-(으)ㄴ가(요), 나(요)
(eu)n-ga(yo), na(yo)
Grammar · 2 senses
I wonder, Assuming
Examples
그 아이는 자라면 언젠가 범인이 되나?
When that kid grows up, I wonder if they'll become a criminal someday.
내가 좋은 사람인가? 정말 이게 옳은 길이나?
Am I a good person? Is this really the right path?
When you'd hear it
This pattern often appears in written reflections, narration, and dramatic inner monologue, as well as in spoken self-questioning. With 요, it can sound polite and tentative; without 요, it is common in private thoughts, literary writing, or rhetorical questions.
What learners get wrong
Unlike -(으)ㄹ까(요), which often weighs a future possibility or decision, this pattern focuses on wondering whether a proposition is true or what something is like. It is often not a request for the listener to provide an answer.
Soft question
Examples
여러분도 혹시 명상을 하시나요?
Do you guys also happen to meditate?
이거 환불 되나요?
Can I get a refund for this?
지금 기다리는 사람이 많은가요?
Are there many people waiting now?
When you'd hear it
This is common in polite spoken Korean, including customer-service interactions, workplace questions, and everyday conversation. It makes a question sound gentler or less direct than a plain question ending.
What learners get wrong
The forms depend on the word before them: verbs generally take 나요, while adjectives take -(으)ㄴ가요. It is softer than a neutral -어요? question, but it does not necessarily mean the speaker is genuinely uncertain.
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