How to Say Yes and No in Korean: 네, 예, and 아니요

Both 네 and 예 are standard words for yes, according to the National Institute of Korean Language (NIKL), with 네 as the principle under Article 18 of the Standard Language Regulations. The polite no and the answer to a negative question have their own surprises, covered below. "Yes" and "no" sound like the easiest words in any language. In Korean, they come with three small surprises: there are two standard words for yes, the polite no has a spelling that is easy to get wrong, and the answer to a negative question can feel backwards to English speakers. Here is what the National Institute of Korean Language (NIKL) says about each.

1. Yes: 네 and 예 are both standard

Korean has two polite words for yes: 네 [ne] and 예 [ye]. Learners often ask which one is "correct." According to NIKL, both are.

NIKL's counseling archive cites Article 18 of the Standard Language Regulations (표준어 규정 제18항): when answering a call from someone older or of higher status, or when agreeing with a question, 네 is the principle and 예 is also allowed. The regulation lists the pair side by side as acceptable standard forms.

In everyday speech you will hear 네 constantly. 예 is also allowed, so it is not an error to use it.

1.1. 네 does more than say yes

In conversation, 네 works as a small all-purpose reply. A few common uses:

• Answering a question: 커피 드실래요? 네. "Would you like coffee?" "Yes."
• Answering when called: a teacher calls your name, you say 네.
• Showing you are listening: a short 네, 네 while someone explains something.
• Asking someone to repeat: 네? with rising intonation, "Sorry?"

The last one is worth practicing, because it is the polite way to say you did not catch something.

2. No: 아니요, not 아니오

The polite no is 아니요 [aniyo]. You will often see 아니오 on forms, kiosks, and even exam papers, but NIKL says the two are different words.

From NIKL's counseling archive:

• 아니요 is an interjection used to answer no to a question from someone older or of higher status. It pairs with 예: "네가 유리창을 깨뜨렸지?" "아니요, 제가 안 그랬어요." ("You broke the window, didn't you?" "No, I didn't.")
• 아니오 is a different thing: the verb stem 아니- (from 아니다, "to not be") plus the -오 ending of hao-che (하오체), one of the Korean speech levels. It is a full predicate, as in "나는 홍길동이 아니오," "I am not Hong Gil-dong."

So when you mean "no" as an answer, write and say 아니요. When filling in a yes/no box, the matching pair is 네/아니요 or 예/아니요.

3. The casual forms

With close friends and younger people, the polite endings drop:

The casual 아니 is the same word without the polite 요. Use these only where you would use casual speech in general.

4. The tricky part: answering negative questions

English speakers answer based on the fact: "You're not hungry?" "No (I'm not)." Korean answers based on whether the question is right.

• 배 안 고파요? [bae an gopayo] "You're not hungry?"
  • If you are not hungry: 네, 안 고파요. "Right, I'm not hungry." (Yes, your statement is correct.)
  • If you are hungry: 아니요, 고파요. "No, I'm hungry." (No, your statement is wrong.)

This is the single most common yes/no mistake learners make. A safe habit is to repeat the verb after your 네 or 아니요, as in the examples above, so the listener knows what you mean even if your yes/no is off.

5. Answering without yes or no

Korean speakers often skip 네 and 아니요 and answer with the verb alone:

• 김치 좋아해요? "Do you like kimchi?"
• 좋아해요! "(I) like it!"

That is natural and polite, as long as the verb has the right ending.

6. Quick practice

Try answering these out loud, then check below.

1. 학생이에요? "Are you a student?" (You are.)
2. 한국 사람 아니에요? "Aren't you Korean?" (You are not Korean.)
3. 시간 없어요? "Don't you have time?" (You do have time.)

Answers: 1. 네, 학생이에요. 2. 네, 아니에요. 3. 아니요, 있어요.

7. Key takeaways

• 네 and 예 both mean yes; NIKL cites Standard Language Regulations Article 18, with 네 as the principle and 예 allowed.
• The polite no is 아니요; 아니오 is a hao-che verb form meaning "is not."
• On forms and kiosks, the correct pair is 네/아니요 or 예/아니요.
• To a negative question, 네 means "your statement is right" and 아니요 means "your statement is wrong."
• Repeat the verb after 네 or 아니요 to avoid confusion.