haru Korean › Grammar › Level 2A › A-(으)ㄴ가요? · V-나요?
A-(으)ㄴ가요? · V-나요? — asking gently and politely — -(으)ㄴ가요? and -나요?
Asking gently and politely — -(으)ㄴ가요? and -나요?. Korean grammar for upper beginner learners — Level 2A, lesson 11: 시험 때문에 못 갔어요 (I couldn't go because of the exam — apologising and postponing).
What it means
-나요? and -(으)ㄴ가요? ask the same things as -아요/어요?, but more gently and politely — a little like 'Could you tell me …?' or 'I was wondering …'. After a verb, and after 있다 and 없다, add -나요? to the stem: 시작하나요?, 먹나요?, 있나요?, 재미있나요?. After an adjective, add -은가요? when it ends in 받침 and -ㄴ가요? when it doesn't: 많은가요?, 바쁜가요?, and 어려운가요? (ㅂ → 우, as in 어려워요). Nouns take 인가요?: 시험은 언제인가요? A ㄹ at the end of the stem drops out: 살다 → 사나요?, 멀다 → 먼가요?. In the past every word takes -았/었나요?: 갔나요?, 바빴나요?. You hear these questions from shop and office staff, from students to a teacher and at work, and they go well with 혹시 'by any chance': 혹시 내일 시간 있나요? The answer uses the usual -아요/어요: 네, 있어요. In everyday speech many people put -나요? on adjectives too (괜찮나요?), but use -(으)ㄴ가요? in class.
Forms
| Pattern | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A-(으)ㄴ가요? · N인가요? | 형용사 — 받침 O 은가요 · 받침 X ㄴ가요 (ㄹ은 빠져요) · 명사 + 인가요 | 많다 → 많은가요? |
| V-나요? | 동사 · 있다 · 없다 — 받침 O · X 같아요 (ㄹ은 빠져요) | 시작하다 → 시작하나요? |
Key points
- V-나요? (verbs · 있다 · 없다) · A-(으)ㄴ가요? (adjectives) · N인가요? — gentler, more polite questions: 시작하나요? · 있나요? · 어려운가요?
- Past: -았/었나요? for every word (갔나요? · 바빴나요?) · answer as usual with -아요/어요: 네, 있어요
Examples
- 시작해요? → 시작하나요? 있어요? → 있나요?
- 많아요? → 많은가요? 어려워요? → 어려운가요?
- 언제예요? → 언제인가요?
- 시험 잘 봤어요? → 시험 잘 봤나요?
- 혹시 내일 시간 있나요? — 네, 있어요.
Where university textbooks teach it
This point also appears in: Seoul National University Korean 2A, lesson 9; Yonsei University Korean 2-1, lesson 4; Ewha Womans University Korean 2-1, lesson 4; Hongik University Korean 2A, lesson 4; Hanyang University Korean 3-1, lesson 4.