go to City Hall?
8 more example sentences
여기 앉아도 돼요?May I sit here?
혼자 왔어요?Did you come alone?
네, 맞아요.Yes, that’s right.
아니요, 저는 미국 사람이에요.No, I am American.
주말에 시간 없어요? — 아니요, 있어요.Don’t you have time at the weekend? — Yes, I do.
이 자리 비었어요?Is this seat free?
회의는 세 시에 시작합니까?Does the meeting start at three?
예, 알겠습니다.Yes, understood.
Worth knowing (1)
-
Softening a question
혹시, “by any chance”, at the start of a question makes it gentler and is very common with strangers: 혹시 한국 사람이에요?. It also signals that the asker does not want to presume.
혹시 이 근처에 약국이 있어요?Is there a pharmacy near here, by any chance?
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English answers by the fact: “no, I don’t”. Korean answers by the question: the asker guessed “you don’t drink coffee”, and that guess is right, so the answer is 네. 아니요 here would contradict the guess — and then the speaker would have to say 마셔요.
Ne means “that is right”, aniyo “that is not right” — even after a negative question.
Your turn
9 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.