🤝

Seeking Agreement: -지요 / -죠

Keywords
-지요/-죠
Lesson #
S
Done
Section
Basic Grammar
🎯
TL;DR 🦄
  • -지요 [-ji-yo] and its short form -죠 [-jyo] are used to seek agreement, confirm shared knowledge, or make a gentle statement/question.
  • 맛있죠? = It’s delicious, right? / Isn’t it delicious?
  • 그렇죠. = That’s right. / Exactly.
  • -죠 is the common spoken form; -지요 sounds a little clearer, slower, or more written.
🔊
🎧 Iru Helper Note Use
Korean Helper Widgets
Korean Helper Widgets to hear the agreement-checking rhythm. Try 그렇죠? [geu-reot-jyo], 맛있죠? [ma-sit-jyo], 오늘 춥죠? [o-neul chup-jyo], and 내일 오시죠? [nae-il o-si-jyo].
 

🌈 The Big Picture

-지요 / -죠 is a very useful ending for conversation. It often means:
“..., right?”
“..., isn’t it?”
“You know/agree, right?”
“Of course / certainly.”
It can be a question, a statement, a suggestion, or a gentle command depending on the situation.
Compare:
  • 맛있어요.
      • [ma-si-sseo-yo]
      It’s delicious. 🍲
  • 맛있죠?
      • [ma-sit-jyo]
      It’s delicious, right? 😋
  • 그렇죠.
      • [geu-reot-jyo]
      That’s right. / Exactly. ✅
💡
Short form
-죠 is the shortened form of -지요.
  • 가지요 → 가죠
  • 맛있지요 → 맛있죠
  • 학생이지요 → 학생이죠

🧠 Core Meanings

1. Seeking agreement: “..., right?”

Use it when you think the listener will agree.
  • 오늘 춥죠?
      • [o-neul chup-jyo]
      It’s cold today, right? 🧣
  • 이거 맛있죠?
      • [i-geo ma-sit-jyo]
      This is delicious, right? 😋
  • 한국어 어렵죠?
      • [han-gu-geo eo-ryeop-jyo]
      Korean is hard, right? 📚

2. Confirming information: “You’re coming, right?”

Use it to check something you expect is true.
  • 내일 오시죠?
      • [nae-il o-si-jyo]
      You’re coming tomorrow, right? 📅
  • 회의는 3시죠?
      • [hoe-ui-neun se-si-jyo]
      The meeting is at 3, right? 🕒
  • 민수 씨도 같이 가죠?
      • [min-su ssi-do ga-chi ga-jyo]
      Minsu is going together too, right? 🚶

3. Agreeing strongly: “That’s right.”

Use it as an answer or reaction.
  • 맞죠.
      • [mat-jyo]
      That’s right. ✅
  • 그렇죠.
      • [geu-reot-jyo]
      Exactly. / That’s right. 💡
  • 당연하죠.
      • [dang-yeon-ha-jyo]
      Of course. 🙌

4. Gentle suggestion or encouragement

It can sound like “let’s…” or “you should…” in a soft, agreeable way.
  • 같이 가죠.
      • [ga-chi ga-jyo]
      Let’s go together. 🚶
  • 이제 시작하죠.
      • [i-je si-ja-ka-jyo]
      Let’s start now. 🚀
  • 조금 쉬죠.
      • [jo-geum swi-jyo]
      Let’s rest a little. / Why don’t we rest a little? 🌱

🎨 Formation Rules

Attach -지요 or -죠 to the verb/adjective stem.

1. Action verbs + 지요/죠

  • 가다 [ga-da] → 가지요 / 가죠 = go, right? / let’s go
  • 오다 [o-da] → 오지요 / 오죠 = come, right?
  • 먹다 [meok-da] → 먹지요 / 먹죠 = eat, right? / of course someone eats
  • 읽다 [ik-da] → 읽지요 / 읽죠 = read, right?

2. Adjectives/descriptive verbs + 지요/죠

  • 좋다 [jo-ta] → 좋지요 / 좋죠 = nice/good, right?
  • 춥다 [chup-da] → 춥지요 / 춥죠 = cold, right?
  • 예쁘다 [ye-ppeu-da] → 예쁘지요 / 예쁘죠 = pretty, right?
  • 어렵다 [eo-ryeop-da] → 어렵지요 / 어렵죠 = difficult, right?

