Yes/No Questions

The Easiest Way to Ask a Question

In Korean, the simplest way to ask a yes/no question is to take a declarative sentence (a statement) and just change your intonation. You raise your voice at the end of the sentence, just like you often do in English.

In writing, you simply replace the period . with a question mark ? .

Informal Polite Style ( -아요/어요 )

This is the most common form in daily conversation. The sentence form for a statement and a question is identical; only the intonation and punctuation change.

Statement · Question

학생이에요. · 학생이에요? (Are you a student?)

날씨가 좋아요. · 날씨가 좋아요? (Is the weather good?)

커피를 마셔요. · 커피를 마셔요? (Do you drink coffee?)

Formal Polite Style ( -ㅂ/습니까? )

In more formal settings, like presentations or news broadcasts, there's a specific ending for questions. You change the statement ending -ㅂ/습니다 to the question ending -ㅂ/습니까? .

Statement · Question

이것은 책입니다. · 이것은 책입니까? (Is this a book?)

회사원입니다. · 회사원입니까? (Are you an office worker?)

Asking About the Past and Future

The same simple rule—raising your intonation at the end of a sentence—applies to past and future tenses as well. You don't need to change the word order or add extra question words.

Past Tense ( -았/었어요? )

To ask about something that already happened, use the past tense form and raise your voice at the end.

Statement: 어제 영화를 봤어요.

Question: 어제 영화를 봤어요? (Did you watch a movie yesterday?)

Statement: 숙제를 했어요.

Question: 숙제를 했어요? (Did you do your homework?)

Future Tense ( -(으)ㄹ 거예요? )

To ask about plans or intentions, use the future tense form with a rising intonation.

Statement: 내일 갈 거예요.