What is “-나”?

“-나” is an informal Korean sentence-ending used to ask a question to someone of lower status or to voice a rhetorical or self-directed question. It is mainly used in spoken language and attaches to verbs and the existential verbs 있다/없다.

1. Usage

1) Asking a Subordinate or Junior

Used when a speaker of higher rank (or age) poses a question to someone below them.

• 자네는 왜 이 수업을 듣나? (Why are you taking this class?)
• 자네는 인생이 무엇이라고 생각하나? (What do you think life is?)
• 자네, 이 책을 읽어볼 생각 있나? (Do you intend to read this book?)

Context: Common among male speakers in settings like a father-in-law to son-in-law or a boss to a junior employee.

2) Talking to Oneself (Inner Question)

Expresses a wondering thought or rhetorical question spoken aloud to oneself.

• 동생은 뭘 한다고 이렇게 늦게 오나? (What on earth is my younger sibling doing to be this late?)
• 대체 술래는 어디 숨었나? (Where on earth is the tagger hiding?)
• 나는 언제쯤 돈을 모으나? (When will I ever save money?)

Note: Using -나 with adjectives or the copula (이다) sounds unnatural.

2. Practice Quiz

Choose the correct sentence-ending to complete each Korean question:

1. 자네는 왜 이 수업을 듣___?
    (Why are you taking this class?)
2. 자네는 인생이 무엇이라고 생각하___?
   (What do you think life is?)
3. 자네, 이 책을 읽어볼 생각 있___?
    (Do you intend to read this book?)
4. 동생은 뭘 한다고 이렇게 늦게 오___?
   (What on earth is my younger sibling doing to be this late?)
5. 대체 술래는 어디 숨었___?
   (Where on earth is the tagger hiding?)

3. Answers

• 자네는 왜 이 수업을 듣나? (Why are you taking this class?)
• 자네는 인생이 무엇이라고 생각하나? (What do you think life is?)
• 자네, 이 책을 읽어볼 생각 있나? (Do you intend to read this book?)
• 동생은 뭘 한다고 이렇게 늦게 오나? (What on earth is my younger sibling doing?)
• 대체 술래는 어디 숨었나? (Where on earth is the tagger hiding?)