나 너 Banmal Pronouns and 아/야: Meaning, Rules and Examples

What you'll learn

• Use 나 and 너 correctly in topic, subject, object and possessive forms.
• Call a friend by name with 아 or 야 and choose the right one.
• Explain why 너 can sound rude to older people, and what to say instead.
• Tell 나/너 apart from 저, 당신 and "name + 씨".
• Say "I" and "you" naturally in a short banmal dialogue.

Before you start: you should know how banmal is made, from the lesson on how to make banmal casual speech, and the difference between casual and respectful speech in banmal vs jondaetmal. Audio plays only when you press a button.

What Do 나 너 Banmal Pronouns and 아/야 Mean?

나 너 banmal pronouns and 아/야 mean "I," "you" and "calling someone by name" in casual Korean. 나 is the plain word for "I," 너 is the plain word for "you," and 아/야 is a particle placed after a name when you speak directly to that person. They are used with close friends, younger people and children.

Two annotated examples show the pattern.

• 너 어디 가? (neo eodi ga?) = "Where are you going?" 너 is "you," 어디 is "where," and 가 is the banmal form of 가다 "to go."
• 나는 학생이야. (naneun haksaengiya.) [나는 학쌩이야] = "I am a student." 나는 is "I" with the topic particle 는, and 학생이야 is the banmal form of 학생이에요.

Korean speakers drop 나 and 너 very often, because the context shows who is meant. The words matter most when the speaker wants to contrast people ("I do, you do not") or to be clear. The sections below cover the forms, then the calling particle.

How Do the Forms of 나 and 너 Work?

나 and 너 work like other nouns, with one special feature: they change shape before the subject particle 가 and in the possessive. 나 + 가 becomes 내가, and 너 + 가 becomes 네가. The possessive "my" is 내, and "your" is 네. In speech, 네가 and 네 often sound like 내가 and 내, so many people say 니가 and 니 to keep them apart.

The table shows that the short forms (난, 넌, 날, 널) are common in speech, and the long forms (나는, 너는, 나를, 너를) are common in writing and slower speech. The next parts take the forms in use.

Topic and Subject: 나는 and 내가

Use 나는 (or 난) for the topic and 내가 for the subject. The subject form 내가 often emphasises the person: 내가 할게 (naega halge) [내가 할께] = "I will do it." 나가 is not a Korean subject form, so remember 내가 as one word.

• 내가 할게. (naega halge.) [내가 할께] = "I will do it."
• 이거 네 거야? (igeo ne geoya?) = "Is this yours?" The spoken form 니 거야? is common too.

Possessive: 내 and 네

The possessive of 나 is 내, and the possessive of 너 is 네: 내 친구 ("my friend") and 네 친구 ("your friend"). Because 내 and 네 sound almost the same, speakers often choose 니 for "your" in speech. In writing, use 네 for "your." After the forms are clear, the calling particle needs its own rule.

How Does the Calling Particle 아/야 Work?

The calling particle 아/야 attaches to a name to call a person directly: add 야 after a vowel and 아 after a consonant. The pair is also called the vocative particle (호격 조사). It is the Korean equivalent of saying "Minsu!" with a friendly voice.

Use the given name without the family name: 민수야. A full name is usually called out bare, as in 김민수!, and 김민수야 sounds odd. After a consonant, the final sound of the name moves into 아, which is why 영숙아 is said [영수가]. Final ㅇ is the exception, because it stays put: 은정아 is [은정아].

• 민수야, 밥 먹었어? (minsuya, bap meogeosseo?) [민수야 밥 머거써?] = "Minsu, did you eat?"
• 영숙아, 어디 가? (yeongsuga, eodi ga?) = "Yeongsuk, where are you going?"

The particle is only for people you would address in banmal: friends, younger people and children. A few friendly nouns also take it: 친구야 ("friend!") and 얘들아 ("kids!"). With the particle covered, one sentence can be built step by step.

Worked Example, Step by Step

나 너 banmal pronouns and 아/야 are used together in the most common casual question. Follow the steps from a polite sentence to a banmal one: "Minsu, are you going to school?"

1. Start with the polite sentence. 민수 씨, 학교에 가요? (minsu ssi, hakgyoe gayo?) = "Minsu, are you going to school?" The word 씨 is the polite title after a name.
2. Replace 씨 with the calling particle. The name 민수 ends in a vowel, so use 야: 민수야.
3. Drop 요 from the verb. 가요 becomes 가. Casual speech also often drops the particle 에, so 학교에 가 becomes 학교 가.
4. Add 너 if you want to stress "you". The sentence is complete without it, but you can say 너 학교 가? when you contrast with another person.
5. Read the result with rising tone. 민수야, 학교 가? (minsuya, hakgyo ga?) [민수야 학교 가?] = "Minsu, are you going to school?"

You will know it worked when the name carries the particle, the verb has no 요, and the tone rises at the end. The most common slip is choosing the wrong particle: 민수아 and 영숙야 are wrong. Next, 나 and 너 can be compared with other ways of saying "I" and "you."

How Is 나/너 and 아/야 Different from Similar Forms?

나/너 are casual words, while 저, 당신 and "name + 씨" are the polite or distant alternatives. The choice depends on the relationship, and Korean speakers often avoid "you" altogether by using a name or a title.

The table shows that "you" is a delicate word. Calling a stranger 당신 sounds like picking a fight, and calling a boss 너 is unthinkable. A name plus 씨 is useful, but it should not be used for a superior. The pair 나/저 is covered in detail in the lesson on 나 vs 저, and the options for "you" are covered in the Korean word for you. The general pronoun system is in Korean pronouns. These contrasts lead into the cases where the simple rules need care.

