Korean Word for You: Meaning, Rules and Examples

What you'll learn

• Choose between a name plus 씨, a title plus 님, a family word and no word for "you" when you speak to one person.
• Explain in one sentence why 당신 and 너 are risky choices.
• Build the question "Where are you going?" for a coworker, a teacher and a close friend.
• Fix the most common mistake: translating every English "you" as 당신.

Before you start: you should know the topic particle 은/는 and the polite ending -아요/어요. If the word "particle" is new, read the Korean SOV sentence pattern first. Audio plays only when you press a button.

What Does the Korean Word for You Mean?

The Korean word for you is a slot in the sentence that the speaker fills with a name, a title, a family word or a pronoun, depending on the relationship. A second-person pronoun is a word that points at the listener, like English "you". Korean has real second-person pronouns, such as 너 and 당신, but everyday polite speech uses them far less than English uses "you".

Why does Korean work this way? Korean grammar marks respect, so the speaker must decide how to rank the listener before saying the first word. A bare pronoun hides that ranking, while a name plus 씨 or a title plus 님 states it. English has one word for everybody, so a learner's first instinct is to look for one Korean word. There is none that is safe for every listener.

Three facts summarise the system:

• Polite Korean often names the listener: 민수 씨 (Minsu), 선생님 (teacher), 사장님 (company president).
• Casual Korean between close people can use the name with 아 or 야, or the pronoun 너.
• When the listener is obvious, Korean leaves "you" out completely.

A First Example

Here are two questions that both mean "you" without using a pronoun. Read them with the labels.

민수 씨는 어디 가세요? (minsu ssineun eodi gaseyo?) [민수 씨는 어디 가세요] = "Where are you going, Minsu?"

• 민수 is the given name of the listener.
• 씨 is a polite suffix, roughly "Mr." or "Ms.", used with equals and juniors.
• 는 is the topic particle, "as for".
• 어디 means "where".
• 가세요 is the verb 가다 (to go) with the honorific -(으)시- and the polite ending -요.

선생님은 뭐 드시겠어요? (seonsaengnimeun mwo deusigesseoyo?) [선생니믄 뭐 드시게써요] = "What will you have, teacher?"

• 선생님 is "teacher" and also works as "you" when you speak to a teacher.
• 은 is the topic particle after a consonant.
• 뭐 means "what".
• 드시겠어요 is the honorific verb 드시다 (to eat or drink, respectfully) with -겠- (will) and -어요.

Neither sentence contains the pronoun 당신. The pattern works because the name or title does the job of "you", and the verb ending shows respect. The next section turns the pattern into a rule.

How Does the Korean Word for You Work?

The Korean word for you works by ranking the listener first and choosing the word second. Ask three questions in order: Is this person older or higher in rank than me? Is this person a close friend or younger? Do I need a word at all? The answers lead to the choices in the table.

Pattern Table

Three details in the table deserve attention.

First, the vocative suffix 아/야 attaches to a name when you call someone casually. After a name that ends in a consonant, add 아: 지민아. After a name that ends in a vowel, add 야: 민수야. The lesson on 나 너 banmal pronouns and 아/야 covers this fully.

Second, family words are used for people who are not relatives too. A woman speaking to an older woman friend can say 언니, and a man speaking to an older male friend can say 형. The words 오빠 and 누나 follow the same idea, and the lesson on Korean older sibling titles 오빠 언니 형 누나 explains who says which word.

Third, the last row matters most. Korean drops the subject whenever the context is clear, so the honorific ending -(으)세요 alone points to a respected listener. The lesson on dropping the subject in Korean explains this habit. A beginner who learns to leave "you" out sounds more natural than a beginner who tries to translate it.

The table lists the options. The worked example below shows how a speaker picks one.

Worked Example: Choosing the Word for "You"

Choosing the word for "you" takes five steps. The example sentence is "Where are you going?" and the listener is a coworker called Minsu, who is about your age.

