-야

See also: 야

Korean

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ja̠]
• Phonetic hangul: [야]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	ya
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	ya
McCune–Reischauer?	ya
Yale Romanization?	ya

Etymology 1

From Middle Korean -야〮 (Yale: -yá); see the main entry for more.

Particle

-야 • (-ya)

1. Post-vowel allomorphic form of -아 (-a, “hey”, vocative particle).

   현우야, 너가 물 엎질렀어? ― Hyeonu-ya, neo-ga mul eopjilleosseo? ― Hyeonwoo, did you spill the water?

   나무야, 넌 이름이 뭐니? ― namu-ya, neon ireum-i mwo-ni? ― Hey, tree, what's your name?

   찰스야, 힙스터가 뭐야? ― chalseuya, hipseuteoga mwoya? ― Charles, what is a "hipster?"

Usage notes

• For words formed by the suffix -이 (-i) or ends with a consonant, the suffix is typically deleted and the vocative takes -아 (-a).

두꺼비 (dukkeobi, “toad”) > 두껍아 (dukkeob-a, “hey, toad”)

민욱 (minuk, “Minwook”) > 민욱아 (minug-a, “Hey, Minwook”)

• The word is used as an informal suffix. The formal equivalents to the word are -님 and -씨. For example:

찰스야, 책 재밌니? ― chalseuya, chaek jaeminni? ― Charles, is the book interesting?

두보이스 씨, 책이 흥미로우셨나요? ― duboiseu ssi, chaegi heungmirousyeonnayo? ― Mr. DuBois, are you feeling being interested in the book?

Etymology 2

Suffix

-야 • (-ya)

1. Alternative form of -어 (-eo, intimate-style suffix), used after the copulas -이다 (-ida, “to be”) and 아니다 (anida, “to not be”).

   이게 바로 표범이야. ― Ige baro pyobeom-i-ya. ― This is what they call a leopard.

   뭐야? ― mwo-ya? ― What is it?

   아니야. 할 말 없어. ― Ani-ya. Hal mal eopseo. ― It's nothing. I have nothing to say.

Usage notes

• Only used directly after the stems of -이다 (-ida, “to be”), either explicit or implicit, and its negative 아니다 (anida, “to not be”). If another suffix intervenes, the suffix reverts to -어 (-eo):

  뭐였어? ― mwo-yeoss-eo? ― What was this? (with past-marking -었- (-eot-))

• Before -요 (-yo, politeness-marking particle attached to the intimate style), the form is again irregular -에요 (-eyo), and 이에요 (i-eyo) contracts to -예요 (-yeyo) following a vowel.

  뭐야 > 뭐예요? ― mwo-ya > mwo-yeyo? ― What's this? (intimate) > What's this? (polite)

• It cannot replace -어 (-eo) in its infinitive/connective sense. The copulas' equivalent to connective -어 (-eo) is -라 (-ra), although -어 (-eo) can still be used.

Etymology 3

From Middle Korean -ᅀᅡ〮 (Yale: -zá), from Old Korean 沙 (*-sa); see the main entry for more.

Particle

-야 • (-ya)

1. Post-vowel allomorphic form of -이야 (-iya, emphatic particle).

See also

• -어야 (-eoya, verb suffix)