How to Say "Yes" in Korean: 네, 예, and Why Negative Questions Will Mess With Your Head

Look, if you've ever watched a K-drama or Korean YouTube video and tried to figure out why everyone keeps saying what sounds like "nay" when they mean "yes," you're not alone. The word 네 (ne) trips up basically every beginner learning Korean because it sounds exactly like the English word for "no."

But here's the thing – saying "yes" in Korean is both simpler and more complicated than you'd expect. The basic words are easy. The cultural rules behind when to use which word? That's where it gets interesting. And don't even get me started on negative questions – that's a whole different level of mind-bending that we'll get into.

The Essential Korean Words for "Yes"

There are really only four ways to say yes in Korean that you need to know:

네 (ne) – This is your go-to word. Use it with strangers, coworkers, store clerks, anyone older than you, and basically any situation where you're not sure. It's polite without being overly formal, and you literally can't go wrong with it. Yes, it sounds like "nay" in English, which is confusing as hell at first, but you'll get used to it.

예 (ye) – Sounds like the English "yeah" but shorter. This one's more formal than 네, and you'd use it in business meetings, with elderly relatives, or when you really want to show maximum respect. Here's a fun fact: 예 was actually the original word for "yes" in Korean, which is why older Korean speakers tend to use it more.

응 (eung) – The casual version. Use this with close friends, younger siblings, people you're tight with. Never – and I mean never – use this with someone older than you or in a professional setting unless you want to sound rude.

어 (eo) – Another casual option that sounds more "masculine." Same rules as 응 – friends and close relationships only.

For most learners, honestly, just stick with 네 until you're really comfortable with who you're talking to. It works in about 95% of situations.

Why Korean Speech Levels Actually Matter

Here's where Korean gets real about respect and hierarchy. The Korean language has these built-in formality levels (called speech levels) that change how you say pretty much everything based on who you're talking to. It's not optional – it's baked into the grammar.

This comes from Korea's Confucian cultural background, where showing proper respect to elders and people above you in the social hierarchy is a big deal. When Korean people first meet you, one of the first questions they'll ask is your age. They're not being nosy – they're trying to figure out which speech level to use with you.

The polite form (존댓말) includes 네 and 예. The casual form (반말) includes 응 and 어. Use the wrong one and you'll either sound weirdly stiff with your friends or accidentally disrespectful to someone you should be polite with.

If you're just starting to learn Korean, don't stress too much about memorizing all seven theoretical speech levels that exist in the language. Most of them are outdated anyway. Just know that 네 is your safe choice, and 응 is for friends.

The Thing About 네 That Nobody Tells Beginners

네 doesn't just mean "yes." It's one of those words that does multiple jobs in conversation.

As "yes": The standard meaning when you're answering a question or agreeing with something.

As "pardon?": Say 네? with a rising intonation (네?) and you're asking someone to repeat what they just said. Like "Sorry, what?"

As "I'm listening": Koreans use 네 throughout conversations to show they're paying attention. Think of it like "uh-huh" or "mm-hmm" in English.

As "present!": When someone calls your name and you respond with 네, you're basically saying "Here!" or "That's me!"

You'll hear 네 constantly in Korean conversations, even when the person isn't necessarily agreeing with anything. They're just showing they're engaged in what you're saying.

The Negative Question Mind-Fuck (Sorry, But It Is)

Alright, this is where your brain needs to completely rewire how it thinks about "yes" and "no."

In English, when someone asks "Aren't you cold?" and you are cold, you say "Yes, I am cold."

In Korean? You'd say 아니요 (no), followed by "I'm cold."

Why? Because in Korean, you're not confirming a fact – you're agreeing or disagreeing with the question itself.

Let me break it down:

Question: "안 추워요?" (Aren't you cold?)

If you ARE cold: You're disagreeing with their statement that you're not cold, so you say 아니요 (no), then add "I'm cold."