1. Name the relationship. Minsu is a coworker of similar age, so the setting is polite and the rank is equal.
2. Pick the address form. A coworker of equal rank fits name + 씨, so the phrase is 민수 씨.
3. Pick the predicate. The verb is 가다. Polite speech to a person you respect adds -(으)시- and -요, giving 가세요 (the stem 가 plus 시 plus 어요 contracts to 세요).
4. Decide on a particle. Add the topic particle 는 if you want "as for you", giving 민수 씨는. Drop it if you just call the name first: 민수 씨, 어디 가세요?
5. Read the result. 민수 씨는 어디 가세요? (minsu ssineun eodi gaseyo?) = "Where are you going, Minsu?"

You will know it worked when no pronoun appears and the sentence still sounds like a question to Minsu. The common slip at step 2 is picking 당신 because it looks like "you" in a dictionary.

Now change the listener and watch only step 2 and step 3 change:

• To a teacher: 선생님은 어디 가세요? The title 선생님 replaces name + 씨.
• To a close friend: 민수야, 어디 가? The name takes 야, and the verb drops 요 and -(으)시-.
• To an older sister: 언니, 어디 가요? or, if you are very close, 언니, 어디 가?

The verb ending also follows the listener, because the honorific marker -(으)시- respects the person who acts. The next section compares the three most confused choices.

How Is the Korean Word for You Different from 너 and 당신?

The difference between 씨/님 forms, 너 and 당신 is the closeness they assume. A name plus 씨 or a title plus 님 assumes politeness and a normal distance. 너 assumes friendship or a younger listener. 당신 assumes either a very close bond or open hostility.

Verdict: when you are unsure, choose a name plus 씨 or a title plus 님, or leave "you" out. These three choices are never rude. Choosing 너 or 당신 on a guess is the only choice in the table that can offend.

An example shows the risk. A learner meets a shop owner and asks 당신은 뭐 해요? ("What do you do?"). The sentence is grammatical, but the shop owner hears a challenge. The same learner would be understood warmly with 사장님은 뭐 하세요? or simply 뭐 하세요?

The comparison shows how the choices differ, and the next section covers the cases where the rules bend.

When Do You Use It, and When Not?

Use the Korean word for you according to the setting, and keep the exceptions below in mind. Each case gives the rule and one example.

• Spouses. Married couples sometimes call each other 당신, and they also use 여보. A husband may say 당신, 밥 먹었어? ("Have you eaten?") warmly. The same word in the same sentence from a stranger would sound odd.
• Song lyrics and advertising. Lyrics and slogans use 당신 because it is short and intimate, as in 당신을 위한 선물 ("a gift for you"). Everyday talk does not copy this style.
• Arguments. In a quarrel, 당신 often means "you there". 당신 누구야? ("Who are you?") sounds hostile. Learners who copy this from dramas should remember that drama dialogue is chosen for effect.
• Groups. 여러분 means "you all" and is polite, as in 여러분, 안녕하세요? when you greet an audience. 너희 means "you all" in casual speech, to friends and juniors.
• Unknown adults. A person you do not know can be addressed with their role, such as 손님 (guest, customer) in a shop. The pronoun 그쪽 ("that side") is also heard, but it can sound pushy or dismissive, so beginners should avoid it.
• Formal writing. 귀하 is the formal written "you" in letters and official notices. Companies often write 고객님 for "you, our customer".

An honest limit: speakers and generations disagree about how harsh 당신 sounds, and region and family habit change the choice of family words. This lesson gives the safe default. It does not list every title, and the lessons on Korean names and how to address them and honorific vs polite speech in Korean continue the topic.

The exceptions show that the safe default is always available. The next section lists the mistakes that break it.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with the Korean Word for You?

Learners usually make five mistakes, and each one comes from translating English "you" word for word.

1. Translating every "you" as 당신. Learners often assume that 당신 is the standard "you". Actually, it is the least common choice in polite speech. Fix: use 커피 좋아하세요? for "Do you like coffee?", with no pronoun.
2. Using 너 with an older person or a stranger. 너 어디 가요? mixes a casual pronoun with a polite ending and is rude to a teacher. Fix: use 선생님, 어디 가세요?
3. Using name + 씨 for a boss or a teacher. 씨 is for equals and juniors. Calling a teacher 김민수 씨 lowers the teacher's rank. Fix: use the title plus 님.
4. Repeating "you" in every sentence. English needs "you" each time, but Korean does not. Saying 민수 씨는 ... 민수 씨는 ... in a row sounds stiff. Fix: name the person once, then drop the word.
5. Adding 당신 to look more polite. 당신께서 오셨어요 sounds archaic and strange. Respect lives in the title and the verb, not in the pronoun.

