How Do You Say "You" in Korean? (Usually, You Don't)
Written and reviewed by Jun and Jin, native Korean speakers
Published · How we write & review
After this page, you can address people in Korean without 너 or 당신, using names, titles and dropped pronouns the way Koreans do.
10-second answer
How do you say how to say "you" in Korean?
Korean doesn't have one neutral, all-purpose word for "you" the way English does. 너 (neo) is casual — only for close friends or people younger or lower-status than you. 당신 (dangsin) technically means "you," but it usually sounds either oddly formal, confrontational ("당신 뭐야?!", dangsin mwoya), or is reserved for spouses in old song lyrics. The real default: use the person's name, a title, a kinship term, or just drop the pronoun entirely.
Quick check — did that land?
1. Why is 당신 risky as a default "you"?
너. Whatever you do, don’t translate “you” directly into Korean.
너 (Neo): Only for the Inner Circle
너 is banmal — casual speech reserved for close friends, younger people, or children. Using it with a stranger, a coworker, or anyone older is a real misstep, not just a style choice.
너 어디 가?
neo eodi ga?
Where are you going?
Fine between close friends; jarring toward a stranger or elder.
See also: Why Do Koreans Say 우리 (Our)?
당신 (Dangsin): Riskier Than It Looks
당신 looks like a safe, literal "you" in a dictionary, but in real speech it's oddly narrow. It shows up in arguments ("당신 뭐야?!" — "Who do you think you are?!"), in old romantic song lyrics between spouses, or in very formal writing — almost never as an everyday, neutral "you" to a person's face.
If you've studied Japanese, don't assume 당신 works like a safe default the way あなた sometimes can — in Korean it's much more situational and can easily sound off.
What Koreans Actually Say Instead
- Name + 씨 or 님 — the everyday default with peers, coworkers, and most adults, explained on the 님 vs 씨 page
- A title — 선생님, 사장님, 팀장님, and so on, tied to Korean honorifics
- A kinship term — 형/누나/오빠/언니 for people close in age, even with zero blood relation
- Nothing at all — Korean sentences work fine with the subject simply dropped, once context makes it obvious
Common Mistakes
Mistake #1 — Treating 당신 as a safe, neutral "you"
It isn't. In everyday conversation, 당신 more often signals conflict, deep formality, or spousal intimacy than plain politeness.
Mistake #2 — Using 너 with someone you just met
너 is banmal — reserve it for people you're already close with or clearly younger than you.
Mini Quiz
2. What do Koreans usually say instead of a direct "you" with someone by name?
3. Is it grammatically fine to drop the subject pronoun in a Korean sentence?
Related Knowledge
Learn Next
Why Koreans Often Don't Know Their Friends' Spouses' Names
"You" avoidance is one piece of a bigger pattern — Koreans often skip personal names too, leaning on titles instead.
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