그는 내 거야
geuneun nae geoya
The English phrase "he is mine" is translated into Korean as 그는 내 거야 (geuneun nae geoya).
This phrase is used in a possessive, romantic sense to claim a partner, often seen in song lyrics or romantic dramas.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "He is my thing" because 거 (geo) means "thing" or "object". Within the phrase 내 거야, the word 내 (nae) is a contraction of 나의 (na-ui), meaning "my".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
그는 내 거야 is informal/casual. Adding 요 (yo) to the end of the phrase makes it polite, resulting in 그는 내 거예요. For formal situations, you can use 그는 나의 것입니다 or 그는 제 것입니다.
How do you pronounce it?
geuneun nae geoya
Did you know?
- In Middle Korean, the uncontracted form 나의 (na-ui) was actually ungrammatical. Because certain minimal vowels had to be dropped in clusters, the contracted form 내 (nae) was the only possible way to express 'my'.
- While 그는 내 거야 sounds like a claim of ownership, using it in real life is often considered too aggressive or dramatic for normal conversation and is mostly reserved for scripted dramas.
- The word 내 (nae) can also function as a suffix meaning 'through' or 'throughout'. This means the sounds in 'he is mine' can carry entirely different meanings depending on how they are used in a sentence.
Examples in context
- 그는 내 거야.geuneun nae geoya.He is mine.
- 말해두는데, 그는 내 거야.malhaeduneunde, geuneun nae geoya.Just so you know, he is mine.
- 그는 내 거야, 그러니까 건드리지 마.geuneun nae geoya, geureonikka geondeuriji ma.He is mine, so don't touch him.
Example conversation
Subin is talking to Minjun about her boyfriend.
- 수빈 Su-bin그는 내 거야, 알겠어?geu-neun nae geo-ya, al-get-eo?He is mine, got it?
- 민준 Min-jun알았어, 수빈아. 진정해.al-at-eo, su-bin-a. jin-jeong-hae.I got it, Subin. Calm down.
- 수빈 Su-bin그 사람이 너무 멋있어서 그래.geu sa-ram-i neo-mu meot-it-eo-seo geu-rae.It's just because he is so handsome.
- 민준 Min-jun그래, 둘이 정말 잘 어울려.geu-rae, dul-i jeong-mal jal eo-ul-lyeo.Yeah, you two really suit each other.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 내, CC BY-SA 4.0.