Use this checklist when a sentence feels wrong: Who is listening? Is the word a title, a name or a pronoun? Does the verb ending match the same listener? Practice puts the checklist to work.

Practice and Answers

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

1. Choose the form. You are speaking politely to your teacher. Complete: ___은 어디 가세요? (선생님 / 너 / 당신)
2. Fix the error. A learner asks a stranger on a bus 당신은 어디 가요? What is a safer way to ask "Where are you going?"
3. Translate. "What will you have, teacher?" Use 드시다.
4. Write your own. Write one question for a coworker your age and one for a close friend your age, using the word for "you" you think fits each.

Answer key

1. 선생님. The sentence is 선생님은 어디 가세요? A teacher gets a title plus 님, and 너 and 당신 are both wrong.
2. 어디 가세요? is the safest question, with no pronoun. If you need a word, you can add a role such as 손님 in a shop, but a bare polite question is correct everywhere.
3. 선생님은 뭐 드시겠어요? (seonsaengnimeun mwo deusigesseoyo?) The verb 드시다 is the honorific form of 먹다.
4. Answers vary. A model pair: 민수 씨, 점심 먹었어요? for the coworker and 민수야, 점심 먹었어? for the friend. Check that the coworker sentence has 씨 and a polite ending, and that the friend sentence has 아/야 and a casual ending.

A quick self-check: if a sentence has no honorific and no polite ending, the word for "you" should be a name with 아/야 or 너, never a title. If it has -(으)세요, the word should be 씨, 님 or nothing.

Next Lessons after the Korean Word for You

After the Korean word for you, study the neighbouring pieces one at a time. This lesson explains how to say "you" but does not teach every title, every kin term or the full pronoun list.

1. Read ssi vs nim in Korean for the exact rules for 씨 and 님 after names and titles.
2. Continue with Korean pronouns for 나, 저, 너 and the other pronouns.
3. Study Korean older sibling titles 오빠 언니 형 누나 for the family words in the table.
4. Compare respect for the listener with respect for the subject in honorific vs polite speech in Korean.
5. Return to Korean honorifics to see every lesson in the set.

With these steps, the Korean word for you becomes a quick decision: rank the listener, then choose a title, a name or no word.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Korean word for you?

Korean has several, and none fits every listener. 너 is for close friends and juniors, 당신 is for spouses or for anger, and 여러분 is for a group. Most polite sentences use the listener's name plus 씨, a title plus 님, or no word at all, as in 어디 가세요? for "Where are you going?"

Is 당신 rude in Korean?

당신 is not a bad word, but it can sound cold or confrontational. Between strangers it often appears in arguments, such as 당신 누구야? Between married couples it can be affectionate, and it appears in song lyrics and advertising. A learner who is unsure should choose a name plus 씨 or a title plus 님 instead.

Can I call my teacher 너 or 당신?

No. Both words are wrong for a teacher. Use 선생님, which means "teacher" and works like "you" in a sentence, as in 선생님은 뭐 드시겠어요? ("What will you have, teacher?"). The honorific ending -(으)세요 and the special verb 드시다 show the same respect in the verb.

How do I say "you" to a stranger?

Usually leave it out. Korean drops the subject when the context is clear, so 어디 가세요? already means "Where are you going?" If you must name the person, use a role such as 손님 (guest, customer) or 선생님 (teacher), or a polite title. Avoid 당신 and 너 with people you do not know.

How do I say "you" in Korean writing?

Written Korean uses 여러분 for an audience, as in 독자 여러분 (dear readers), and 귀하 in formal letters and official notices. Companies often write 고객님 (customer) for the reader. Everyday writing such as messages follows speech: a name plus 씨, a title plus 님, or no word for "you".