Casual Questions with '니' — Korean Grammar

The ending (ni) is a casual interrogation suffix used to ask questions. It is attached directly to the verb or adjective stem. While standard casual speech often relies solely on rising intonation (e.g., (ka?ga?ka?ka?)), using (ni) explicitly marks the sentence as a question.

This form is strictly informal ( (pan·malban·malpan·malpan·mal)) and should only be used with close friends, people younger than you, or subordinates. It carries a nuance that can be friendly, soft, or sometimes authoritative depending on the context, and is frequently found in literature and media.

Basic Construction

To use this form, simply attach (ni) to the verb or adjective stem. Unlike other conjugations, you do not need to worry about whether the stem ends in a vowel or a consonant (with one exception for (l), explained below).

지금 가니?
chi·gŭm ka·ni?ji·geum ga·ni?chi·gŭm ka·ni?ci·kum ka·ni?
Are you going now?
이 음식 맵니?
i ŭm·sik mæm·ni?i eum·sik maem·ni?i ŭm·sik maem·ni?i um·sik maym·ni?
Is this food spicy?
돈이 있니?
to·ni it·ni?do·ni it·ni?to·ni it·ni?to·ni it·ni?
Do you have money?

The 'ㄹ' Irregularity

If a verb stem ends in the consonant (l), you must remove the (l) before adding (ni). This is a crucial spelling and pronunciation rule.

For example, (sal·dasal·dasal·dasal·ta) - to live - has the stem (sal). Removing (l) leaves (sa), resulting in (sa·ni).

어디 사니?
ŏ·di sa·ni?eo·di sa·ni?ŏ·di sa·ni?e·ti sa·ni?
Where do you live?
누가 케이크를 만드니?
nu·ga kʰe·i·kʰŭ·rŭl man·dŭ·ni?nu·ga ke·i·keu·reul man·deu·ni?nu·ga k'e·i·k'ŭ·rŭl man·dŭ·ni?nu·ka khey·i·khu·lul man·tu·ni?
Who is making the cake?
그 사람을 아니?
kŭ sa·ra·mŭl a·ni?geu sa·ra·meul a·ni?kŭ sa·ra·mŭl a·ni?ku sa·la·mul a·ni?
Do you know that person?

Past Tense Questions

To ask questions about the past, attach (ni) to the past tense stem ( (at/ŏt/hæt)). The final form will always look like (at·ni), (ŏt·nieot·niŏt·niet·ni), or (hæt·nihaet·nihaet·nihayt·ni).

어제 학교에 갔니?
ŏ·je hak·gyo·e kat·ni?eo·je hak·gyo·e gat·ni?ŏ·je hak·gyo·e kat·ni?e·cey hak·kyo·ey kat·ni?
Did you go to school yesterday?
점심 먹었니?
chŏm·sim mŏ·gŏt·ni?jeom·sim meo·geot·ni?chŏm·sim mŏ·gŏt·ni?cem·sim me·ket·ni?
Did you eat lunch?
숙제 했니?
suk·je hæt·ni?suk·je haet·ni?suk·je haet·ni?suk·cey hayt·ni?
Did you do your homework?

Using with Nouns (Is it...?)

When asking if something "is" a certain noun (using the verb (i·dai·dai·dai·ta)), the construction depends on whether the noun ends in a vowel or a consonant.

Vowel ending: Add (ni) directly.
Consonant ending: Add (i·ni).

이거 커피니?
i·gŏ kʰŏ·pʰi·ni?i·geo keo·pi·ni?i·gŏ k'ŏ·p'i·ni?i·ke khe·phi·ni?
Is this coffee?
너 학생이니?
nŏ hak·sæng·i·ni?neo hak·saeng·i·ni?nŏ hak·saeng·i·ni?ne hak·sayng·i·ni?
Are you a student?

Nuance and Usage

While (ni) is interchangeable with the standard (a/ŏ) ending in terms of meaning, the "feel" is different. The (a/ŏ) ending is the most neutral casual form. (ni) can sound slightly more specific, demanding an answer, or softer and more affectionate depending on the tone of voice.

Historically, it was sometimes associated more with female speech or the speech of older adults to children, but in modern Korea, it is used by everyone.

왜 우니?
wæ u·ni?wae u·ni?wae u·ni?way u·ni?
Why are you crying?
많이 아프니?
ma·ni a·pʰŭ·ni?ma·ni a·peu·ni?ma·ni a·p'ŭ·ni?ma·ni a·phu·ni?
Does it hurt a lot?

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