-지요?
right? isn’t it? — confirming what you both know
Invites agreement about something already shared. Usually contracted to -죠 in speech, and one of the most common endings in real Korean conversation.
Build it
Pick a verb
When to use it
-지요 attaches to any stem with no changes at all — even ㄹ stays: 만들지요. Tense goes in front: 갔지요, 좋았지요. In speech it almost always contracts to -죠.
Its core job is confirmation: 한국 음식 좋아하시죠? asks about something you already believe to be true. That is the opposite of -네요, which marks information as new.
Without a question mark, it softens a statement into something closer to “of course” or “well, yes”: 그럼요, 맛있죠. It also makes a gentle suggestion when combined with the honorific: 이쪽으로 가시죠.
How to attach it
| Situation | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Any verb or adjective | -지요? | 좋다 → 좋지요? |
| ㄹ stems keep the ㄹ | -지요? | 만들다 → 만들지요? |
| Spoken contraction | -죠? | 좋죠? |
| Past | -았/었지요? | 갔지요? |
| Softened statement | no question mark | 맛있죠 |
| Gentle suggestion | -(으)시죠 | 가시죠 |
In use
오늘 날씨 좋지요?
The weather’s nice today, isn’t it?
한국 음식 좋아하시죠?
You like Korean food, right?
어제 만났지요?
We met yesterday, didn’t we?
그건 좀 비싸죠.
That’s a bit expensive, isn’t it?
학생이시죠?
You’re a student, aren’t you?
네, 그렇죠.
Yes, that’s right.
Compared with
-네요
The pair divides information neatly. -지요? assumes you both know; -네요 announces that you have just found out.
맛있죠? (we agree, don’t we?) / 맛있네요! (oh, this is good)
Plain question
A plain question asks for information you lack. -지요? checks something you already assume. Using it about something you have no basis for sounds presumptuous.
그 영화 봤어요? (did you see it?) / 그 영화 봤죠? (you saw it, right?)
-잖아요
-잖아요 reminds the listener of something they should already know, sometimes with a hint of impatience. -지요? is friendlier and genuinely invites a reply.
비가 오죠? (it’s raining, isn’t it?) / 비가 오잖아요. (it’s raining, as you can see)
Watch out
처음 뵙겠습니다. 한국 사람이시죠?
처음 뵙겠습니다. 한국 분이세요?
-지요? presumes shared knowledge. With someone you have just met and know nothing about, a plain question is the polite choice.
날씨가 좋조?
날씨가 좋죠?
지요 contracts to 죠, with ㅈ + ㅛ. 조 is a different syllable and a spelling error.
이 음식을 만들지요? — meaning “oh, you made this”
이 음식을 만드셨네요.
If the information is new to you, -네요 is the ending. -지요? would suggest you knew all along and are checking.
Next
koreangrammarmap.com