-나요/-(으)ㄴ가요 in Korean: “soft polite question”
-나요/-(으)ㄴ가요
-nayo/-(eu)ngayo
soft polite question
Intermediate · Sentence endings
-나요 (-nayo) and -(으)ㄴ가요 (-(eu)ngayo) are polite question endings that sound softer and gentler than the usual -아요/어요?. You use -나요 with verbs and -(으)ㄴ가요 with adjectives and nouns. They are common when asking strangers, staff, or anyone you want to be careful with.
How to form it
| When | Add | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb stem (also 있다/없다) | + 나요 | 가다 → 가나요? |
| ㄹ stem (ㄹ drops) | drop ㄹ + 나요 | 알다 → 아나요? |
| Adjective stem | + ㄴ가요 (vowel) / 은가요 (consonant) | 바쁘다 → 바쁜가요?, 작다 → 작은가요? |
| Noun | + 인가요 | 학생 → 학생인가요? |
| Past tense (any verb or adjective) | 았/었 + 나요 | 끝나다 → 끝났나요? |
How to use it
These endings make a question sound gentle and less direct, a bit like "Is it...?" or "Do you happen to...?" in English. They are polite, so you can use them with strangers, shop staff, teachers, and coworkers.
They also work when you are wondering out loud, almost asking yourself: 왜 안 오나요? can mean "Why isn't he coming, I wonder?"
In everyday speech you will also hear -나요 after adjectives, especially 괜찮나요?. It is very common, but -(으)ㄴ가요 is the textbook pattern for adjectives.
The casual versions are -나? and -(으)ㄴ가?, which often sound like you are thinking to yourself.
Examples
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Asking a bus driver
Asking a coworker for a minute
Checking on someone who is sick
Arriving late to a meeting
Don’t mix it up with
-아요/어요?: The standard polite question. -나요 and -(으)ㄴ가요 sound softer and a little more careful.
-냐/-니: These are casual questions for friends and younger people, not polite ones.
-나 보다: -나 보다 is not a question. It means "it seems that" based on what you see.
Common mistakes
Putting -나요 straight onto a noun. Say 학생인가요?, not 학생나요?.
Keeping the ㄹ on ㄹ stems: 알다 becomes 아나요?, not 알나요?.
Questions learners ask
Is -나요 more polite than -아요/어요?
It is about the same level of politeness, but it sounds softer and less direct, so it often feels more considerate.
When do I use -나요 and when -(으)ㄴ가요?
Use -나요 with verbs, 있다/없다, and any past tense. Use -(으)ㄴ가요 with adjectives and 인가요 with nouns.
What does 괜찮나요 mean?
괜찮나요? means "Is it okay?" or "Are you okay?" in a soft, polite way.