Lesson-4-지요-죠

-지(요), just like -네(요)*, is a verb ending which gives Korean sentences a very subtle change in meaning.

* Go back to Level 3, Lesson 25 if you need to brush up on the usage of -네(요) and the difference it makes when using it!

Usages

Use -지(요) when:
(1) talking about something, supposing that the other person also already knows about it;
(2) both you and the other person know about something or have a common opinion about something, and you are just mentioning the fact again.

Use -지(요) as an interrogative (question) ending when:
(3) both you and the other person know about something, but you are just reassuring yourself by asking the question;
(4) you know about something, and you are asking yourself to confirm the fact. In this case, you do not speak in 존댓말;
(5) you do not know something, so you are asking yourself a question. Usually you are thinking out loud and asking the other people around at the same time. 반말 is used in this case as well.

Ex)
오늘 금요일이에요. = Today is Friday.
오늘 금요일이네요! = Oh, today is Friday!
오늘 금요일이지요. = Today is Friday.
(You and the other person already know that today is Friday, but you are just confirming out loud that it is, indeed, Friday.)
오늘 금요일이지요? = Today is Friday, right?
(You and the other person already know that today is Friday, and you are just reassuring yourself by asking the question.)

Conjugation
Present Tense: verb stem + -지(요)
Past Tense: verb stem + -았/었/였- + -지(요)
Future Tense: verb stem + -(으)ㄹ 거 + -지(요) (almost exclusively used only as an interrogative ending)

Contraction

When you speak in 존댓말, the verb ending -지요 often changes to -죠 for simplicity and ease of pronunciation.

Sample Sentences

오늘 날씨 춥지요?
= The weather is cold today, right?
→ (You know that the other person knows that the weather is cold.)

맞아요. 피자 정말 맛있죠.
= That is right. Pizza really is delicious.
→ (You know that the other person also thinks that pizza is delicious.)

재미있지요?
= It is fun, right?
→ (You know that the other person already thinks that it is fun, but you are asking again just to make sure.)

이게 뭐지? (asking oneself)
= What is this?
→ (You are not directly asking anybody, so you do not say “이게 뭐야?” or “이게 뭐예요?”)

그럴 수도 있죠.
= Yeah, that could be possible.
→ (You and the other person both know that something is possible, and you are simply expressing your agreement to what the other person is saying.)