아니요, 아니에요
aniyo, anieyo
In Korean, "no, I am not" can be expressed as 아니요, 아니에요 (aniyo, anieyo).
This phrase is a polite way to deny a statement or disagree with a claim made about yourself. You would use it when someone makes an assumption about your identity, status or current state, such as when they ask, "Are you a student?"
Which one should you use?
While 아니요, 아니에요 is used to deny a statement about yourself, you would use 네, 맞아요 to confirm a statement about yourself.
How does it change in a sentence?
The second part of the phrase, 아니에요, is the polite form of the verb 아니다, which means "to not be".
How do you pronounce it?
aniyo, anieyo
Did you know?
- While 아니에요 is a polite denial, it is also the standard way to say 'you are welcome' after someone says thank you.
- Because Korean grammar relies heavily on social hierarchy, saying 'no, i am not' incorrectly by using the informal 아니 instead of 아니에요 can be seen as a direct insult to the person you are speaking to.
- In Korean, the word 아니요 is often used to start a sentence even when the speaker eventually agrees with the overall sentiment, acting more as a polite hedge than a hard 'no'.
Examples in context
- 학생인가요? 아니요, 아니에요.haksaeng-ingayo? aniyo, anieyo.Are you a student? No, I am not.
- 선생님이에요? 아니요, 아니에요.seonsaengnim-ieyo? aniyo, anieyo.Are you a teacher? No, I am not.
Example conversation
Minjun asks Jieun if she is the new teacher.
- 민준 Min-jun지은 씨가 새로 오신 선생님이세요?Jieun ssi-ga saero osin seonsaengnim-iseyo?Jieun, are you the new teacher?
- 지은 Ji-eun아니요, 아니에요.Aniyo, anieyo.No, I am not.
- 민준 Min-jun그럼 선생님은 어디 계세요?Geureom seonsaengnim-eun eodi gyeseyo?Then where is the teacher?
- 지은 Ji-eun교무실에 계실 거예요.Gyomusil-e gyesil geoyeyo.They are probably in the office.
