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Flynie
18 May 2017

  • Portuguese (Brazil)
  • Korean
  • English (US)
Question about Korean

너 is "you" informal. So how do I say "you" in formal and polite?

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Deleted user
18 May 2017

(From bakbaksa's answer) : Many studybooks say english ‘you’ is ‘당신’ in korean. But this is big mistake. I don’t think this big mistake is due to editor’s carelessness. This mistake is due to korean language’s character. English ‘you’ covers almost all cases, but there is no word exactly equivalent to english ‘you’ in korean. 너 is close to ‘you’, but 너 can be used to friends or familiar younger people than the speaker. There is no word equivalent to ‘you’ which can be used to older people or higher ranker than the speaker. Koreans use hearer’s position, not ‘당신’ to imply ‘you’ when the speaker says to older people or higher ranker, or unfamiliar younger people . ex) ‘Are you tired, dad?’ is ‘아빠 피곤하세요?’ in korean. There is no ‘you’, is just position ‘아빠’. (there is no ‘당신’) Korean language has many words to imply ‘you’ instead of ‘당신’ ex) 선생님, 부장님, 사장님, 어르신, 이모, 언니, 학생, 젊은이...... 당신(you) is used only between spouses, otherwise, they(not spouses) usually use 당신 when they are angry. It’s ironic that ‘당신’ is used both in soft situations (between spouses or wife & husband) and stormy situations (between arguing people), but it is real and true. (From Astrophil's answer) : We usually add 씨 after his/her name or 님 after a position. Maria 마리아씨 Bong woo 봉우씨 to a teacher 선생님 to a professor 교수님 And we usually say 선생님 to a stranger who looks older than the speaker. It doesn't have to do with a teacher.

(From bakbaksa's answer) :

Many studybooks say english ‘you’ is ‘당신’ in korean.
But this is big mistake.
I don’t think this big mistake is due to editor’s carelessness.
This mistake is due to korean language’s character.
English ‘you’ covers almost all cases, but there is no word exactly equivalent to english ‘you’ in korean.
너 is close to ‘you’, but 너 can be used to friends or familiar younger people than the speaker. There is no word equivalent to ‘you’ which can be used to older people or higher ranker than the speaker.
Koreans use hearer’s position, not ‘당신’ to imply ‘you’ when the speaker says to older people or higher ranker, or unfamiliar younger people .

ex)
‘Are you tired, dad?’ is ‘아빠 피곤하세요?’ in korean.
There is no ‘you’, is just position ‘아빠’. (there is no ‘당신’)
Korean language has many words to imply ‘you’ instead of ‘당신’
ex) 선생님, 부장님, 사장님, 어르신, 이모, 언니, 학생, 젊은이......

당신(you) is used only between spouses, otherwise, they(not spouses) usually use 당신 when they are angry. It’s ironic that ‘당신’ is used both in soft situations (between spouses or wife & husband) and stormy situations (between arguing people), but it is real and true.

(From Astrophil's answer) :

We usually add 씨 after his/her name or 님 after a position.
Maria 마리아씨
Bong woo 봉우씨

to a teacher 선생님
to a professor 교수님

And we usually say 선생님 to a stranger who looks older than the speaker. It doesn't have to do with a teacher.

Ayana123
18 May 2017

  • English (US)

You can say 당신 (you) or 씨 (mr. or mrs.)

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Flynie
18 May 2017

  • Portuguese (Brazil)
Thank you!!! 😄
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