-지요/죠 is a tag question ending that seeks confirmation or agreement. It means "right?", "isn't it?", "don't you?", or similar confirmation phrases in English.
Basic Forms
-지요 (Full form)
More formal/clear:
- 학생이지요? (You're a student, right?)
- 맞지요? (That's right, isn't it?)
- 좋지요? (It's good, right?)
-죠 (Contracted - most common)
Natural in conversation:
- 학생이죠? (You're a student, right?)
- 맞죠? (That's right, isn't it?)
- 좋죠? (It's good, right?)
Note: -죠 is much more common in spoken Korean
Formation Rules
With Verbs
Verb stem + -지요/죠:
- 가다 → 가지요/가죠 (going, right?)
- 먹다 → 먹지요/먹죠 (eating, right?)
- 하다 → 하지요/하죠 (doing, right?)
- 알다 → 알지요/알죠 (know, right?)
With Adjectives
Adjective stem + -지요/죠:
- 좋다 → 좋지요/좋죠 (good, right?)
- 예쁘다 → 예쁘지요/예쁘죠 (pretty, right?)
- 맛있다 → 맛있지요/맛있죠 (delicious, right?)
- 쉽다 → 쉽지요/쉽죠 (easy, right?)
With 이다/아니다
Noun + 이지요/이죠 or -지요/-죠:
After consonant:
- 학생 + 이지요 → 학생이지요/학생이죠 (student, right?)
- 선생님 + 이지요 → 선생님이지요/선생님이죠 (teacher, right?)
After vowel:
- 의사 + 지요 → 의사지요/의사죠 (doctor, right?)
- 친구 + 지요 → 친구지요/친구죠 (friend, right?)
With Past Tense
Past stem + -지요/죠:
- 갔다 → 갔지요/갔죠 (went, right?)
- 먹었다 → 먹었지요/먹었죠 (ate, right?)
- 했다 → 했지요/했죠 (did, right?)
- 있었다 → 있었지요/있었죠 (was there, right?)
Core Meaning: Seeking Confirmation
Confirming Information
Checking if something is true:
- 한국 사람이죠? (You're Korean, right?)
- 오늘 월요일이죠? (Today is Monday, right?)
- 여기가 맞죠? (This is the right place, right?)
- 3시에 만나기로 했죠? (We agreed to meet at 3, right?)
Seeking Agreement
Getting someone to agree:
- 좋죠? (It's good, right?)
- 예쁘죠? (It's pretty, right?)
- 맛있죠? (It's delicious, right?)
- 재미있죠? (It's fun, right?)
Softening Statements
Making statements less direct:
- 알죠? (You know, right?)
- 하겠죠? (You'll do it, right?)
- 올 거죠? (You'll come, right?)
Common Usage Patterns
Checking Facts
Confirming known information:
- 내일 휴일이죠? (Tomorrow is a holiday, right?)
- 이 길이 맞죠? (This is the right road, right?)
- 여기서 가까워요, 그죠? (It's close from here, right?)
- 10시에 시작하죠? (It starts at 10, right?)
Getting Agreement
Seeking validation:
- 이거 좋죠? (This is good, right?)
- 날씨 좋죠? (The weather is nice, right?)
- 어렵지 않죠? (It's not difficult, right?)
- 문제없죠? (No problem, right?)
Confirming Plans
Checking arrangements:
- 내일 만나기로 했죠? (We agreed to meet tomorrow, right?)
- 7시에 오시죠? (You're coming at 7, right?)
- 같이 가죠? (We're going together, right?)
Rhetorical Questions
Not really asking, but emphasizing:
- 다 알죠? (You all know, right? - rhetorical)
- 당연하죠! (Of course, right! - emphatic)
- 그렇죠? (That's right, isn't it?)
Politeness Levels
Polite (해요체)
-지요/죠:
- 학생이죠? (You're a student, right?)
- 좋죠? (It's good, right?)
- 맞죠? (That's right, isn't it?)
Casual (반말)
-지:
- 학생이지? (You're a student, right?)
- 좋지? (It's good, right?)
- 맞지? (That's right, isn't it?)
Formal (합니다체)
Less common, use different patterns:
- 학생이십니까? (Are you a student? - formal question)
- 그렇지 않습니까? (Isn't that so? - formal)
Note: -죠 is primarily 해요체; formal speech uses other patterns
Common Expressions
Daily Confirmations
- 알죠? (You know, right?)
- 맞죠? (That's right, isn't it?)
- 그렇죠? (That's so, right?)
- 괜찮죠? (It's okay, right?)
- 좋죠? (It's good, right?)
Time and Date
- 오늘 금요일이죠? (Today is Friday, right?)
- 3시에 만나죠? (We're meeting at 3, right?)
- 내일 휴일이죠? (Tomorrow is a holiday, right?)
Identity and Location
- 한국 사람이죠? (You're Korean, right?)
- 학생이죠? (You're a student, right?)
- 여기가 맞죠? (This is the right place, right?)
- 서울 사람이죠? (You're from Seoul, right?)
Agreements and Plans
- 같이 가죠? (We're going together, right?)
