당신은 어떠세요?
dangsineun eotteoseyo?
How about you?
Phrase in 30 Seconds
A polite, standard way to ask for someone's opinion or status after sharing your own.
- Means: 'How about you?' or 'What are your thoughts?' in a polite manner.
- Used in: Formal interviews, surveys, or when speaking to strangers politely.
- Don't confuse: Avoid using '당신' with superiors; it can sound confrontational or overly distant.
Explanation at your level:
Signification
A polite question to ask someone for their opinion or state.
Contexte culturel
The 'Pro-drop' nature of Korean means that using '당신' can feel like you are pointing a finger. It's often better to omit it entirely if the context is clear. In meetings, using '당신' can be perceived as a sign of distance or lack of familiarity. Professionals prefer using 'Name + Title' (e.g., 김철수 과장님). In Korean songs and poems, '당신' is a beautiful, romantic word for 'my dear' or 'you'. It loses its 'dangerous' edge in artistic contexts. Younger Koreans often use '그쪽' (that side) instead of '당신' when they want to be polite but don't know the other person's name, especially in dating or social apps.
The 'You' Trap
Don't use this with your Korean teacher. They will feel you are treating them like a stranger or an equal, which is a faux pas.
Mirroring
If someone asks you '어떠세요?', it is very natural and polite to answer and then immediately say '당신은 어떠세요?' to show interest.
Signification
A polite question to ask someone for their opinion or state.
The 'You' Trap
Don't use this with your Korean teacher. They will feel you are treating them like a stranger or an equal, which is a faux pas.
Mirroring
If someone asks you '어떠세요?', it is very natural and polite to answer and then immediately say '당신은 어떠세요?' to show interest.
The Power of Omission
If you are afraid of using '당신' incorrectly, just say '어떠세요?'. It is still 100% polite and avoids any risk.
Teste-toi
Which of the following is the most appropriate way to ask your boss 'How about you?'
부장님, ________ 어떠세요?
In Korean, you should use the person's title (부장님) instead of a pronoun (당신) when speaking to a superior.
Complete the sentence with the correct topic marker.
당신__ 어떠세요?
'당신' ends in a consonant (ㄴ), so the topic marker '은' is used.
Complete the dialogue in a polite way.
가: 저는 한국 영화를 좋아해요. 나: 아, 그렇군요. ________?
This is the standard polite way to return the question about preferences.
Match the phrase to the correct situation.
Where would you most likely see '당신은 어떠세요?' written?
It is very common in advertisements addressing a general, anonymous audience.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Who to use '당신' with?
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsNo. It can be very polite (between spouses), neutral (in ads), or very rude (in fights). Context and tone are everything.
It might sound a bit too formal or like you're acting in a drama. '너는 어때?' is more common for couples.
'어떠십니까' is the highest level of formality (formal-polite), while '어떠세요' is the standard polite (informal-polite) form.
Because it's the direct translation of 'you', and it's necessary for reading literature and understanding formal announcements.
Yes, it's very common in formal emails when you are addressing a client or a colleague you aren't close with.
In many modern social situations between young adults, '그쪽' is considered safer and less 'heavy' than '당신'.
You can say '저도 좋아요' (I like it too) or '제 생각에는...' (In my opinion...) followed by your thoughts.
Yes, between married couples, it is a common term of endearment, similar to 'dear' or 'honey'.
Yes, but North Korean speech patterns often favor even higher levels of formality or different second-person addresses like '동무' (comrade) in specific contexts.
No, '당신' is singular. For a group, you would use '당신들은' or more commonly '여러분' (everyone).
Expressions liées
어떻게 생각하세요?
similarWhat do you think?
그쪽은요?
similarHow about you? (lit. How about that side?)
너는 어때?
informalHow about you? (casual)
어떠십니까?
specialized formHow is it? (very formal)
Où l'utiliser
Job Interview
Interviewer: 우리 회사의 비전에 대해 어떻게 생각하시나요?
Applicant: 매우 혁신적이라고 생각합니다. 면접관님은 저희 세대의 역할에 대해 당신은 어떠세요? (Wait, better to use '면접관님은 어떻게 생각하세요?')
