네 (Ne) vs 응 (Eung): How to Say Yes in Korean
Written and reviewed by Jun and Jin, native Korean speakers
Published · How we write & review
After this page, you can say yes with 네 (ne) or 응 (eung) to the right person, and hear when 네 just means "I'm listening".
10-second answer
The short answer
Both mean "yes": 네 (ne) is polite — the default with strangers, elders, and at work — while 응 (eung) is casual, for close friends and younger people. There's also 예 (ye), the extra-formal version. And a twist: 네 often works less like "yes" and more like "I hear you / okay / mm-hm."
Quick check — did that land?
1. Your professor asks if you finished the reading (you did). You answer:
Which answer is appropriate when you asked by someone? 네. or 응.
The Yes Ladder
| Word | Politeness | Use with |
|---|---|---|
| 예 (ye) | Extra formal | Military, very formal settings, strong deference |
| 네 (ne) | Polite — the default | Strangers, elders, work, service |
| 응 (eung) | Casual | Close friends, partners, younger people |
| 어 (eo) | Casual | Even more offhand than 응 — 'yeah' |
내일 시간 있어? — 응, 있어.
naeil sigan isseo? — eung, isseo.
Free tomorrow? — Yeah, I am.
Friends: casual question, casual 응.
김 선생님이세요? — 네, 맞습니다.
kim seonsaengnim-iseyo? — ne, matseumnida.
Are you Mr. Kim? — Yes, that's right.
A note on spelling. The official romanizations are ne and eung, but you'll also see 네 (ne) written nae or neh, and 응 (eung) written ung. They're all the same words.
See also: 반말 vs 존댓말 — the system behind the ladder
네 Doesn't Always Mean 'Yes'
In conversation, 네 is also the all-purpose acknowledgment sound — "okay," "got it," "mm-hm," even "pardon?" (rising tone: 네?). Phone calls with Korean customer service are basically 네… 네… 네 on loop — that's active listening, not agreement to everything.
| 네 with… | Means |
|---|---|
| Falling tone (네.) | Yes / okay / understood |
| Rising tone (네?) | Pardon? / What was that? |
| Repeated (네네) | Yes yes, got it — can sound curt if too fast |
Common Mistakes
Mistake #1 — 응 to your boss
Casual yes up the hierarchy is one of the fastest politeness fouls in Korean. Upward, it's always 네 (or 예).
Mistake #2 — Hearing every 네 as agreement
A stream of 네 in conversation is often just 'I'm listening.' Confirm real agreement explicitly when it matters.
The 'no' side of the pair — 아니요 and 아니 — is on how to say no in Korean.
Mini Quiz
2. What does rising-tone 네? mean?
3. Your close friend texts: 저녁 먹을래? (Wanna get dinner?). Natural yes?
Related Knowledge
Learn Next
You can greet, thank, apologize, and agree — now learn how to get someone's attention politely.
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