야
ya[ja̠(ː)]
The Korean phrase for "oi" is 야 (ya).
야 is an informal exclamation used to get someone's attention.
Which one should you use?
While 야 is used to shout at friends or subordinates, 저기요 (Excuse me) is the appropriate way to get the attention of a stranger or a service worker.
How do you pronounce it?
ya
Did you know?
- The exclamation 야 is an imitative sound, and linguists have noted similarities to the Arabic calling word yā.
- Because 야 is so informal, using it with a stranger can be perceived as a significant social transgression, often sounding much more aggressive than the English 'oi'.
- If a person is very angry, they may stretch the vowel into a long 야아아, which changes the tone from a call to a confrontation.
Examples in context
- 야, 거기 서!ya, geogi seo!Hey, stop right there!
- 야, 이것 좀 봐.ya, igeot jom bwa.Hey, look at this.
- 야, 너 어디 가?ya, neo eodi ga?Hey, where are you going?
Example conversation
Hyunwoo calls out to Subin in a park.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo야, 수빈아!ya, subin-a!Hey, Subin!
- 수빈 Su-bin왜, 현우야?wae, hyunwoo-ya?What is it, Hyunwoo?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo너 내 지갑 봤어?neo nae jigap bwasseo?Did you see my wallet?
- 수빈 Su-bin아니, 못 봤어.ani, mot bwasseo.No, I didn't see it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 야, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 야, CC BY-SA 4.0.
