나 기억나?
na gieongna?
The Korean phrase for "do you remember me?" is 나 기억나? (na gieongna?)
This phrase is used to ask if someone recognizes you after a period of time.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form 나 기억나? is used with people of the same age or younger, or those you are close to. If you need to be polite, use 저 기억나요? which uses the humble pronoun 저 and the polite verb ending -요.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Korean, the object 'me' (나 or 저) is often omitted if it is clear from the context who is being asked about. For instance, you can simply say 기억나? to mean "Do you remember?"
How do you pronounce it?
na gieongna?
Did you know?
- The pronoun 나 is part of a trio including 너 ('you') and 누 ('who'). Linguists believe these three words were formed from a single root through a process called ablaut.
- In Korea, if you are asking a much older person if they remember you, it is often considered too blunt to use 기억나요? Instead, people use more indirect phrases that focus on the other person's memory or the shared event.
- While 나 기억나? is the direct translation, Koreans often use the phrase 누군지 기억나세요? which literally asks 'Do you remember who I am?' This shift in phrasing is common when trying to be extra cautious or humble.
Examples in context
- 제가 누군지 기억하세요?Do you remember who I am?
- 나 기억해?Do you remember me?
- 혹시 나 기억나?hoksi na gieokna?By any chance, do you remember me?
- 진짜 나 기억나?jinjja na gieokna?Do you really remember me?
Example conversation
Jihoon approaches Seoyeon on the street after many years.
- 지훈 Ji-hun서연아, 나 기억나?Seoyeon-a, na gieokna?Seoyeon, do you remember me?
- 서연 Seo-yeon지훈아? 정말 오랜만이다!Jihoon-a? jeongmal oraenmanida!Jihoon? It has been a long time!
- 지훈 Ji-hun응, 너무 반가워.eung, neomu bangawo.Yeah, it is so good to see you.
- 서연 Seo-yeon나도 정말 반가워!nado jeongmal bangawo!I am so glad to see you too!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 나, CC BY-SA 4.0.