3. 하다 verbs/adjectives + 지요/죠

  • 공부하다 → 공부하지요 / 공부하죠
  • 운동하다 → 운동하지요 / 운동하죠
  • 조용하다 → 조용하지요 / 조용하죠
  • 필요하다 → 필요하지요 / 필요하죠

4. Nouns + 이지요/이죠, 지요/죠

With nouns, use 이지요/이죠 after a consonant. After a vowel, 지요/죠 is common.
  • 학생 → 학생이지요 / 학생이죠 = student, right?
  • 선생님 → 선생님이지요 / 선생님이죠 = teacher, right?
  • 친구 → 친구지요 / 친구죠 = friend, right?
  • 의사 → 의사지요 / 의사죠 = doctor, right?

5. Past tense + 지요/죠

Use past tense when checking or confirming something already happened.
  • 오다 → 왔지요 / 왔죠 = came, right?
  • 끝나다 → 끝났지요 / 끝났죠 = ended, right?
  • 먹다 → 먹었지요 / 먹었죠 = ate, right?
  • 알다 → 알았지요 / 알았죠 = knew/understood, right?
⚠️
Tone warning
-죠? can sound friendly, but it can also sound pushy if your tone is too strong.
  • Friendly: 오늘 춥죠? = Cold today, right?
  • Pushy: 제가 맞죠? = I’m right, aren’t I? 😅
Use a soft tone when seeking agreement.

🛠️ How It Works in Real Sentences

Small talk

  • 오늘 날씨 좋죠?
      • [o-neul nal-ssi jot-jyo]
      The weather is nice today, right? ☀️
  • 요즘 바쁘시죠?
      • [yo-jeum ba-ppeu-si-jyo]
      You’re busy these days, right? 📅

Checking shared information

  • 회의가 2시죠?
      • [hoe-ui-ga du-si-jyo]
      The meeting is at 2, right? 🕑
  • 여기가 맞죠?
      • [yeo-gi-ga mat-jyo]
      This is the right place, right? 📍

Agreement and acknowledgement

  • 그렇죠. 저도 그렇게 생각해요.
      • [geu-reot-jyo. jeo-do geu-reo-ke saeng-ga-kae-yo]
      That’s right. I think so too. 💬
  • 맞죠. 아주 중요해요.
      • [mat-jyo. a-ju jung-yo-hae-yo]
      Right. It’s very important. ✅

Suggestions

  • 이제 가죠.
      • [i-je ga-jyo]
      Let’s go now. 🚶
  • 먼저 확인해 보죠.
      • [meon-jeo hwa-gi-nae bo-jyo]
      Let’s check first. 🔎

🔍 -지요/-죠 vs -아요/어요 vs -네요

-아요/어요 = neutral polite statement/question

  • 날씨가 좋아요.
      • The weather is nice.

-네요 = noticing/reaction

  • 날씨가 좋네요.
      • Oh, the weather is nice.

-지요/-죠 = confirmation / agreement

  • 날씨가 좋죠?
      • The weather is nice, right?
Daily learner tip: Use -죠? when you expect the listener to agree or when you are checking shared information.

🧩 Common Patterns

1. 그렇죠 = That’s right

  • 그렇죠. = That’s right.
  • 그렇죠? = Right? / Isn’t that so?
  • 그렇지요. = That’s right. (clearer/slower)

2. 맞죠? = Right? / Correct?

  • 이 답이 맞죠? = This answer is right, right?
  • 여기가 맞죠? = This is the right place, right?
  • 제 말이 맞죠? = I’m right, right?

3. 당연하죠 = Of course

  • 당연하죠. = Of course.
  • 물론이죠. = Of course.
  • 괜찮죠. = Of course it’s okay. / It’s okay, right?

4. -아/어야죠 = should / of course one should

This related pattern means “should” or “of course you/I should.”
  • 공부해야죠. = I/you should study, of course.
  • 가야죠. = I/you should go.
  • 먹어야죠. = I/you should eat.

📚 Cross-check note

This lesson was checked against korean.go.kr. Their guidance confirms that -죠 is the shortened form of -지요, as in 가지요/가죠 and 법이지요/법이죠. Korean.go.kr also explains that -지 can be used for statement, question, command, and suggestion depending on context, while 요 adds politeness.
Practical lesson choice: teach -지요/-죠 as a polite conversational ending for seeking agreement, confirming shared information, agreeing, and making gentle suggestions.

