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-잖아Korean sentence ending · TOPIK 3

-jana

TOPIK 3 3급Sentence Endings 종결 어미

(informal addressee-lowering) An expression used to check with or correct the listener on something about a certain situation.

형태Forms

-잖아-잖아요

Which one you use is decided by what comes in front of it — see the usage rule under each meaning below.

(informal addressee-lowering) An expression used to check with or correct the listener on something about a certain situation.

(두루낮춤으로) 어떤 상황에 대해 말하는 사람이 상대방에게 확인하거나 정정해 주듯이 말함을 나타내는 표현.

쓰임Usage

Attaches after the copula 이다, verbs and adjectives, the honorific -으시-, the past -었- or the future -겠-.

'이다', 동사와 형용사 또는 ‘-으시-’, ‘-었-’, ‘-겠-’ 뒤에 붙여 쓴다.

예문Examples

비가 아니라 눈이 오잖아.

It's snowing, not raining.

벌써 세 시가 넘었잖아.

It's already past three o'clock.

그 사람은 한국인이 아니라 중국인이잖아.

That person is Chinese, not Korean.

대화In conversation

너 성적표 어디다 두었니? 엄마가 찾으시잖아.

Where did you put your report card? Mom's looking for it, you know.

어, 엄마 화장대 위에 올려두었는데.

Oh, I left it on her vanity table.

관련 문법Related grammar

Other sentence endings you will meet alongside this one.

-거든 -geodeun 거든요 (informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending referring to the reason, cause, or basis for the preceding statement that the speaker thought… TOPIK 3 -는구나 -neunguna -구나 (formal, highly addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to imply a certain feeling in a newly learned fact. TOPIK 3 -는다 -neunda -ㄴ다 · -다 (formal, highly addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to describe an event or fact of the present. TOPIK 3 -니 -ni -으니 (formal, highly addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending referring to a question. TOPIK 3 -던데 -deonde -던데요 (informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to admire something in the past while anticipating the listener's response. TOPIK 3 -자 -ja (formal, highly addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to indicate the suggestion to do a certain act together. TOPIK 3

자주 묻는 질문Common questions

What does -잖아 mean in Korean?

-잖아 is a sentence ending introduced at 3급 (TOPIK 3). (informal addressee-lowering) An expression used to check with or correct the listener on something about a certain situation.

When do you use -잖아?

Attaches after the copula 이다, verbs and adjectives, the honorific -으시-, the past -었- or the future -겠-. The other shape is -잖아요 — same point, different environment.

What is the difference between -잖아 and -잖아요?

None in meaning — they are two shapes of the same sentence ending, and which one appears is decided by the sound in front of it, not by what you want to say.

What TOPIK level is -잖아?

3급 — TOPIK 3, lower intermediate. It is one of 67 grammar points at that level.

Definition, usage note, examples and dialogue from the 국립국어원 한국어기초사전, used under CC BY-SA 2.0 KR.