LEARN + KOREAN / Note 55 TOPIK I
Right? (-지요/죠)
a
-지요 attaches directly to any stem, no vowel harmony, and turns a statement into “right?” or “isn’t it?”, inviting the listener to agree. It layers on top of anything you already know how to say, including past tense and -(으)ㄹ 거예요 futures.
In Real Life
지요 very often contracts to 죠 in real speech: 좋죠? instead of 좋지요?, the same kind of shortening as English “gonna” for “going to.” Both are correct; 죠 is what you’ll actually hear far more often.
In Real Life
Korean reaches for -지요/-죠 far more often than English reaches for “right?” or “isn’t it?”. It’s standard conversational oil, less a genuine question and more a way of keeping the exchange moving and checking you’re both on the same page.
Vocabulary
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
sagyejeol | the four seasons |
meositda | to be cool, good-looking |
yeppeuda | to be pretty |
dangyeonhada | to be obvious, of course |
matda | to be right, correct |
geureota | to be so, to be that way |
jeongmal | really, truly |
yeoksi | as expected, indeed |
geureogeyo | I know, right? (agreeing) |
jinjjayo? | really? |
geunikka | exactly, I know (casual contraction of 그러니까) |
injeong | agreed! (slang for acknowledging something's true) |
donggamida | to feel the same way |
gonggamhada | to empathize, relate |
geureochi | that's right (casual) |
maja | that's right (casual) |
hwaksilhae | for sure (casual) |
dangyeonhaji | of course (casual) |
injeonghada | to acknowledge, admit |
donguihada | to agree |