After studying with this lesson, you will be able to answer with either YES or NO in response to basic questions in Korean.
네 / 아니요
In Korean, "Yes" is 네 [ne] and "No" is 아니요 [a-ni-yo] in 존댓말 [jon-daen-mal], or polite/formal language.
네. [ne] = Yes.
아니요. [a-ni-yo] = No.
However, in Korean, when people say "네", it does not have the same meaning as saying "Yes" in English. The same goes for "아니요", too. This is because the Korean word "네" expresses your "agreement" to what the other person is saying. In contrast, "아니요" expresses your "disagreement" or "denial" to what the other person is saying.
For example, if someone asks you "You don't like coffee?" (커피 안 좋아해요?) in Korean and your answer is "No, I don't like coffee", you have to say "네". The literal translation of "네" is "Yes", but what you actually mean in English would be "No, I don't like coffee."
Strange? Maybe a little, so it is more accurate to put it this way:
네. = That is right. / I agree. / Sounds good. / What you said is correct.
아니요. = That is not right. / I do not agree. / What you said is not correct.
When you ask "You don't like coffee?" in Korean, if the person answering does not like coffee, he/she will say "No." in English but "네" in Korean. However if the person DOES like coffee, he/she will say "Yes" in English but "아니요" in Korean.
Sample Conversations
A: 커피 좋아해요? [keo-pi jo-a-hae-yo?] = Do you like coffee?
B: 네. 좋아해요. [ne. jo-a-hae-yo] = Yes, I like coffee.
A: 커피 좋아해요? [keo-pi jo-a-hae-yo?] = Do you like coffee?
B: 아니요. 안 좋아해요. [aniyo. an jo-a-hae-yo] = No, I don't like coffee.
A: 커피 안 좋아해요? [keo-pi an jo-a-hae-yo?] = You don't like coffee?
B: 아니요. 좋아해요. [aniyo. jo-a-hae-yo] = Yes (아니요 in Korean), I like coffee.
A: 커피 안 좋아해요? [keo-pi an jo-a-hae-yo?] = You don't like coffee?
B: 네. 안 좋아해요. [ne. an jo-a-hae-yo] = No (네 in Korean), I don't like coffee.
You do not have to worry about the other parts of the sample sentences mentioned previously. Just remember that the Korean system for saying YES and NO is different from the English system.
More usages of 네
네 [ne] is more than just YES or THAT IS RIGHT.
While 네 is used to express "Yes" or "That is right", it is also used as a conversation filler. If you listen to two Korean people talking with each other, you will hear them saying 네 quite often, even when it is not intended to mean "Yes."
Therefore, it is normal for two Korean people to have a conversation as the one below. Imagine that the entire conversation is in Korean.
Sample Conversation
A: You know what, I bought this book yesterday.
B: 네. [ne] (Oh, you did?)
A: and I really like it.
B: 네... (I see...)
A: But it is a bit too expensive.
B: 네. (I see!)
A: Do you know how much it was?
B: How much was it?
A: It was 100 dollars!
B: 네? [ne?] (What?)
A: So I paid the money with my credit card.
B: 네... (I got it.)
A: But I still like it a lot because it's a book by Kyeong-eun Choi, one of the teachers at TalkToMeInKorean.com
B: 네... (I see...)
So, as you can see from the dialog above, 네 [ne] is a multi-player. Not only can it mean "yes" or "that's right", but it can also mean "I see", "I got it", "I'm here! (when someone calls you)", "I understand", "ah-ha", or any other affirmative statement.
Using 네 with 맞아요
Because 네 [ne] and 아니요 [a-ni-yo] are focused more on your agreement and disagreement rather than whether something is true or not, and ALSO because 네 can mean "I see" or "ah-ha" as well, Korean people often add this expression, 맞아요 [ma-ja-yo] after 네 [ne].
네, 맞아요. [ne, ma-ja-yo] = Yes, that is right.
This is used in order to express more strongly and clearly that you are saying "You are right" rather than sounding like you are just passively listening while nodding.
네 is amazing. It can be many things, but it can also be "What did you say?"
Suppose someone said something to you, but you could not hear the person well or you were not paying much attention. Then you can say "네?" [ne?] to mean "Pardon me?", "I am sorry?", "What did you say?", or "I did not hear you well." You can also use "네?" to show your surprise.
Sample Conversation
A: I bought a present for you.
B: 네? [ne?] (What? You did?)
A: I said I bought a present for you?
B: 네? (What?)
A: Forget it.
B: 네? (Pardon?)