If you're NOT cold: You're agreeing with their statement, so you say 네 (yes), then add "I'm not cold."

See the pattern? 네 means "I agree with what you just said" and 아니요 means "I disagree with what you just said" – regardless of whether the underlying fact is positive or negative.

This trips up literally everyone at first. The good news? You can often skip the 네/아니요 part entirely and just answer with the statement: "I'm cold" or "I'm not cold." Korean speakers do this all the time when the negative question logic feels too confusing.

Learning This Stuff From Real Korean Content

Look, you can memorize these rules all day, but the actual way you internalize when to use 네 vs 예 vs 응 is by hearing them in context. A lot of context.

This is where most traditional Korean learning materials fall short. They'll give you the textbook explanation of formality levels, maybe show you a few example sentences, and call it a day. But you need to hear how actual Korean speakers navigate these choices in real conversations – with friends, with bosses, with store clerks, in different situations.

When you're watching Korean YouTube videos or K-dramas and you can instantly look up what's being said while seeing the context, that's when this stuff actually clicks. You start noticing patterns: "Oh, she used 예 because she's talking to her grandfather" or "He switched to 응 because they're close friends now."

That's also where learning Hangul – the Korean alphabet – becomes super valuable. Once you can read 네, 예, 응, and 어 when you see them, you'll spot them everywhere in Korean content and start picking up the usage patterns naturally.

The formal-vs-casual distinction shows up in Korean grammar too, way beyond just "yes" and "no." If you want to get into how those basic Korean grammar patterns work, we've got a whole guide on that.

Actually Practicing This in Real Situations

The pronunciation of 네 is probably the first hurdle. It's not quite "neh" and not quite "nay" – it's somewhere in between. The best way to get it right? Listen to native speakers say it about 500 times and practice along with them.

For 예, imagine you're saying "yeah" but cutting it off before you finish – that's pretty much it.

응 is nasal, like you're making a sound in the back of your throat with your mouth partly closed.

어 is more open, like "uh" but shorter.

The thing is, you won't really nail the pronunciation or the social usage by studying in isolation. You need to see these words in action, hear them with proper Korean pronunciation in real conversations, and notice when people use which form based on the social situation.

That's why immersion-based learning works better for this stuff than grinding vocabulary flashcards. When you're watching Korean content and someone uses 네 vs 응, you can see the relationship between the speakers, understand the context, and your brain naturally learns "okay, this is when I'd use that form."

How Migaku Makes Learning Korean Actually Stick

So here's the reality: you could read this whole explanation, understand the logic of 네 vs 예 vs 응, memorize the negative question rules, and still struggle to use them correctly when you're actually trying to speak Korean.

The gap between understanding a concept and actually internalizing it comes down to exposure. You need to see these words used thousands of times in real contexts before they become automatic.

That's exactly what Migaku's built for. Our browser extension lets you watch Korean YouTube videos, K-dramas on Netflix, or read Korean websites while instantly looking up any word you don't know. See 네 pop up in a conversation? Click it, see the definition, add it to your spaced repetition deck with the full sentence for context.

The extension also shows you the pronunciation and can break down the grammar, so when someone uses 예 in a formal business meeting scene, you're not just memorizing the word – you're learning the social context where you'd actually use it. That context is what makes the difference between knowing a word and actually being able to use it naturally.

Plus, all your lookups automatically sync to the mobile app, so you can review Korean phrases on your commute using spaced repetition intervals that actually work. No manual flashcard creation, no hunting for example sentences – just natural learning from content you'd want to watch anyway.

And yeah, this works for way more than just learning how to say "yes." The same approach helps you pick up Korean grammar patterns, understand when to use formal vs casual language, and build vocabulary from actual Korean speech patterns instead of textbook dialogues that nobody uses in real life.

There's a 10-day free trial if you want to try learning Korean this way. No credit card needed, full access to everything. Learn Korean through content you actually enjoy watching instead of drilling the same textbook exercises over and over.