(이)야
(i)ya
Grammar · 2 senses
to be, is
Examples
지금은 쉬는 시간이야.
Now is break time.
When you'd hear it
This is a casual sentence-final form used among close friends, family members, and people of similar age. It is common in informal dialogue, including dramas, but is too familiar for formal workplace speech or respectful conversations.
What learners get wrong
Use 이야 after a consonant and 야 after a vowel; the choice is based on the noun before it. Unlike 이에요/예요, (이)야 is casual and should not be used when polite speech is needed.
Emphasis
Examples
커피야 늘 한 잔씩 마시고 있어.
I always have a cup of coffee.
왜 이제야 도착하는 거야?
Why are you just getting here now?
When you'd hear it
This is a colloquial form heard in everyday speech, especially when a speaker singles out a noun or stresses a time expression. It is common in dramas and casual messages; formal writing and polite workplace speech usually use other phrasing.
What learners get wrong
Do not read every 야 as a sentence ending: in 이제야, 야 attaches to 이제, while in 뭐야? 이야 is the copula ending. With nouns, compare 커피야, which singles out coffee, with 커피는, the plain topic form.
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