When Do You Use It, and When Not?

나/너 and 아/야 are right only in banmal. These are the situations where learners most often misjudge.

• Older relatives. For an older sibling, use the title instead of 너: 오빠, 언니, 형, 누나. Learn the whole set in the lesson on Korean family titles. Titles are usually called out as they are, with no 아/야: 형! 언니! Forms such as 형아 and 언니야 do exist, but they sound childlike or regional.
• The 아/야 limit. 아/야 is for calling someone by name. It does not attach to titles of respect: 선생님아 is wrong.
• The bare 야. 야! alone means "Hey!" It is rude to strangers and acceptable between close friends.
• Dropped pronouns. In real talk, 너 is often missing: 어디 가? is the usual question, and 너 어디 가? adds emphasis.
• Spoken contraction. 나는 → 난, 너는 → 넌, 나를 → 날, 너를 → 널: 넌 어디 가? is the natural speech form.

An honest limit: this lesson covers the casual pronouns and the calling particle, not every title or name system. Korean has many more address terms, such as 아저씨, 아줌마 and 사장님, and rules for family names. The mistakes below show where the rules are most often broken.

Common Mistakes with 나/너 and 아/야

Learners most often treat 너 as the universal word for "you" and 나가 as the subject of "I." Four mistakes appear again and again.

1. Using 너 for someone older. Learners often assume that 너 is the dictionary translation of "you," and use it freely. Actually, 너 is casual, and it sounds disrespectful toward older people and superiors. Use a title or 오빠, 언니, 형, 누나 instead.

2. Writing 나가 or 너가. These forms are not standard. 너가 is heard in casual speech, but 나가 is not used at all. Write 내가 and 네가.

3. Choosing the wrong form of 아/야. After a vowel use 야 (민수야), and after a consonant use 아 (영숙아). Switching them makes the name sound odd.

4. Adding 아/야 to a title. 선생님아, 사장님아 are wrong. Use the title alone, or the title with 님.

A quick check for any banmal sentence with a pronoun: Is the listener a close friend or younger person who agreed? Did 나 or 너 take the right form before 가 or in the possessive? Does the name end in the right particle? If all three answers are yes, the sentence is sound.

The practice set below tests these four points directly.

Practice and Answers

Try the four items before you read the answer key. Cover the answers with your hand.

1. Choose the form. Complete: 지수___, 밥 먹었어? (야 / 아)
2. Fix the error. A learner says 너가 갈래? Correct it.
3. Translate. "Is this your book?" Use 책 and banmal.
4. Write your own. Write one banmal question to a friend, using 너 or a name with 아/야.

Answer key

1. 야. The name 지수 ends in the vowel 수, so the calling form is 지수야.
2. 네가 갈래? (nega gallae?) or 니가 갈래? The subject form of 너 before 가 is 네가.
3. 이거 네 책이야? (igeo ne chaegiya?) [이거 네 채기야?] The possessive of 너 is 네.
4. Answers vary. Check that the name ends with the right particle and the verb has no 요. An example: 은정아, 어디 가? (Eunjeong, where are you going?)

If you can complete items 1 to 3 without the key, you can use the casual pronouns safely. The final section points to the next lessons.

What Should You Learn Next after 나 너 Banmal Pronouns and 아/야?

After 나 너 banmal pronouns and 아/야, learn commands and suggestions, then the polite pronouns. This lesson teaches the casual pronouns and the calling particle, and it does not teach every address term. Those live on separate pages.

1. Next is banmal commands and suggestions -아/어 -자, which covers orders and "let us" in casual speech.
2. Learn the polite counterparts in 나 vs 저.
3. See the options for "you" in the Korean word for you.
4. Return to Casual Speech (Banmal) to see every lesson in this set.

With these steps, the casual pronouns become automatic: 나 and 너 for close friends, 내가 and 네가 before 가, and 야 or 아 after a name.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 나/너 and 아/야 mean?

나 means "I" and 너 means "you" in casual Korean. 아/야 is a calling particle: you add it to a name to call or address someone, as in 민수야 ("Minsu!"). All three belong to banmal, so they are used with close friends, younger people and children, and not with elders or strangers.

How do I form 나/너 and 아/야?

Use 나 and 너 as they are in the topic form: 나는, 너는. Before 가 they change to 내가 and 네가, and as possessives to 내 and 네. For 아/야, add 야 to a name that ends in a vowel (민수야) and 아 to a name that ends in a consonant (영숙아).

What is the most common mistake with 나/너 and 아/야?

The most common mistake is using 너 for someone older, such as a senior colleague or older sibling. Use a title instead: 오빠, 언니, 형, 누나 or a name with 선배님. A second mistake is writing 나가 or 너가 for "I" and "you" as subjects. The correct forms are 내가 and 네가.

How is 나/너 and 아/야 different from similar forms?

저 is the humble, polite word for "I," and it goes with 해요체 and formal speech. 너 has no polite version, so Koreans use a name plus 씨, a title or 선생님 instead. 당신 means "you," but it is used mainly between spouses or in arguments. 나/너 are safe only in banmal.

Do I use 나/너 and 아/야 in speech, writing or both?

Mostly in speech and in messages between friends. In writing, song lyrics, diaries and stories use 나 and 너 often. Reports, news and formal emails avoid 너 and use names or titles. The calling particle 아/야 is spoken and also appears in written dialogue and in messages that address a friend.