Coffee Shop with a New Acquaintance
Person A: 저는 라떼를 좋아해요.
Person B: 아, 그렇군요. 당신은 어떠세요? 어떤 커피를 좋아하세요?
First Date
Person A: 저는 여행 다니는 걸 정말 좋아해요.
Person B: 저도요! 당신은 어떠세요? 가장 기억에 남는 여행지가 어디인가요?
Street Survey
Surveyor: 이 서비스에 대해 만족하시나요? 당신은 어떠세요?
Passerby: 네, 꽤 만족스러워요.
Doctor's Consultation
Doctor: 지난번보다 상태가 많이 좋아졌네요.
Patient: 네, 약을 먹으니 괜찮아요. 선생님이 보시기엔 당신은 어떠세요? (Wait, use '선생님이 보시기엔 어때요?')
Online Forum / Social Media
User 1: 저는 이 영화가 별로였어요.
User 2: 저는 재미있게 봤는데... 다른 당신은 어떠세요?
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'Dang-sin' as 'Dancing'. If I'm dancing, I stop and ask, 'Are you dancing too?' (Dangsin-eun eotteoseyo?)
Visual Association
Imagine a tennis match where you hit a ball labeled 'My Opinion' over the net. The net is the word '당신은', and as the ball lands on the other side, you say '어떠세요?' to wait for their return.
Rhyme
당신은 (Dang-sin-eun) / 기분이 (Gi-bun-i) / 어떠세요? (Eo-tteo-se-yo?)
Story
You are at a formal gala. You just told a stranger you love the caviar. You don't know their name, so you use the polite '당신' to ask if they like it too. You say '당신은 어떠세요?' to keep the conversation elegant and flowing.
Word Web
Défi
Try to use this phrase in a text message to a language exchange partner today after telling them one thing about your day.
In Other Languages
¿Y usted?
Spanish uses 'usted' for all formal encounters, while Korean prefers titles over '당신'.
Et vous ?
French 'vous' is mandatory for strangers, whereas Korean '당신' is often skipped for titles.
Und Sie?
German 'Sie' is less likely to be perceived as 'confrontational' compared to Korean '당신'.
あなたは？ (Anata wa?)
Both languages share the 'danger' of using the second-person pronoun too directly.
وأنت؟ (Wa anta?)
Arabic pronouns are gendered, whereas '당신' is gender-neutral.
你呢？ (Nǐ ne?)
Chinese '你呢' is much more casual and used in almost all situations.
E você?
Portuguese speakers use 'você' much more naturally in speech than Koreans use '당신'.
How about you?
English 'you' is universal and carries no hierarchical risk, unlike '당신'.
Easily Confused
Both use '당신', but this one is very rude.
If the phrase ends in '-세요', it's polite. If it ends in '-데' or '-야', it's likely an argument.
Both mean 'How is it?', but '어떠세요' is more respectful.
Use '어떠세요' when you want to show extra respect to the person you are asking.
FAQ (10)
No. It can be very polite (between spouses), neutral (in ads), or very rude (in fights). Context and tone are everything.
It might sound a bit too formal or like you're acting in a drama. '너는 어때?' is more common for couples.
'어떠십니까' is the highest level of formality (formal-polite), while '어떠세요' is the standard polite (informal-polite) form.
Because it's the direct translation of 'you', and it's necessary for reading literature and understanding formal announcements.
Yes, it's very common in formal emails when you are addressing a client or a colleague you aren't close with.
In many modern social situations between young adults, '그쪽' is considered safer and less 'heavy' than '당신'.
You can say '저도 좋아요' (I like it too) or '제 생각에는...' (In my opinion...) followed by your thoughts.
Yes, between married couples, it is a common term of endearment, similar to 'dear' or 'honey'.
Yes, but North Korean speech patterns often favor even higher levels of formality or different second-person addresses like '동무' (comrade) in specific contexts.
No, '당신' is singular. For a group, you would use '당신들은' or more commonly '여러분' (everyone).
