Which one should you use?
Depending on the level of politeness and the specific nuance you want to convey, there are several ways to ask this. To ask "Is this correct?" in a formal manner, you can use 이거/이것이 맞습니까? or 이것은 맞습니까? If you are speaking informally to ask "Is this right?", you can use 이거 맞아? or 이건 맞아? While 이것인가요 is a polite way to ask "is this?", the version 이거야? is a casual, non-honorific form used with close friends or people younger than you. For a more formal and stiff version suitable for professional settings or broadcasts, use 이것입니까?
How does it change in a sentence?
In spoken Korean, the combination of 이것 (this) and the subject marker 이 is often contracted to 이게 when asking "Is this…?" For example, the subject form 이것이 becomes 이게.
How do you pronounce it?
igeosingayo
Did you know?
- In Korean, the word for 'this' changes depending on whether the object is near the speaker or near the listener. If you are asking about something near the person you are talking to, you would use 그것 instead of 이것.
- If you are pointing at something very far away from both you and the listener, you wouldn't use 이것 at all. Instead, you would use 저것, which means 'that thing over there'.
- When using the informal version 이거야?, the tone of your voice is crucial. Because it lacks formal endings, a rising intonation at the end is the only way to distinguish the question from a statement.
Examples in context
- 이거 맞습니까?Is this correct?
- 이거 맞아?Is this right?
- 이건 제 컴퓨터 맞습니까?Is this my computer?
- 이것이 정확한 정보입니까?Is this accurate information?
- 이건 너무 비싼 거야?Is this too expensive?
- 이거 올바른 해결책이야?Is this the right solution?
- 이것인가요?igeosingayo?Is this it?
- 이것인가요, 아니면 저것인가요?igeosingayo, animyeon jeogeosingayo?Is this it, or is it that one?
- 제가 찾는 것이 이것인가요?jega chatneun geosi igeosingayo?Is this what I am looking for?
Example conversation
Dohyun and Minji are looking for a specific book at the library.
- 도현 Do-hyeon민지 씨, 찾던 책이 이것인가요?Minji ssi, chatdeon chaegi igeosingayo?Minji, is this the book you were looking for?
- 민지 Min-ji네, 맞아요. 고마워요, 도현 씨.ne, majayo. gomawoyo, Dohyun ssi.Yes, that's right. Thank you, Dohyun.
- 도현 Do-hyeon다행이네요. 여기 있어요.dahaengineyo. yeogi isseoyo.I'm glad. Here it is.
- 민지 Min-ji정말 감사합니다.jeongmal gamsahamnida.Thank you very much.
