What does it mean word for word?
The word 자랑스러워 is the conjugated form of the adjective 자랑스럽다, which means "to be proud".
Which one should you use?
The phrase can be expressed in different ways depending on the context. 네가 자랑스러워 and 너 자랑스러워 are used when speaking to close friends, younger siblings or people within your age group. For professional settings or when addressing someone significantly older or in a higher position, use the polite and formal 자랑스럽습니다 or 당신이 자랑스럽습니다.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase 자랑스러워 is suitable for close friends, siblings or those with whom you share a comfortable relationship. For a formal version, use 당신이 자랑스럽습니다, which is appropriate for professional or highly respectful settings.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase 네가 자랑스러워, the word 네가 uses the subject marker 가, which is used when "you" is the subject of the sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
nega jarangseureowo
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the object marker 를 (as in 너를) because "proud" is a transitive verb in English. However, in Korean, this is an adjective that takes a subject, so you should use the subject marker 가 (네가) instead.
Did you know?
- If you use the pronoun 당신 (you) in the formal phrase 당신이 자랑스럽습니다, be careful. In many social contexts, using 당신 can actually sound confrontational or overly distant rather than respectful.
- In many traditional Korean families, parents rarely say 네가 자랑스러워 aloud. Instead, they express pride through actions or by praising the child's diligence to other people.
- If you want to say you are proud of yourself, you use 내가 자랑스러워. However, this can sound unusually narcissistic in Korean and is used much less frequently than the English 'I am proud of myself'.
Examples in context
- 네가 자랑스러워.nega jarangseureowo.I am proud of you.
- 정말 네가 자랑스러워.jeongmal nega jarangseureowo.I am truly proud of you.
- 포기하지 않은 네가 자랑스러워.pigihaji aneun nega jarangseureowo.I am proud of you for not giving up.
Example conversation
Seoyeon congratulates Minjun on winning a prize.
- 서연 Seo-yeon민준아, 상 받은 거 정말 축하해!Minjun-a, sang badeun geo jeongmal chukahae!Minjun, congratulations on winning the prize!
- 민준 Min-jun고마워, 누나. 정말 기뻐.gomawo, nuna. jeongmal gippeo.Thanks, Seoyeon. I am really happy.
- 서연 Seo-yeon끝까지 노력하는 모습에 네가 자랑스러워.kkeutkkaji noryeokhaneun moseube nega jarangseureowo.I am proud of you for trying until the end.
- 민준 Min-jun그렇게 말해주니 정말 고마워.geureoke malhaejuni jeongmal gomawo.Thank you so much for saying that.
