Korean Pronouns: 대명사
Korean pronouns work very differently from English. The language has distinct levels of formality built into its pronoun system — who you're talking to determines which words you use. You'll also find that Korean often omits pronouns entirely when context makes them clear. This lesson covers every pronoun category you need to communicate naturally in Korean.
1 First Person Pronouns — I/Me (1인칭)
Korean has two words for "I": 나 (na) for casual speech and 저 (jeo) for polite speech. Choosing the wrong one signals disrespect — or sounds overly stiff with close friends. Each pronoun changes form depending on its grammatical role in the sentence.
| Korean | Romanization | English | Register | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 나 | na ナ | I / me (subject, casual) | Casual | |
| 나를 / 날 | na-reul / nal ナルル / ナル | me (object, casual) | Casual | |
| 나의 / 내 | na-ui / nae ナウィ / ネ | my (possessive, casual) | Casual | |
| 나에게 / 나한테 | na-ege / na-hante ナエゲ / ナハンテ | to me / for me (casual) | Casual | |
| 저 | jeo チョ | I / me (subject, polite) | Polite | |
| 저를 / 절 | jeo-reul / jeol チョルル / チョル | me (object, polite) | Polite | |
| 저의 / 제 | jeo-ui / je チョウィ / チェ | my (possessive, polite) | Polite | |
| 저에게 / 저한테 | jeo-ege / jeo-hante チョエゲ / チョハンテ | to me / for me (polite) | Polite |
2 Second Person Pronouns — You (2인칭)
This is one of the most important differences between Korean and English: Korean speakers almost never say "you" directly. Instead, they use the listener's name, their title, or a respectful term. Direct use of "you" can easily sound cold or even rude.
| Korean | Romanization | English | Usage | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 너 | neo ノ | you (very casual) | With close friends / children only | |
| 당신 | dangshin タンシン | you (formal / literary) | Songs, formal writing, spouses | |
| 그쪽 | geujjok クッチョク | "that side" — polite you | Politely addressing a stranger | |
| [이름] + 씨 | [name] + ssi [이름] + ッシ | Mr./Ms. [Name] — polite | Professional / semi-formal settings | |
| 선생님 | seonsaengnim ソンセンニム | teacher (used as "you") | Addressing a teacher directly | |
| 언니 / 오빠 / 누나 / 형 | eonni / oppa / nuna / hyeong オンニ / オッパ / ヌナ / ヒョン | older sister / older brother (used as "you") | Addressing older friends as family |
3 Third Person — He / She / They (3인칭)
Just as with "you," Korean speakers rarely use third-person pronouns in spoken conversation. Instead they use names, titles, or demonstrative expressions like 이분 (this person) and 저분 (that person over there). The words 그 and 그녀 exist mainly in translated literature.
| Korean | Romanization | English | Usage | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 그 | geu ク | he / that person | Written / literary | |
| 그녀 | geunyeo クニョ | she (literary) | Written only — rare in speech | |
| 그들 | geudeul クドゥル | they | Written / formal contexts | |
| 그것 / 그거 | geugeot / geugeo クゴッ / クゴ | it / that thing | Common in speech | |
| 이분 | ibun イブン | this person (formal) | Introducing someone respectfully | |
| 저분 | jeobun チョブン | that person over there (formal) | Pointing to someone at a distance |
4 We / Our (우리)
The word 우리 (uri) literally means "we" or "our," but Koreans use it where English speakers would say "my." This reflects a cultural emphasis on collective identity — family, relationships, and belonging are expressed communally even when one person is speaking.
| Korean | Romanization | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 우리 | uri ウリ | we / our / my (collective) | |
| 저희 | jeohui チョヒ | our / we (humble, polite) | |
| 여러분 | yeoreobun ヨロブン | everyone / ladies and gentlemen |
5 Demonstrative Pronouns — This / That (지시대명사)
Korean uses a three-way demonstrative system built on the roots 이 (near the speaker), 그 (near the listener or previously mentioned), and 저 (far from both). These roots combine with nouns like 것 (thing), 분 (person), and 곳 (place).
| Korean | Romanization | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 이것 / 이거 | igeot / igeo イゴッ / イゴ | this (thing near speaker) | |
| 그것 / 그거 | geugeot / geugeo クゴッ / クゴ | that (near listener / previously mentioned) | |
| 저것 / 저거 | jeogeot / jeogeo チョゴッ / チョゴ | that (far from both, over there) | |
| 이분 | ibun イブン | this person (formal) | |
| 그분 | geubun クブン | that person / he / she (formal) | |
| 이곳 | igot イゴッ | this place / here | |
| 저곳 | jeogot チョゴッ | that place over there |
6 Reflexive Pronouns (재귀대명사)
Reflexive pronouns in Korean express actions done by oneself, to oneself, or independently. They are used when the subject and object of a sentence are the same, or to emphasize independent action.
| Korean | Romanization | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 자신 | jashin チャシン | oneself / himself / herself | |
| 스스로 | seuseuro ススロ | by oneself / on one's own | |
| 혼자 | honja ホンジャ | alone / by oneself |
7 Question Pronouns (의문대명사)
Question pronouns are the "who, what, which, where, when" words of Korean. Unlike English, Korean question words stay in the same position as the noun they replace — they do not move to the front of the sentence.
8 Plural Marker — 들
Korean nouns and pronouns do not change form for plural by default. To explicitly mark something as plural, you attach the suffix -들 (-deul). However, this suffix is often optional — Korean speakers rely on context, numbers, or quantity words to indicate plural meaning.
| Korean | Romanization | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 사람들 | saramdeul サラムドゥル | people (plural of 사람) | |
| 학생들 | haksaengdeul ハクセンドゥル | students (plural) | |
| 친구들 | chingudeul チングドゥル | friends (plural) | |
| 그것들 | geugeotdeul クゴッドゥル | those things (plural) | |
| 우리들 | urideul ウリドゥル | we / us (emphasised plural) |