Pronouns, and dropping pronouns¶
There are words for "I/me", "you", "this", "that", etc. However, the most important thing to know about them is that you often don't need them.
Drop the nouns altogether when they're clear from context¶
Korean is a pro-drop language. That means you are not only permitted but actively encouraged to omit nouns altogether when they're clear from context. (In contrast, English always requires you to place a pronoun.)
The most common example being:
Example
- 사랑해 = [I] love [you].
(This is the casual form you'd use for a partner.)
Here are more examples of dropping "I", in various formalities. The important point is that they are actually complete sentences, despite only being one word.
Example
- 배고파 = [I am] hungry.
- 몰라요 = [I] don't know.
- 고마워요 = [I am] thankful = Thanks.
- 감사합니다 = [I am] thankful = Thank you.
- 미안합니다 = [I am] sorry = Sorry.
Here's an example of two sentences:
Example
- 여자를 만났어요. 귀여웠어요. = [I] met a girl. [She/the girl] was cute.
- 고양이를 봤어요. 귀여웠어요. = [I] saw a cat. [It/the cat] was cute.
So because of the pro-drop ability, you often don't need he/she/it either, like in the two examples above. Just drop "girl" or "cat" altogether because it's clear from context.