누구세요?
nuguseyo?
The Korean phrase for "who is this?" is 누구세요? (nuguseyo?)
누구세요? is the standard way to ask "Who is it?" when someone knocks on a door or calls on the phone. To ask more specifically about a person's identity in a polite or formal manner, you might use 이분은 누구세요? or 이분은 어떤 분이세요?
What does it mean word for word?
The word 누구 means "who".
Which one should you use?
누구야? is a casual and short way to ask "Who is it?", whereas 누구세요? is the standard way to ask "Who is it?" when someone knocks on a door or calls on the phone. If you want to be more specific about a person's identity, you can use the formal 이분은 누구세요? or 이분은 어떤 분이세요?
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
누구야? is the informal version used with friends or people younger than you. For more formal situations, use 이분은 누구세요? or 이분은 어떤 분이세요? to inquire about someone's identity politely. 이 사람 누구야? is a common way to ask "Who is this?" when addressing familiar people or friends.
How do you pronounce it?
nuguseyo?
Did you know?
- When answering the phone, Koreans rarely use the phrase for 'who' to ask for identity. Instead, they often use a phrase meaning 'who is speaking' to avoid sounding blunt.
- In highly formal settings, such as a business call, the identity is often established by asking for the person's 'position' or 'title' rather than simply asking 누구세요?
- If you use the casual 누구야? with a stranger, it can come across as quite aggressive or even confrontational, as if you are demanding they prove themselves.
Examples in context
- 누구세요?nuguseyo?Who is it?
- 전화하신 분은 누구세요?jeonhwahasin buneun nuguseyo?Who is calling, please?
Example conversation
Seoyeon answers a phone call at her home.
- 서연 Seo-yeon여보세요, 누구세요?yeoboseyo, nuguseyo?Hello, who is this?
- 도현 Do-hyeon저 도현이에요.jeo dohyeonieyo.It's me, Dohyeon.
- 서연 Seo-yeon아, 도현 씨였군요!a, dohyeon ssiyyeotgunyo!Oh, it was Dohyeon!
- 도현 Do-hyeon네, 전화해서 미안해요.ne, jeonhwahaeseo mianhaeyo.Yes, sorry for calling so suddenly.
