Search from various Engels teachers...
[Gedeactiveerde gebruiker]
있니 vs 있어
I know both of these are informal, but I can't seem to figure out if there are some instances where one is preferred over the other when asking a question and answering or if it's fluid depending on how the person prefers to speak.
For example I've heard people say:
- 할 수 있어?
- 네 할수 있니.
And I've read something like the following
- 노래할 수 있니?
- 응 할 수 있어.
What's the case? Is one preferred over the other in certain situations or is it fluid depending on the speaker?
1 mei 2020 20:36
Antwoorden · 3
As you've noticed, '-니' and'-어' can be both used in making questions in casual setting. However you cannot use '-니' for answering while you can both use '-어' for a question and an answer.
Here is one more difference between '-니'and'-어'. You can use '-어' to a older person when he/she is very close to you.
e.g. 형, 밥 먹었어? 언니, 이거 먹어. (O)
However, you CANNOT use '-니' to an older person even if he/she is close to you.
e.g. 형, 밥 먹었니? (X)
2 mei 2020
No, the show I was watching had captions all through out. I heard and it was captioned, the person responding as "네 할수 있니", but thanks for the insight!
2 mei 2020
While ~니 and ~어 are both informal speech, please note:
1. ~니 is merely a sentence ending; you cannot use it in statements
-> 할 수 있어? 네 할 수 있니 is not correct. Perhaps you have mistaken it for ~지, which adds a sense of confidence to the sentence. (할 수 있지 - of course I can / I'm sure I can)
2. ~어 can be used in both questions and statements.
So questions can end in both ~니 and ~어. There is a slightly different nuance to both. ~니 sounds more considerate and soft.
- 시험 잘 봤니? vs. 시험 잘 봤어? (in the first case, it sounds slightly more careful)
~니 also goes well with 혹시... (perhaps)
혹시 돈 있니? Do you perhaps have money with you?
Hope this was helpful!
1 mei 2020
Heb je je antwoorden nog steeds niet gevonden?
Schrijf je vragen op en laat de moedertaalsprekers je helpen!
Artikelen die je misschien ook leuk vindt

English Vocabulary for Using Microsoft Office at Work
13 likes · 3 Opmerkingen

How to Answer “How Was Your Weekend?” Naturally in English
50 likes · 29 Opmerkingen

Why Some Jokes Don’t Translate: Understanding Humor in English
15 likes · 6 Opmerkingen
Meer artikelen
