Usage
i) Addressee confirmation
한국 사람이지요?
You’re Korean, right?
ii) Pure friendliness
왜 아무도 안 오지?
Why isn’t anyone coming? (I know you’re thinking about this as well)
iii) Suggestion
한 잔하고 가시죠.
Why don’t you have a drink before you leave?
iv) Conviction
니가 그를 죽였지?!
You killed him, didn’t you?! (I already know you did)
v) Self-assurance
내가 우산 가져왔지!
I brought my umbrella, didn’t I! (I just knew it would rain).
vi) Supposition
아기가 잠들겠지.
The baby is probably sleeping.
vii) Promissive
내가 도와주지.
I’ll help you.
viii) Exclamation
얼마나 좋은 곳인지!
What a great place this is!
Conjugation
| Type | Example | Past | Present (processive) |
Future (prospective) |
Retrospective |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AV (vowel) | 하다 | 했지 | 하지 | 할 거지 | 하던지 |
| AV (cons.) | 듣다 | 들었지 | 듣지 | 들을 거지 | 듣던지 |
| DV (vowel) | 빠르다 | 빨랐지 | 빠르지 | 빠를 거지 | 빠르던지 |
| DV (cons.) | 어둡다 | 어두웠지 | 어둡지 | 어두울 거지 | 어둡던지 |
| Noun (vowel) | 남자 | 남자였지 | 남자이지 | 남자일 거지 | 남자던지 |
| Noun (cons.) | 사람 | 사람이었지 | 사람이지 | 사람일 거지 | 사람이던지 |
Where:
AV = action verb / processive verb.
DV = descriptive verb / ‘adjective’.
Nouns take the copula (이다) and this becomes a DV.
Contents
Introduction
i) Addressee confirmation
ii) Pure friendliness
iii) Suggestion
iv) Conviction
v) Self-assurance
vi) Supposition
vii) Promissive
viii) Exclamation
Additional details
Associated grammar
See also
Bibliography
User examples
Introduction
Sentence ending -지 is used in many different ways.
Some scholars suggest that -지 is a ‘suspective marker’ where conjecture is its basic meaning. Other scholars suggest that conviction is its core meaning. This entry assumes the latter, where -지 marks the speaker’s emotion, attitude or belief.
Note that 지요 is often replaced by 죠.
i) Addressee confirmation
The most common use of -지 is to request the addressee’s confirmation.
한국 사람이지요?
You’re Korean, right?
Here the speaker invites confirmation from the addressee. Speakers often use -지 to say “This correct, right?” or “I know this, and I know you know this too”. The speaker is confident that what the addressee will say agrees with what they had in mind.
붕어빵을 좋아하지요?
You like goldfish waffles, don’t you?
주말에 부산 갈거지?
You will visit Busan this weekend, right?
김철수라는 학생이지요?
You’re 김철수, correct?
한국에서 돌아왔지요?
He’s come back from Korea, hasn’t he?
어딘지 알지?
You know where it is, right?
ii) Pure friendliness
-지 is sometimes used for no reason other than friendliness. Here what is assumed between speakers is not shared knowledge, but shared interest. Here the speaker says “I’m telling you this because we are friends.” Here the speaker adds a friendly tone to the utterance.
왜 아무도 안 오지?
Why isn’t anyone coming?
(I know you’re thinking about this as well)
왜 아프지?
(I wonder) why are you sick?
(I have a shared concern for your well-being)
잘 지내죠?
You’ve been doing well?
(We have a shared world of concerns)
A: Do you know where I can find a PC방?
B: 음… PC방 어디있지?
B: Hmmm… I wonder where one is…
(I have a shared concern with you to find one)
옛날에 두 형제가 살고 있었지.
There once lived two brothers.
(I know you have a shared interest in this story)
Despite the above examples, it would be wrong however to assume that -지 is always being used for ‘true’ friendliness. It can also be used for exaggerated friendliness, feigned friendliness and sarcasm.
Note that -지 is often used for friendliness in combination with other speech acts. Here it makes the utterances more friendly, softer and/or pleasant.
어딘지 알지?
You know where it is, right?
Addressee confirmation
한 잔하고 가시죠.
Why don’t you have a drink before you leave?
Suggestion
iii) Suggestion
-지 can be used to suggest something to the addressee. Such suggestions usually convey the speaker’s conviction for the benefit of the suggested action. Here is it like saying “I know this is a good option for you.”
한 잔하고 가시죠.
Why don’t you have a drink before you leave?
Here the speaker suggests what would be good for the addressee. Note that the sentence is actually as follows:
한 잔하고 가시지 (그래요)?
