Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 응 | eung | [ɯŋ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 네 | ne | [ne̞(ː)] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [ne̞] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 예 | ye | [je̞(ː)] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 어 | eo | [ʌ̹] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
These words function as affirmative particles to mean 'yes' or 'yeah'. While 응 is a casual way to say 'yeah' used among friends or people of a similar age, other forms are used to adjust the level of politeness and respect in different social contexts.
Which one should you use?
응 is a common way to say 'yeah' among friends, whereas 어 is a slightly more blunt or casual version of the same informal affirmative. For polite situations, 네 is the standard polite way to say 'yes' and is much more common in daily social interactions than the formal 예. The form 예 is the most formal version and is typically used in highly professional settings, military contexts or when speaking to much older individuals.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
응 and 어 are informal. 네 is the polite standard for most social interactions. 예 is the most formal, used in professional or highly respectful settings.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
eung
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using 응 with teachers, bosses or strangers. English speakers often make the mistake of translating the casual English 'yeah' directly, but using the informal 응 in these contexts can be perceived as rude in Korean.
When do people say it?
Beyond simple agreement, you might use 맞아 to express informal agreement or 그래 as a casual way to say 'yeah'. For highly formal agreement that demonstrates respect, the phrase 그렇습니다 is used. Additionally, if you want to express joy, you can use 아싸, 앗싸 or 야르.
Did you know?
- In Korean, 네 is a homonym that can also mean 'your' depending on the context of the sentence.
- Korean speakers often use 네 not just to agree, but as a listening signal to show they are paying attention to the speaker.
- The informal 'yeah' 응 may actually be an imitative sound, similar to the English 'mhm' or the Japanese うん.
Examples in context
- 응.Yeah.This example shows the use of the informal 응.Tatoeba #10622072 by Adelpa, translation #10136269 by espamatics
- 네, 알겠습니다.Yes, I understand.
- 응, 좋아.Yeah, that sounds good.
- 응, 맞아.eung, maja.Yeah, that's right.
- 응, 나도 갈게.eung, nado galge.Yeah, I'll go too.
Example conversation
Jihoon asks Subin if she is hungry at lunch.
- 지훈 Ji-hun지훈: 수빈아, 배고파?Jihoon: Subin-ah, baegopa?Subin, are you hungry?
- 수빈 Su-bin수빈: 응, 배고파.Subin: Eung, baegopa.Yeah, I'm hungry.
- 지훈 Ji-hun지훈: 그럼 밥 먹으러 갈까?Jihoon: Geureom bap meogeureo galkka?Then shall we go eat?
- 수빈 Su-bin수빈: 좋아, 가자!Subin: Joa, gaja!Sounds good, let's go!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “yeah” translations and entries 응, 네, 예, 어, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 네, 예, 응, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
