게이예요?
geiyeyo?
The English phrase "are you gay?" is translated into Korean as 게이예요? (geiyeyo?)
This phrase is a direct question used to ask if someone is a man who is attracted to other men.
Which one should you use?
While 게이예요? is a polite way to ask, 게이입니까? is the highly formal version. Use the latter in professional settings or when speaking to someone of much higher status.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form 게이예요? uses the polite ending –예요.
How do you pronounce it?
geiyeyo?
Did you know?
- In casual Korean conversation, people may avoid the word 게이 and instead use the phrase 그쪽 취향이에요?, which literally asks if someone is 'of that taste'.
- Because Korean is a pro-drop language, the word for 'you' is often omitted. In the phrase 게이예요?, the subject is implied, and adding a formal word for 'you' like 당신 can actually make the question sound accusatory or confrontational.
- The word 게이 is a direct loanword from English, but in Korea, it is often used exclusively for men. Women who are attracted to women typically use the term 레즈비언 instead of a gender-neutral term for 'gay'.
Examples in context
- 혹시 게이예요?hoksi geieyo?Are you gay, by any chance?
- 그분은 게이예요?geubuneun geieyo?Is he gay?
Example conversation
Two people are talking about their dating preferences.
- 민준 Min-jun민준 씨, 혹시 게이예요?Minjun ssi, hoksi geiyeyo?Minjun, are you gay by any chance?
- 서연 Seo-yeon네, 맞아요. 어떻게 알았어요?ne, majayo. eotteoke arasseoyo?Yes, that's right. How did you know?
- 민준 Min-jun그냥 느낌이 왔어요.geunyang neukkimi wasseoyo.I just had a feeling.
- 서연 Seo-yeon눈썰미가 좋으시네요.nunssolmiga jo-eusineyo.You have a good eye.
