TOPIK II · LEVEL 3
-니?/-냐?
-니?/-냐? are plain (casual) question endings, used to friends, younger people, and in quoted questions.
문장 끝·말투Endings & speech styleHan: -니 is casual; to a teacher use the honorific polite form.
Examples
너 내일 시간 있냐?You got time tomorrow?
밥 먹었니?Have you eaten? (to a child or friend)
엄마가 언제 오냐고 물어봤어요.Mom asked when I'm coming.
Don’t mix up
-니?/-냐?vs-아/어?-아/어? is the most common casual question among friends; -니? sounds a bit gentle or old-fashioned, -냐? rough.
How to build it
V/A+니?
V+냐? (A + (으)냐?)
N+(이)니?
가다 → 가니?, 먹다 → 먹니?/먹냐?, 좋다 → 좋니?/좋으냐?
- -니 sounds softer (often from adults to children); -냐 is blunter, common among male friends.
- Never use them to elders or strangers.
Classic mistake
Wrong: 선생님, 어디 가니?
Right: 선생님, 어디 가세요?
-니 is casual; to a teacher use the honorific polite form.
Practise -니?/-냐? on real TOPIK questions
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All TOPIK grammar- -(느)ㄴ다/-다 (해라체)-(느)ㄴ다/-다 is the plain written style used in diaries, essays, newspapers and the TOPIK writing section.
- -(으)ㄹ걸요-(으)ㄹ걸요 gives a soft guess, often gently disagreeing: 'probably …, I think …'.
- -지 그래요?-지 그래요? is a friendly suggestion: 'why don't you …?'
- -아/어라-아/어라 is the plain (casual) command ending, used to children, close friends, and in written instructions.
- -아/어야지요-아/어야지요 (-아/어야죠) means 'of course one should / I really must …' — a firm intention or obvious duty.
- -구나/-는구나A plain (반말) ending for a fresh realization or mild surprise: 'Oh, so…!'. Used to friends, younger people and children, or when talking to oneself.
- -던데(요)-던데(요) shares something you observed in the past, often as background or a soft contrast: 'I noticed …, (but/so) …'.
- -기는요-기는요 politely denies or plays down a compliment or statement: 'Not at all / Me? No way'.
- -잖아요-잖아요 reminds the listener of something they already know or should know, often to justify what you are saying or as a mild complaint.
