A foreign student asked me. "Teacher, what is 'you' in Korean?" The dictionary gives '너' and '당신', so why does nobody use them, the student asked. ## In English In English, one word, 'you', works for everyone. You use the same word with a friend, with your boss, and with someone you're meeting for the first time. So if you leave out "you," the sentence actually sounds awkward. ## In Korean In Korean, "너" is only used with close friends or people younger or lower in rank than you. Using it with someone older or higher in rank is very rude. "당신" is a word you hear between married couples or during arguments, so using it with a stranger sounds like you're picking a fight. That's why Korean developed in a way that avoids saying "you." To a teacher you say, "What do you think, teacher?" and to a friend you say, "Minsu, did you eat?" A name or a job title takes the place of "you." Or you just leave it out altogether. Even if you only say, "Did you eat?" everyone knows who you're asking. That's because the honorific ending '-어요' already tells you the relationship with the other person. ## Confusing Moments Foreign students get confused when they hear "선생님은 어디 가세요?" That's because 선생님 here means "you," not "I." Many students also struggle with what to call a colleague who is around their age. In that case, adding '씨' after the name is generally safe. However, adding '씨' to the name of someone senior to you is rude. For superiors, add '님' to their job title. If you're not sure, try leaving "you" out of the sentence. In Korean, that's often the most natural way to say it.