How To Say You Are In Korean

How to Say “You Are” in Korean: A Complete Guide to Polite, Casual, and Formal Expressions

Learning how to express “you are …” in Korean is one of the first steps toward building natural conversations. Unlike English, Korean does not always require an explicit subject, and the verb “to be” changes depending on politeness level, speech style, and whether you are stating a fact or giving a compliment. This guide breaks down every form you need, shows when to use each one, and gives plenty of example sentences so you can start sounding like a native speaker right away.

Not obvious, but once you see it — you'll see it everywhere And that's really what it comes down to..

1. The Core Verb “to Be” in Korean

In Korean, the verb “to be” is expressed by the copula 이다 (ida). When conjugated, it attaches directly to a noun or a descriptive adjective and takes different endings based on formality and sentence ending type But it adds up..

Note: The topic marker 은/는 (eun/neun) or subject marker 이/가 (i/ga) often appears before the copula, but they can be dropped in casual speech when the context is clear.

2. Formal “You Are” – -입니다

Use -입니다 when you need to show respect, such as in a business meeting, a lecture, or when speaking to someone you do not know well. The structure is:

[당신] + [은/는] + noun + -입니다

• 당신은 학생입니다. (Dangsin-eun haksaeng-imnida.) – “You are a student.”
• 당신은 의사입니다. (Dangsin-eun uisa-imnida.) – “You are a doctor.”

In formal Korean, the pronoun 당신 (dangsin, “you”) is often omitted because the listener is already understood from context. You may also hear 저는 (jeoneun, “I”) when the speaker refers to themselves, but for “you are” the subject is usually dropped:

• 학생입니다. (Haksaeng-imnida.) – “(You) are a student.”

When addressing someone with a title, replace 당신 with the title + 님 (nim), e.g., 선생님 (seonsaengnim, teacher):

• 선생님께서는 교수입니다. (Seonsaengnim-kke-seunun gyosu-imnida.) – “(To the teacher) you are a professor.” (Very formal, rarely used in daily speech.)

3. Polite Casual “You Are” – -이에요 / -예요

The -이에요 / -예요 ending is the go‑to form for most daily interactions. It is polite but not overly stiff, making it suitable for coworkers, classmates, neighbors, and strangers of similar age or status It's one of those things that adds up. Worth knowing..

Structure:

[당신] + [은/는] + noun + -이에요/-예요

• 당신은 친구예요. (Dangsin-eun chingu-yeyo.) – “You are a friend.”
• 당신은 바빠요. (Dangsin-eun bappa-yeyo.) – “You are busy.” (Note: with adjectives, the copula is often omitted; see Section 5.)

If the noun ends in a consonant, use -이에요; if it ends in a vowel, use -예요.

Dropping the pronoun:

• 친구예요. (Chingu-yeyo.) – “(You) are a friend.”
• 학생이에요. (Haksaeng-ieyo.) – “(You) are a student.”

This form can also be used with descriptive verbs (adjectives) by adding -어요 directly to the stem, but many speakers prefer the simpler adjective ending -아요/어요 without the copula (see Section 5) Still holds up..

4. Informal “You Are” – -이야 / -야

When you are speaking to close friends, siblings, or someone younger than you (and you have been given permission to use 반말), the informal endings -이야 (after a consonant) and -야 (after a vowel) appear And that's really what it comes down to..

Structure:

[너] + [은/는] + noun + -이야/-야

• 너는 학생이야. (Neoneun haksaeng-iya.) – “You are a student.”
• 너는 바빠. (Neoneun bappa.) – “You are busy.” (Adjective form, copula dropped)

Again, the pronoun 너 (neo, “you”) is often omitted:

• 학생이야. (Haksaeng-iya.) – “(You) are a student.”
• 맛있어. (Masisseo.) – “(It) is delicious.” (When describing something, the subject is implied.)

Caution: Using 반말 with someone who expects politeness can be rude. Always gauge the relationship and, when in doubt, default to the polite casual form.

5. Descriptive Statements (Adjectives) – No Copula Needed

Korean often omits the copula when the predicate is an adjective or a descriptive verb. Instead, the adjective itself takes an ending that matches the politeness level.

Examples:

• Formal: 당신은 아름답습니다. (Dangsin-eun areumdapseumnida.) – “You are beautiful

Formal: **당신은 아름답습니다.*) – “You are beautiful.”

• Polite casual: **예뻐요.*) – “(You) are pretty.And ** (*Yeppeoyo. Consider this: ** (*Yeppeo. Here's the thing — ”

• Informal: **예뻐. ** (Dangsin-eun areumdapseumnida.) – “(You) are pretty.

• Formal: 이 음식이 맵습니다. (I eumsigi maepseumnida.) – “This food is spicy.”

• Polite casual: 매워요. (Maewoyo.) – “(It) is spicy.”

• Informal: 매워. (Maewo.) – “(It) is spicy.”

Notice that the subject pronoun (당신, 너, or 이것) disappears entirely in natural speech; the adjective ending alone carries both the predicate and the politeness nuance Still holds up..

6. Honorific “You Are” – -(으)십니다 / -(으)세요

When the subject of the sentence is someone deserving of respect—teachers, elders, superiors, or strangers significantly older than you—the verb or adjective takes the honorific infix -(으)시- before the final ending. The copula 이다 becomes 이십니다 (formal) or 이세요 (polite casual) Most people skip this — try not to..

Adjectives follow the same pattern:

• 편찮으십니다. (Geonganghaseyo.* (*Pyeonchanheusimnida.” (Formal)
• **건강하세요.Because of that, *) – “(Honored person) is unwell. *) – “(Honored person) is healthy.

Key point: Honorifics elevate the subject, not the listener. You can speak formally to a friend about your grandfather using honorifics, or speak casually to a stranger about yourself without them The details matter here..

7. “It Is / They Are” – Demonstratives & Existence

The same copula endings attach to demonstrative pronouns (이것, 그것, 저것) and nouns to identify objects or people Simple, but easy to overlook. Took long enough..

In rapid speech, 이것 → 이거, 그것 → 그거, 저것 → 저거, and the topic marker 은/는 often replaces 이/가:

• 이거예요. (Igeo-yeyo.) – “This is it.”
• 그거 학생 거예요? (Geugeo haksaeng geoyeyo?) – “Is that the student’s?”

For existence/location, Korean switches verbs entirely: 있다 (“to exist/be at”) and 없다 (“to not exist/be absent”). Their conjugation mirrors the adjective table in Section 5.

• Formal: 책이 있습니다. (Chaegi itseumnida.) – “There is a book.” / “I have a book.”
• Polite casual: 시간 있어요. (Sigan isseoyo.) – “I have time.”
• Informal: 돈 없어. (Don eopseo.) – “I have no money.”

8. Common Pitfalls & Quick Tips

1. Don’t overuse 당신. It can sound confrontational or overly intimate. Use titles (선생님, 팀장님, ○○ 씨) or drop the pronoun.
2. Match the ending to the noun’s final sound for the copula (-이에요/-예요, -이야/-야), but match the stem’s final vowel for adjectives (-아요/-어요, -아/-어).
3. Honorifics are mandatory when the subject is senior, even if you are speaking informally to the listener.