- 오실 거죠? (You'll come, right?)
- 기억하시죠? (You remember, right?)
Answering -죠 Questions
Agreeing
네/예 + confirmation:
- 학생이죠? → 네, 학생이에요 (Student, right? → Yes, I'm a student)
- 맛있죠? → 네, 정말 맛있어요 (Delicious, right? → Yes, really delicious)
맞아요 (That's right):
- 내일 월요일이죠? → 네, 맞아요 (Tomorrow is Monday, right? → Yes, that's right)
Disagreeing
아니요 + correction:
- 한국 사람이죠? → 아니요, 미국 사람이에요 (You're Korean, right? → No, I'm American)
- 3시에 만나죠? → 아니요, 4시예요 (Meeting at 3, right? → No, it's at 4)
Common Expressions with -죠
그렇죠? (That's right, isn't it?)
General agreement:
- 날씨 좋죠? 그렇죠? (The weather is nice, right? That's right, isn't it?)
알죠? (You know, right?)
Assuming knowledge:
- 내일 시험이 있는 거 알죠? (You know there's an exam tomorrow, right?)
당연하죠 (Of course)
Obvious statement:
- 공부해야죠? 당연하죠! (Should I study? Of course!)
-겠죠? (Will/Would, right?)
Future assumption:
- 오시겠죠? (You'll come, right?)
- 도와주시겠죠? (You'll help, right?)
Example Sentences
Checking Information
- 이 버스가 시청까지 가죠? (This bus goes to City Hall, right?)
- 여기서 10분 정도 걸리죠? (It takes about 10 minutes from here, right?)
- 내일 휴일이죠? (Tomorrow is a holiday, right?)
- 회의가 3시에 시작하죠? (The meeting starts at 3, right?)
Seeking Agreement
- 이 영화 재미있죠? (This movie is fun, right?)
- 한국 음식 맛있죠? (Korean food is delicious, right?)
- 날씨 정말 좋죠? (The weather is really nice, right?)
- 이 옷 예쁘죠? (These clothes are pretty, right?)
Confirming Plans
- 내일 저녁에 만나기로 했죠? (We agreed to meet tomorrow evening, right?)
- 같이 가기로 했죠? (We agreed to go together, right?)
- 7시에 오시기로 했죠? (You agreed to come at 7, right?)
Example Dialogues
Dialogue 1: Confirming Meeting
A: 내일 3시에 만나기로 했죠?
(We agreed to meet at 3 tomorrow, right?)
B: 네, 맞아요. 어디서 만날까요?
(Yes, that's right. Where shall we meet?)
Dialogue 2: Seeking Agreement
A: 이 식당 음식 정말 맛있죠?
(This restaurant's food is really delicious, right?)
B: 네, 정말 맛있어요. 자주 와요?
(Yes, it's really delicious. Do you come often?)
Dialogue 3: Checking Information
A: 여기가 시청역이죠?
(This is City Hall Station, right?)
B: 아니요, 여기는 종로역이에요.
(No, this is Jongno Station.)
Dialogue 4: Making Sure
A: 숙제 내일까지죠?
(The homework is due tomorrow, right?)
B: 네, 내일까지예요. 다 했어요?
(Yes, by tomorrow. Did you finish it?)
Common Mistakes
❌ Incorrect: 가요죠?
Mixing -아/어요 with -죠
✅ Correct: 가죠?
Just stem + -죠
❌ Incorrect: 학생죠?
Missing 이 after consonant
✅ Correct: 학생이죠?
Need 이 after consonant-ending nouns
❌ Incorrect: 갔어죠?
Wrong past formation
✅ Correct: 갔죠?
Past stem + -죠 (no 어)
Usage Notes
Tone Matters
Can sound different based on tone:
- 맞죠? ↗ (That's right, isn't it? - seeking confirmation)
- 맞죠! ↘ (That's right! - emphatic statement)
Not for First Questions
Use after some context:
- ❌ First question: 학생이죠? (awkward without context)
- ✅ Better first: 학생이에요? (Are you a student?)
- ✅ Then: 그렇군요. 몇 학년이죠? (I see. What year are you?)
Shows Assumption
Speaker assumes answer is yes:
- 알죠? (You know, right? - assumes they know)
- 올 거죠? (You'll come, right? - assumes they will)
Summary Table
| Form | Formality | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -지요 | Polite | Full form | 학생이지요? |
| -죠 | Polite | Contracted (common) | 학생이죠? |
| -지 | Casual | Casual form | 학생이지? |
| -(으)시죠 | Honorific | Polite + honorific | 아시죠? |
Key Takeaways
- ✅ Seeks confirmation: Right? Isn't it? Don't you?
- ✅ -죠 most common: Contracted form used in everyday speech
- ✅ Assumes agreement: Speaker expects "yes" answer
- ✅ After context: Better for follow-up questions, not first questions
- ✅ Very natural: Essential for conversational Korean
- ✅ All word types: Works with verbs, adjectives, 이다
-지요/죠 is essential for natural Korean conversation. Master this tag question pattern to confirm information, seek agreement, and soften your statements in a native-like way.