Why don’t you have a drink before you leave?
그래 is typically omitted as it is unnecessary; the sentence means the same with or without 그래.
엄마한테 물어보지 그래?
Why don’t we ask Mum then?
쉬었어야지요.
You should have really taken a rest.
간장을 조금만 넣지.
You should only put in a little bit of soy sauce.
지하철 탈때 큰 소리로 말하지 말지.
You shouldn’t talk so loud on the subway.
터프한 척하지 말지 그래?
Why don’t you quit acting tough?
중고품을 좀 찾아보지 그러세요?
Why don’t you look for a second-hand one?
Note that the past tense form with -지 그랬다 is used when the speaker wants to express disapproval over actions not taken.
진작 치료를 받으시지 그랬습니까?
Why didn’t you get treatment before now?
바로 경찰에 신고하지 그랬어.
You should have reported it (to the police) straight away.
iv) Conviction
-지 can be used when the speaker is convinced of some situation. This is closely related to the aforementioned addressee confirmation usage. However, there is a difference in that the speaker is not asking for the addressee’s confirmation.
니가 그를 죽였지?!
You killed him, didn’t you?! (I already know you did)
Here the speaker has a strong opinion or conviction about something. Falling intonation is used to show that it isn’t a question. More mildly, speakers also use -지 to describe something which they are certain of and what the feel listener should know about.
사랑한다고 말할걸 그랬지.
I should have told him I loved him so (contrary to my apprehension).
한국은 인구 밀도가 높지.
Korea has a high population density, you know.
원장이 늘 내시지요.
The boss always pays, you know.
한글은 언어 아니지!
한글 isn’t a language, man!
이거 얼마지요?
How much is this? (I want to confirm whether the price is what I had in mind)
v) Self-assurance
When speaking in a monologue, speakers can use -지 to express self-assurance. This is closely related to the aforementioned conviction usage and similar to the addressee-confirmation usage, except here the confirmation is directed at the speaker themselves. For this reason, it is considered a separate speech act.
내가 우산 가져왔지!
I brought my umbrella, didn’t I! (I just knew it would rain).
내가 이럴 줄 알았지.
I knew it would turn out like this.
vi) Supposition
Some scholars have argued that supposition is the basic meaning of -지, such that it has been called a ‘suspective’ marker. In this usage, the speaker makes a conjecture over something and has a degree of doubt or lack of confidence. This is apparent with the suppositive -겠- which is often used here.
아기가 잠들겠지.
The baby is probably sleeping.
선생님이 내가 어디있는지 알고 싶어하겠지.
The teacher will want to know where I am.
내가 해야하겠지.
I suppose I’m (the one who’s) gonna have to do it.
그런 일은 곧 잊혀져지.
Such things are soon forgotten. (I can tell from my experience)
The example immediately above has a high degree of certainty, yet it is still a conjecture. If the same sentence did not have -지, it would simply be declarative without the speaker’s reason for supposition. Compare with:
그런 일은 곧 잊혀져
Such things are soon forgotten.
vii) Promissive
-지 can be used by speakers to make a promise, or more specifically, bind themselves to carry out a proposed action. This usage is like saying “I’m telling you this because I’m determined to do it.”
내가 도와주지.
I’ll help you.
제가 태워드리죠.
I’ll give you a ride.
제가 먼저 가지요.
I’ll get going.
한국어로 된 책을 더 많이 읽어야지요.
I will have to read more books in Korean.
엄마생일이 언젠지 잊지 말이야지.
I cannot forget about Mum’s birthday.
The obvious question is how does ‘promissive -지’ compare to the promissive ‘ㄹ게’.
Compare:
내가 도와줄게.
I will help you.
내가 도와주지.
I will help you.
In the second sentence, there is an increased willingness to help the addressee.
viii) Exclamation
-지 is used when making an exclamation about something which is newly perceived. This ‘something’ is either newly perceived by the speaker; or assumed to be newly-perceived by the addressee.
얼마나 좋은 곳인지!
What a great place this is!
몰론이지요!
Of course, it is!
당영하지!
That goes without saying!
얼마나 황당한 일인지!
How embarrassing this is!
내 책이 어디있지…?
Where’s my book…? (I really wonder)
A: Did you take out the trash?
B: 그럼, 했지.
B: Of course, I did.
This exclamatory use of -지 has been suggested to have originated from the construction -지 모르다. Here the note-worthy event was ‘unknown’ to the speaker and its realisation is a surprise.
Compare:
얼마나 좋은 곳인지!
What a great place this is! (I didn’t know about this before)
얼마나 좋은 곳인지 몰랐다!
I didn’t know what a great place this is!