⚠️ Pitfalls to Dodge

  • ❌ Thinking -죠 only means “right?” → ✅ It can also mean “of course,” “certainly,” or “let’s…”
  • ❌ 학생죠 → ✅ 학생이죠
  • ❌ Using a strong tone with 맞죠? → ✅ Use a soft tone so it doesn’t sound like pressure.
  • ❌ Confusing -죠 with -지요? as different grammar → ✅ -죠 is just the shortened form.
  • ❌ Overusing -죠? when you do not expect agreement → ✅ Use a normal question like -아요/어요? for neutral questions.
Bottom line: -지요/-죠 helps you check shared knowledge and invite agreement naturally: 맛있죠?, 그렇죠, 내일 오시죠?, 이제 시작하죠. 🤝✨
 

Try this exercise

Instructions Complete each sentence with the correct -지요/-죠 form.
1. 좋다 → 날씨가 ＿＿＿＿? ☀️
Answer
좋죠? — “The weather is nice, right?”
2. 맛있다 → 이거 ＿＿＿＿? 🍲
Answer
맛있죠?
3. 오다 → 내일 ＿＿＿＿? 📅
Answer
오죠? — “You’re coming tomorrow, right?”
4. 맞다 → 여기가 ＿＿＿＿? 📍
Answer
맞죠?
5. 학생 → 그분은 ＿＿＿＿? 🎓
Answer
학생이죠? — consonant noun + 이죠.
6. 친구 → 민수 씨 친구＿＿＿＿? 🤝
Answer
친구죠? — vowel noun + 죠.
7. 끝나다 → 회의가 벌써 ＿＿＿＿? 🕘
Answer
끝났죠? — past confirmation.
8. 그렇다 → 네, ＿＿＿＿. ✅
Answer
그렇죠 — “Yes, that’s right.”
9. Choose the shortened form.
① 가지요.
② 가죠.
Answer
② 가죠. — This is the shortened spoken form. ① is also correct but less contracted.
10. 시작하다 → 이제 ＿＿＿＿. 🚀
Answer
시작하죠 — “Let’s start now.”
📚
Vocabulary Box
  • 날씨 → weather
  • 맛있다 → to be delicious
  • 내일 → tomorrow
  • 여기 → here
  • 학생 → student
  • 친구 → friend
  • 회의 → meeting
  • 그렇다 → to be so / to be like that
  • 시작하다 → to start
Tip 💡 If the sentence means “right?” or “let’s…,” -죠 may be a great fit.
🚀
Want more reps? Visit the Practice Hub when you're ready! 🚀
 
📦
🎯 Practice Hub — Seeking Agreement: -지요 / -죠
 
This Practice Hub trains -지요/-죠 for agreement, confirmation, shared knowledge, answers like 그렇죠, suggestions like 가죠, and noun/past forms. Each exercise has 10 questions, A–J. 🧩
 

Exercise 1 — Form Builder ✅

A. 좋다 → 날씨가 ＿＿＿＿?
Answer
좋죠? / 좋지요?
B. 춥다 → 오늘 ＿＿＿＿?
Answer
춥죠? / 춥지요?
C. 예쁘다 → 정말 ＿＿＿＿?
Answer
예쁘죠? / 예쁘지요?
D. 어렵다 → 한국어가 ＿＿＿＿?
Answer
어렵죠? / 어렵지요?
E. 가다 → 같이 ＿＿＿＿.
Answer
가죠 / 가지요
F. 오다 → 내일 ＿＿＿＿?
Answer
오죠? / 오지요?
G. 먹다 → 점심 ＿＿＿＿?
Answer
먹죠? / 먹지요?
H. 공부하다 → 매일 ＿＿＿＿?
Answer
공부하죠? / 공부하지요?
I. 학생 → 학생＿＿＿＿?
Answer
학생이죠? / 학생이지요?
J. 의사 → 의사＿＿＿＿?
Answer
의사죠? / 의사지요?
📚
Form reminder
  • Verb/adjective stem + 지요/죠
  • Consonant noun + 이지요/이죠
  • Vowel noun + 지요/죠
  • 죠 = shortened 지요
 

Exercise 2 — Seeking Agreement 🤝

A. It’s cold today, right?
오늘 춥＿＿＿＿?
Answer
죠 → 오늘 춥죠?
B. This is delicious, right?
이거 맛있＿＿＿＿?
Answer
죠
C. The movie was fun, right?
영화 재미있었＿＿＿＿?
Answer
죠
D. Korean is hard, right?
한국어 어렵＿＿＿＿?
Answer
죠
E. That person is kind, right?
그분 친절하＿＿＿＿?
Answer
죠
F. This place is famous, right?
여기 유명하＿＿＿＿?
Answer
죠
G. This answer is correct, right?
이 답이 맞＿＿＿＿?
Answer
죠
H. It’s already late, right?
벌써 늦었＿＿＿＿?
Answer
죠
I. The weather is nice, right?
날씨 좋＿＿＿＿?
Answer
죠
J. You know this word, right?
이 단어 알＿＿＿＿?
Answer
죠
💡
Agreement feeling
Use -죠? when you expect the listener to agree:
  • nice, right?
  • correct, right?
  • you know, right?
  • we’re meeting tomorrow, right?
 

