-나요
-나요: A Softer Polite Question
Polite question ending — -나 + 요; often softer than bare -어요?
How to form it
| When | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb / adjective | -나요 | 있나요 / 되나요 / 멀나요 |
| Past | -았/었나요 | 왔나요 / 보냈나요 |
| Noun + 이다 (ida, ‘to be’) | -인가요 | 학생인가요 / 여기인가요 |
-나요 is a polite question built as -나 + 요.
Gloss: a softer question — polite and a little gentler than 어요. 우리말샘 -나 「025」: a question ending (하게체 slot). Polite talk adds 요, giving the familiar classroom form -나요. Searches for a separate headword -나요 mostly hit song titles — do not invent a fake sense number.
Soft questions at the counter
며칠 걸리나요?
보험 되나요?
여기에 넣으면 되나요?
소포가 도착했나요?
이 사이즈 있나요?Post office and delivery talk: you need information without sounding like a quiz.
Forms
| Environment | Shape |
|---|---|
| Present | -나요 |
| Past | -았/었나요 |
| 이다 | -인가요 |
| Honorific | -시나요 |
Same stem habits as other polite endings; learn irregulars from verbs you already conjugate.
Choose the question tool
| Form | Lean |
|---|---|
| -어요? | default polite question (-아요 / -어요) |
| -나요? | same band, often gentler / desk colour |
| -습니까? | formal -습니다, -습니까 |
| -네 | noticing, not asking |
있어요? plain polite check
있나요? soft / desk-leaning check
있습니까? formalNot every question needs -나요
Default -어요? is fine among equals. Overusing -나요 can sound oddly service-like with close friends. Use it when softness or counter tone helps; otherwise keep the ordinary polite question.
Do not confuse it with
Taught alongside this
On the jabi learning path, this appears in 고향에 있는 친구에게 소포를 보냈어요 (I sent a package to my friend back home.) — Intermediate Korean 2, Unit 12, on the theme of Postal and Delivery. These come with it:
Words used above
Quick check
No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.
1. 도착했나요? is…
2. Dictionary basis?
3. vs -네?
Common questions
Is -나요 one headword in 우리말샘?
Searches hit song titles more than a dedicated ending entry. Teach it as -나 (question) + 요 (polite), which is how the form is built.
Softer than -어요?
That is the curriculum colouring for this slot — service questions often prefer -나요. Tone and context still matter.
합쇼체?
For formal writing/speech use hamnida-che questions (-습니까?). -나요 stays in the 해요 band.
Post office tip?
며칠 걸리나요? / 보험 되나요? — soft counter questions.