-요

Korean

Etymology 1

First widely attested in late eighteenth- and nineteenth-century novels intended for popular consumption. Stems from a contraction of 이오 (-i-o, “it is that...”), from 이 (-i-, “to be”, copula) + 오 (-o, declarative verbal suffix of the semi-formal speech level). The suffix 오 (-o) itself goes back to Middle Korean ᅀᆞᇦ〯 (-zǒW-, object honorific verbal suffix), though the exact derivation is unclear, and ultimately to Old Korean 白 (*SOLP-, “to inform a superior”). Compare Kapampangan yó, yu (“plural polite form, emphasis particle”). Compare also Jeju 마씀 (-masseum) which has the same function.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): ~
• Phonetic hangul:

Particle

요 • (-yo)

1. A particle attached to intimate-style verbs and adjective endings and some blunt-style endings to form the polite style, the usual speech level for polite but not extremely formal conversation, e.g. by a student to a teacher, a child to a parent, or between colleagues.

   해요. ― Hae-yo. ― Let's do it.

   안녕하세요. ― Annyeonghase-yo. ― Hello.

   제가 도와드리지요. ― Je-ga dowa-deuriji-yo. ― I can give you a hand.

   여행 준비는 다 했나요? ― Yeohaeng junbi-neun da haen-na-yo? ― Have you finished preparing for your trip?

2. A particle attached to substantives, adverbs, or non-sentence-final endings to show respect to the listener in the polite style.

   왜요? ― Wae-yo? ― Why?

   어제 눈이 오던데요…… ― Eoje nun-i o-deonde-yo…… ― (But) it was snowing yesterday…

   어머니는요 동생한테만요 화를 내셨어요.

   Eomeoni-neun-yo dongsaeng-hante-man-yo hwa-reul nae-syeoss-eoyo.

   Mom only got angry at my younger sibling.

   뭘 먹었나요? — 라면요.

   Mwol meog-eon-na-yo? - Ramyeon-yo.

   What did you eat? — Ramen.

Usage notes

• 요 (-yo) is the traditional, prescriptive pronunciation; 여 (-yeo) is a common alternative pronunciation by young South Koreans.
• For the copula 이다 (-ida, “to be”) and 아니다 (anida, “to not be”), the form is irregularly 이에요 (-i-eyo).
• For the honorific 으시 (-eusi-), the form is irregularly 으세요 (-euseyo).
• In the polite style, there is no explicit marker to distinguish between indicative, interrogative, imperative, and hortative moods. The distinction is made only by pitch in speech (e.g. rising pitch for questions), and by punctuation in writing.
• For the second definition, it was considered prescriptively incorrect to add the allomorphic form 이요 (-iyo) to words ending in a consonant, even though that it was common in usage; however, this was updated on February 3, 2021 to where 이요 (-iyo) may be used after words ending in a consonant. Nonetheless, it is still prescriptively correct to add 요 after words ending in both vowels and consonants.

Alternative forms

• 이요 (-iyo) — optional after consonants

Alternative forms

• 여 (-yeo) — spelling pronunciation of modern Seoul, used for "cutesy" effect
• 유 (-yu) — Chungcheong dialect, often considered the archetypal "dialectal" pronunciation
• 예 (-ye) — Gyeongsang dialect

Etymology 2

See 소 (-so). The semivowel is introduced to break hiatus.

Suffix

요 • (-yo)

1. Gyeongsang and Jeolla dialect form of 오 (-o, post-vowel allomorph of 소 (-so, semi-formal style sentence-final suffix)).

References