Exercise 3 — Confirmation and Shared Information 🔎

A. The meeting is at 3, right?
회의는 3시＿＿＿＿?
Answer
죠 → 회의는 3시죠?
B. This is your bag, right?
이거 민지 씨 가방＿＿＿＿?
Answer
이죠 → 가방이죠?
C. You came yesterday, right?
어제 왔＿＿＿＿?
Answer
죠
D. The class already ended, right?
수업이 벌써 끝났＿＿＿＿?
Answer
죠
E. You’re a student, right?
학생＿＿＿＿?
Answer
이죠
F. They’re a doctor, right?
의사＿＿＿＿?
Answer
죠
G. This is the right place, right?
여기가 맞＿＿＿＿?
Answer
죠
H. You remember, right?
기억하＿＿＿＿?
Answer
죠
I. We met before, right?
전에 만났＿＿＿＿?
Answer
죠
J. Tomorrow is Friday, right?
내일 금요일＿＿＿＿?
Answer
이죠 → 금요일이죠?
📌
Confirmation pattern
Use -죠? to check information you partly know or expect:
 
내일 오시죠?
You’re coming tomorrow, right?
 

Exercise 4 — Agreement Answers and Suggestions 🗣️

A. “That’s right.”
그렇＿＿＿＿.
Answer
죠 → 그렇죠.
B. “Correct.”
맞＿＿＿＿.
Answer
죠
C. “Of course.”
당연하＿＿＿＿.
Answer
죠
D. “Of course.”
물론이＿＿＿＿.
Answer
죠
E. “Let’s go now.”
이제 가＿＿＿＿.
Answer
죠
F. “Let’s start.”
시작하＿＿＿＿.
Answer
죠
G. “Let’s check first.”
먼저 확인해 보＿＿＿＿.
Answer
죠
H. “Let’s rest a little.”
조금 쉬＿＿＿＿.
Answer
죠
I. “You should eat.”
먹어야＿＿＿＿.
Answer
죠 → 먹어야죠.
J. “I should study.”
공부해야＿＿＿＿.
Answer
죠 → 공부해야죠.
🧠
Not only questions
-죠 can also be:
  • agreement: 그렇죠
  • certainty: 당연하죠
  • suggestion: 가죠
  • should: 해야죠
 

Exercise 5 — Pitfall Patrol 🛡️

A. ❌ 학생죠? → ✅ ＿＿＿＿
Answer
학생이죠?
B. ❌ 선생님죠? → ✅ ＿＿＿＿
Answer
선생님이죠?
C. ❌ 회의는 3시이죠? → ✅ ＿＿＿＿
Answer
회의는 3시죠? — 시 ends in a vowel sound.
D. ❌ Neutral information question when you do not know: 이름이 뭐죠? can sound sharp. Softer: ＿＿＿＿
Answer
이름이 뭐예요? — Use a neutral question when you are simply asking.
E. ❌ Strong pressure: 제가 맞죠? → Softer: ＿＿＿＿
Answer
제가 맞나요? / 제 말이 맞을까요? — Softer if you are not seeking pressure-style agreement.
F. ❌ 먹어야지요 means only “right?” → ✅ ＿＿＿＿
Answer
It often means “should / of course should”: 먹어야죠 = You/I should eat.
G. ❌ 죠 and 지요 are different grammar → ✅ ＿＿＿＿
Answer
죠 is the shortened form of 지요.
H. ❌ 친구이죠? is always wrong → ✅ ＿＿＿＿
Answer
친구죠? is more common after a vowel noun, but 친구이지요? can appear when speaking very clearly or slowly.
I. ❌ 왔죠? means present → ✅ ＿＿＿＿
Answer
왔죠? is past: “came, right?”
J. ❌ 그렇지요 cannot be shortened → ✅ ＿＿＿＿
Answer
그렇지요 → 그렇죠.
⚠️
Common traps
  • Consonant noun → 이죠
  • Neutral unknown question → often use -아요/어요?
  • -죠? expects agreement or confirmation
  • Tone matters!
 
🎉 Agreement-checking grammar unlocked. With -지요/-죠, you can sound natural when confirming, agreeing, or suggesting: 그렇죠, 맛있죠?, 내일 오시죠?, 이제 가죠. 🤝✨