Additional details
General
• This entry has categorised -지 according to the different speech acts it’s used with. These speech acts can overlap and speakers can use multiple speech acts at once.
Relationship between speech acts
The different speech acts of -지 arguably have an underlying theme of ‘conviction’; which is an umbrella term for ‘judgement, ‘sentiment’ and ‘confidence’. This is expressed with varying degrees of certainty.
• In ‘addressee confirmations’, the speaker wants to confirm their judgement.
• In ‘suggestions’, the speaker expresses their sentiment on what is best for the addressee.
• In ‘self-assurances’, the speaker confirms their original supposition/conviction as correct.
• In ‘suppositions’, the speaker expresses their belief concerning an unknown.
• -지 ‘exclamations’ have been suggested to originate from expressions relating to what the speaker was unaware of (had no prior conviction).
• ‘Promissives’ are considered an extension ‘conviction’, where the speaker binds themselves to what they are convinced is ‘good for them/someone’.
• ‘Pure friendliness’ is considered an extension of ‘conviction’, where the speaker expresses shared interest, rather than shared knowledge.
Associated grammar
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See also
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Bibliography
Affiliate links help support uK.
— Choo, M., & Kwak, H. (2008). Using Korean: A Guide to Contemporary Usage. New York: Cambridge University Press.
— King, R., Yeon, J., Kim, C., & Baker, D. (2015). Advanced Korean. Boston: Tuttle Publishing.
— King, R., & Yeon, J., (2000). Elementary Korean. Boston: Tuttle Publishing.
— Lee, H. A discourse-pragmatic analysis of the Committal -ci in Korean: A synthetic approach to the form-meaning relation. (2015). Journal of Pragmatics, 31, 243-275.
— Lee, K. (1993). A Korean Grammar on Semantic-Pragmatic Principles. Seoul: Hanʼguk Munhwasa.
— Min, J., & Ahn, J. (2011). Korean Grammar in Use: Intermediate. Paju-si: Darakwon.
— Noh, E. (2019). The Korean Sentence-Final Suffix ci as a Metarepresentational Marker. In K. Scott, B. Clark, & R. Carston (Eds.), Relevance, Pragmatics and Interpretation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
— Yeon, J., & Brown, L. (2008). Korean: A Comprehensive Grammar. New York: Routledge.
— Rhee, S. (2008). On the rise and fall of Korean nominalizers. In M. J. López-Couso & E. Seoane (Eds.), Rethinking Grammaticalization: New perspectives (pp. 239–264).
— Rhee, S. (2011). Nominalization and stance marking in Korean. In F. H. Yap, K. Grunow-Hårsta & J. Wrona (Eds.), Nominalization in Asian Languages (pp. 393–422).
User examples
i) Addressee confirmation
그 영화가 너무 재미있죠?[Submitted by 남철레]
This movie is really good, right?
지효 씨가 노래를 너무 잘 하죠?[Submitted by 남철레]
Doesn’t 지효 sing really well?
생일이 4월이죠?[Submitted by 남철레]
Your birthday is in April, right?
그 사람이 누구인지 알죠?[Submitted by 남철레]
You know who that person is, right?
iii) Suggestion
우리 집에 가서 맛있는 음식을 먹고 좋은 음악을 들으면 스트레스가 풀리죠.[Submitted by 남철레]
Why don’t you come home, have some tasty food and listen to some good music to relieve some stress?
기분이 나쁘면 낮잠을 자지?[Submitted by 남철레]
If you’re feeling bad why don’t you go and take a nap?
집에 도착하면 샤워해야죠. 나중에 전화할게요 알았죠?[Submitted by 남철레]
I have to shower when I get home, but I’ll call you later. Okay?
우리 엄마랑 대화해야 할 것 같아요.[Submitted by 남철레]
I think you should talk to mum.
우리 집에 있을 때 화장실에 갔어야지.[Submitted by 남철레]
You should’ve gone to the bathroom at home.
일찍 자지 그랬어요.[Submitted by 남철레]
You should’ve gone to bed early.
저에게 전화를 전에 하지 그랬어요??[Submitted by 남철레]
Why didn’t you call me earlier??
vi. Supposition
엄마가 공항에 도착했겠죠.[Submitted by 남철레]
Mom has probably arrived at the airport.
vii. Promissive
열심히 사랑해서 행복하게 해줘야죠![Submitted by 남철레]
I’ll work hard to love you and make you happy!
viii. Exclamation
그 여자 아이돌이 진짜 노래 잘 하죠. 어떤 걸 그룹이죠?[Submitted by 남철레]
This idol sings really well! What group did you say it was?