(이)나

Build it

When to use it

The core use is “or” between nouns: 커피나 차를 마셔요. Attach it to the first option and leave the second bare. It carries a shade of “either is fine with me,” which is why it works so well for suggestions.

After a number it flips to “as many as” and signals that the amount is more than expected: 세 시간이나 기다렸어요 means the three hours felt long. Say 세 시간밖에 안 기다렸어요 and you get the opposite reaction to the same three hours.

Attached to a question word it produces the “any-” series: 언제나 (always), 어디나 (anywhere), 누구나 (anyone), 아무거나 (anything at all). These are fixed words worth learning whole.

How to attach it

In use

1. 커피나 차 드릴까요?

   Would you like coffee or tea?

2. 주말에 영화나 볼까요?

   Shall we watch a movie or something this weekend?

3. 어제 세 시간이나 기다렸어요.

   I waited a full three hours yesterday.

4. 사과를 열 개나 샀어요?

   You bought as many as ten apples?

5. 이 식당은 누구나 올 수 있어요.

   Anyone can come to this restaurant.

6. 아무거나 시키세요.

   Order anything you like.

Compared with

• -거나

  (이)나 joins nouns; -거나 joins verbs and adjectives. English “or” covers both, so learners regularly reach for the wrong one.

  커피나 차를 마셔요. (coffee or tea)  /  커피를 마시거나 차를 마셔요. (drink coffee or drink tea)

• 아니면

  아니면 is a connector standing between two full clauses, closer to English “or else.” It is not a particle and takes no attachment.

  커피나 차 주세요.  /  커피 주세요. 아니면 차도 괜찮아요.

• 밖에

  Both react to a quantity, in opposite directions. (이)나 says it is more than expected; 밖에 with a negative says it is less.

  세 시간이나 잤어요. (slept a whole three hours)  /  세 시간밖에 못 잤어요. (only got three hours)

Watch out

• 커피이나 차를 마셔요.

  커피나 차를 마셔요.

  커피 ends in a vowel, so 나 alone. 이나 goes after a consonant, as in 밥이나.

• 먹나 마시나 하세요.

  먹거나 마시거나 하세요.

  To offer a choice between actions, the ending is -거나 on the verb stem. (이)나 only attaches to nouns.

• 세 시간이나 못 잤어요.

  세 시간밖에 못 잤어요.

  (이)나 marks an amount as generous, so it clashes with a negative complaint. For “only three hours,” use 밖에.

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