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 in Korean.

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 almost always requires you to say the pronoun.)

The most common example is:

(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.

Here's an example of two sentences:

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.

First-person pronoun (나/저)¶

At the diary or casual level, we use 나. In polite or formal settings, 저 is used.

Second-person pronoun (너)¶

In casual settings, one may use 너 for "you".

In polite or formal settings, there isn't a good second-person pronoun. Drop it, or use a name or title. There are technically some workarounds if you really need them, like if you are translating a foreign text¹, but they're unnatural.

Special abbreviations for 나, 저, 너 with markers¶

There are special abbreviations for 나, 저, 너 with topic, subject, object and possessive markers. (Topic markers are introduced in the next section, and possessive markers are introduced later.)

The abbreviations in topic, object, and possessive columns are optional (they are more commonly spoken). But the special forms in the subject column are all mandatory: 나가, 저가, and 너가 are all prescriptively incorrect.

"This" and "that"¶

• Use 이 for "this".
• Use 그 for "that" when the object is near the listener, or known from previous context.
• Use 저 for "that" when the object is farther away, e.g. within sight but not within reaching distance.

These three are adnouns, so they go before a noun: 이 고양이 = this cat, 그 사람 = that person. To say "this" or "that" on its own, you can use 것 ("thing"), which is usually shortened in speech:

• 이것/이거 = this (thing)
• 그것/그거 = that (thing)
• 저것/저거 = that (thing over there)

Note that 저 ("that over there") is indeed identical to 저 ("I" in polite speech). Context always makes it clear which one is meant.

"We"¶

For "we", use 우리 at the diary or casual level, and 저희 at the polite or formal level. This is exclusive-we; it doesn't include the listener.

Wait, there are no third-person pronouns?¶

Technically speaking, yeah.² Korean prefers phrases like "그 사람" (that person), "이 여자" (this woman), and so on if you do need them. But again, if it's clear from context, just drop it altogether.