Yes in Korean is 네 (ne), or the slightly more formal 예 (ye); no is 아니요 (aniyo), often shortened to 아뇨 (anyo). With friends, yes is 응 (eung) and no is 아니 (ani). Beware negative questions: Korean agrees with the statement, so to "Didn't you eat?" the answer 네 means "right, I didn't".
- Yes
- 네 (ne), 예 (ye)
- No
- 아니요 (aniyo), 아뇨 (anyo)
- Casual yes
- 응 (eung)
- Casual no
- 아니 (ani)
- That's right
- 맞아요 (majayo)
- Level
- A1
Which yes and no should you use?
Like everything else in Korean, yes and no change with the speech level. The polite pair suits nearly everyone you meet; the casual pair is for friends and family.
| Korean | Romanization | Speech level | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 네 | ne | Polite | The everyday yes |
| 예 | ye | Polite, a touch formal | Common with older speakers and in formal workplaces |
| 응 / 어 | eung / eo | Casual (반말) | Friends, family, people younger than you |
| 아니요 | aniyo | Polite | The standard no |
| 아뇨 | anyo | Polite | Spoken short form of 아니요 |
| 아니 | ani | Casual (반말) | Friends and family |
| 맞아요 | majayo | Polite | "That's right", a firmer yes |
| 아니에요 | anieyo | Polite | "No, it isn't": correcting a fact, or brushing off thanks |
Koreans rarely answer with a bare yes. They repeat the verb: "봤어요?" (did you see it?) gets "네, 봤어요" (yes, I saw it). In this Contos story Minjun asks Jieun whether she has seen the travel card he dropped, and she answers in exactly that shape:
네, 봤어요. 집에 두고 왔어요. 내일 줄게요.Ne, bwasseoyo. Jibe dugo wasseoyo. Naeil julgeyo.
The narrator adds that it was a lie: the card is in her pocket the whole time.
How do you answer negative questions in Korean?
This is where English speakers trip up. Korean 네 means "what you said is right" and 아니요 means "what you said is wrong", even when the question is negative. English does the opposite.
커피 안 마셔요? 네, 안 마셔요.
Keopi an masyeoyo? Ne, an masyeoyo.
Don't you drink coffee? No, I don't.
네 agrees with "you don't".
안 바빠요? 아니요, 바빠요.
An bappayo? Aniyo, bappayo.
Aren't you busy? Yes, I am.
아니요 rejects "you aren't busy".
이거 아니에요? 네, 아니에요.
Igeo anieyo? Ne, anieyo.
Isn't it this one? No, it isn't.
Repeating the verb, as Koreans do anyway, makes your answer clear whichever word you start with.
What else can 네 and 아니요 mean?
네 does more than agree. On the phone, a string of 네, 네 means "uh-huh, I'm listening". Said with a rising tone, 네? means "pardon?". When someone calls your name, 네! is "yes?" or "coming!".
아니요 often opens a protest or a cover story. Here the bookshop assistant Junho is asked whether he comes to the back shelves often, the very place a secret note was hidden:
아니요, 저는... 이쪽은 잘 안 와요.Aniyo, jeoneun... ijjogeun jal an wayo.
He is blushing as he says it, and the young helper Daeun writes in her notebook: "준호 오빠, 거짓말?" (Junho, lying?).
How do you say yes please and no thank you?
Accept with 네, 좋아요 (ne, joayo), "yes, that would be nice", or 네, 주세요 for food and drink (see how to say please in Korean). Decline with 아니요, 괜찮아요 (aniyo, gwaenchanayo), "no, I'm fine".
Watch 괜찮아요 on its own: it can mean "no thanks" or "that's fine, go ahead", and only tone and gesture tell them apart. Add 아니요 or 네 in front to be clear. Two more pages build on these words: how to say I don't understand in Korean and how to say you're welcome in Korean, where 아니에요 does a different job.
Read The Bookshop Notes in Korean at A2 and decide for yourself whether Junho is telling the truth.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
Is it ne or de?
It is written 네 and romanized ne. Korean speakers often start it with only a light nasal sound, so to English ears it can sound close to "de".
What is the difference between ne and ye?
They mean the same. 예 (ye) is a little more formal and is heard more from older people and in formal workplaces; 네 (ne) is the everyday choice.
Is eung rude?
Not with friends or people younger than you. To a stranger, a teacher or anyone older, 응 (eung) sounds too casual; use 네 (ne).
How do you say of course in Korean?
Say 그럼요 (geureomyo) or 물론이죠 (mullonijyo) politely, and 그럼 (geureom) or 당연하지 (dangyeonhaji) with friends.