잖아 meaning, part 2 — Casual, asking — Korean endings (28 entries)

This is part 2 of 2, covering casual, asking, polite, asking — 28 entries.

The format and the FAQ are on part 1; this page is the entries themselves.

Casual, asking — 잖아?

With a question mark, 잖아 stops asserting and starts checking.

The speaker is no longer saying you know this; they are asking we agree on this, don't we? — inviting confirmation rather than claiming it.

This is close to the English tag question, and it is the friendliest use of the ending. It hands the other person a chance to disagree, which the plain statement form does not.

In group content you will hear it constantly during arguments and games, because it is how someone builds a case one agreed step at a time.

• 이 5명 중에 한 명이잖아? (myeongijana) — It's one of these five, right? Literally: 명이잖아 is said 명이자나.
• 멋있어야 되는 거잖아 그치? (geojana) — You have to look cool, right? Literally: 거잖아 is said 거자나.
• 없잖아? 0 있을 수가 없지 (eopjana) — There is none. There's no way there's a 0. Literally: 없잖아 is said 업짜나.
• 근데 이거는 딱 끝내잖아? (kkeunnaejana) — But after this,. Literally: 끝내잖아 is said 끈내자나.
• 너희 둘이랑 같이 가잖아? (gajana) — You two go in together, right? Literally: 가잖아 is said 가자나.
• 우리 친구잖아, 왜 그래? (chingujana) — We're friends. Come on. Literally: 친구잖아 is said 친구자나.
• 어? 양이 아니라 소잖아? (sojana) — Huh? They're not sheep, they're cows. Literally: 소잖아 is said 소자나.
• 캘리포니아 안에 있는 거잖아? (geojana) — It's in California. Literally: 거잖아 is said 거자나.
• 마피아 2명 남아있잖아, 지금? (namaitjana) — There are two mafias left right now. Literally: 남아있잖아 is said 나마읻짜나.
• 난 내가 먹고 남잖아? (namjana) — Do you know what I'm gonna do if there is any leftover after I'm done eating? Literally: 남잖아 is said 남자나.
• 너무 빨리 퇴근하잖아? (toegeunhajana) — You're clocking out too fast, aren't you? Literally: 퇴근하잖아 is said 퇴근하자나.
• 자기가 뭐라고 멤버 누가 웃기잖아? (utgijana) — it's like who does WONWOO think he is. Literally: 웃기잖아 is said 욷끼자나.
• 국토는 잘 알잖아 그치 국토 알지? (aljana) — You're good with geography, right? Literally: 알잖아 is said 알자나.
• 우리 이거 되잖아? (doejana) — If it works out like this. Literally: 되잖아 is said 되자나.

Polite, asking — 잖아요?

The gentlest of the four, and the safest for a learner to use with someone they do not know well.

It combines the respect of 요 with the openness of a question, so it neither imposes on the listener nor assumes too much about what they hold.

This is the form to reach for when you want to check shared ground with someone senior — confirming a plan, referring back to something mentioned earlier, testing whether a fact is common knowledge.

If you are unsure which of the four to use, this one is wrong least often.

• 바퀴벌레 한 마리 있잖아요? (itjanayo) — But one cockroach? Literally: 있잖아요 is said 읻짜나요.
• 이렇게 기어서 통과하잖아요? (tonggwahajanayo) — You crawl through the maze like this, right? Literally: 통과하잖아요 is said 통과하자나요.
• 약간 체스판처럼 생겼잖아요? (saenggyeotjanayo) — It kind of looks like a chessboard. Literally: 생겼잖아요 is said 생겯짜나요.
• 분위기가 너무 좋잖아요? (jochanayo) — Because everything is just so great. Literally: 좋잖아요 is said 조차나요.
• 형이 범인이였잖아요 그때 그렇죠? (beominiyeotjanayo) — You were the criminal that time, right? Literally: 범인이였잖아요 is said 버미니엳짜나요.
• 종류가 이렇게 두 가지 나오잖아요? (naojanayo) — But you want to have. Literally: 나오잖아요 is said 나오자나요.
• 와 그럼 대박.. 제가 의사잖아요? (uisajanayo) — Wow, incredible.. then, I am the doctor, right? Literally: 의사잖아요 is said 의사자나요.
• 이 정도가 32... 비트 잖아요? (janayo) — This is... 32 beats, right? Literally: 잖아요 is said 자나요.
• 싱글 앨범으로 저희가 데뷔했잖아요? (debwihaetjanayo) — we made our debut, right? Literally: 데뷔했잖아요 is said 데뷔핻짜나요.
• 저희의 인연은 쭉 함께일 거잖아요? (geojanayo) — but our connection will last forever. Literally: 거잖아요 is said 거자나요.
• 멤버들이 손톱을 이렇게 기르잖아요? (gireujanayo) — our members grow our nails, right? Literally: 기르잖아요 is said 기르자나요.
• 안쪽은 평면에서 할 수가 없잖아요? (eopjanayo) — you can't sand it on the straight side. Literally: 없잖아요 is said 업짜나요.
• 밀진 않았잖아요? (anatjanayo) — But I didn't push you, did I? Literally: 않았잖아요 is said 아낟짜나요.
• 뭐야? 잡았잖아요 (jabatjanayo) — What? I caught you. Literally: 잡았잖아요 is said 자받짜나요.

The rest of this set

• 잖아 — the Korean ending that means "you already know this" (28 real examples)
• Casual, asking — Korean endings (28 entries) (this page)