Pronouns (I, You) - 나, 저, 너, 당신

In this lesson, we are going to learn about pronouns, especially, "I and You," then "He, She and They," and how their forms are changed depending on the degree of politeness.

For the video recording of this lesson, please see below. :)

Let's start with "I":

Informal form (나, I)

• 나 = I

• 나는 = I + 는 (Topic particle)
• 난 (usually in spoken Korean)

• 내가 = I + 가 (Identifier particle)

• 나도 = I + 도 (Additive particle)

• 나를 = I + 를 (Object particle)
• 날 (usually in spoken Korean)

• 내 = my

• 내 것 = mine (written Korean)
• 내 꺼 (usually in spoken Korean)

Note: 나 becomes 내 when combined with 가 (Identifier particle) 

Polite form (저, I)

• 저 = I

• 저는 = I + 는 (Topic particle)
• 전 (usually in spoken Korean)

• 제가 = I + 가 (Identifier particle)

• 저도 = I + 도 (Additive particle)

• 저를 = I + 를 (Object particle)
• 절 (usually in spoken Korean)

• 제 = my

• 제 것 = mine (written Korean)
• 제 꺼 (usually in spoken Korean)

Now for "You":

Informal form (너, You)

• 너 = You
• 너는 = You + 는 (Topic particle)
• 넌 (usually in spoken Korean)

• 네가 = You + 가 (Identifier particle) (written Korean)
• 니가 (usually in spoken Korean)

• 너도 = You + 도 (Additive particle)

• 너를 = You + 를 (Object particle)
• 널 (usually in spoken Korean)

• 네 = your (written Korean)
• 니 (usually in spoken Korean)

• 네 것 = yours (written Korean)
• 니 꺼 (usually in spoken Korean)

Polite form (당신, You)

• 당신 = You
• 당신은 = You + 은 (Topic particle)

• 당신이 = You + 이 (Identifier particle)

• 당신도 = You + 도 (Additive particle)

• 당신을 = You + 을 (Object particle)

• 당신 = your 

• 당신 것 = yours (written Korean)
• 당신 꺼 (usually in spoken Korean)

Note: Just a word of caution, 당신 is very infrequently used when addressing someone in spoken Korean because it has a nuance of confrontation, and it can be offensive when used wrongly. Therefore I advise that you do not use 당신 at all when speaking in Korean!

In Korean, if you want address someone directly, it's more common to use their designated position or status in society, for example, 선생님 (teacher), 사장님 (Head of any company), 사모님 (Wife of any respectable man), 아저씨 (middle-aged man), 아줌마 (middle-aged woman), 할아버지 (elderly man), 할머니 (elderly woman)

Note: Doctors are called 의사 선생님 (Doctor-teacher) or just 선생님 (teacher), and any person can be called 선생님 if you learned something from that person and even if someone is not your teacher, you may choose to call him/her 선생님 if you respect them, and don't have any other particular to name to call them.


However, please let me make this clear that it seems that 당신 is more frequently used in songs and dramas, and 당신 in songs do not sound confrontational, and offensive at all. Actually they sound very endearing in some songs for some reason. But in dramas, 당신 can still be confrontational and offensive, and so it's more likely used in the scenes where characters have verbal arguments.


You may also hear 그 쪽 when someone is addressed. 그 쪽 is used in place of 당신 (because 당신 is avoided in spoken Korean as explained above). 그 쪽 literally means "that side." 그 쪽 is not used frequently at all. It's used between people who share a similar position or status in society, and have just met and are not sure how to address the other person.

e.g.

• Person A: 점심 드셨어요? (Have you had lunch?)
• Person B: 아뇨. 아직이요. 그쪽은요? (No, not yet, what about you?)