# 이십니까/십니까 (이다)



## Ladymeri

Hi
I have some difficulties in the difference between the two following sentences. Can somebody help me out please?
1.누가 이 선생 이십니까?
2.저분이 누구 십니까?
Why in the first sentence the verb "이다" has taken the subject marker and in the second one it hasn't? And why in the second sentence it is not "저분이 누구 이십니까?"  Instead of "저분이 누구 십니까?"?


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## mink-shin

Hi, welcome to 한국어 forum, Ladymeri.
Nice to meet you.

I'm not comfortable with your first sentence. But you haven't given us enough context to figure it out, Ladymeri. Would you mind giving us more context in which the first sentence is used? Or where did you see those sentences?

By the way, you can drop "이" that is the stem of "이다" in the case when the word followed by "이" ends with a vowel.


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## Dunno Jack

Ladymeri said:


> Hi
> I have some difficulties in the difference between the two following sentences. Can somebody help me out please?
> 1.누가 이 선생 이십니까?
> 2.저분이 누구 십니까?
> Why in the first sentence the verb "이다" has taken the subject marker and in the second one it hasn't? And why in the second sentence it is not "저분이 누구 이십니까?"  Instead of "저분이 누구 십니까?"?



Hi Ladymeri,

It depends on the last syllable of the word right before 이십니다/십니다.
1. 선생 - the last syllable 생 ends with a consonant ㅇ. In that case, 이십니다 follows 선생.
2. 누구 - 구 ends with a vowel ㅜ. Then 십니다 is the way to go.

Similarly, here's a simpler example with 이다/다

1. 이것은 호박이다 (This is a zucchini) - 호박 ending with a consonant ㄱ, thus followed by 이다.
2. 이것은 사과다 (This is an apple) - 사과 ending with a vowel ㅘ, followed by 다.


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## Ladymeri

Thanks 
These two sentences were written as examples for the question word "누구" 
So the first sentence is not common? 


mink-shin said:


> Hi, welcome to 한국어 forum, Ladymeri.
> Nice to meet you.
> 
> I'm not comfortable with your first sentence. But you haven't given us enough context to figure it out, Ladymeri. Would you mind giving us more context in which the first sentence is used? Or where did you see those sentences?
> 
> By the way, you can drop "이" that is the stem of "이다" in the case when the word followed by "이" ends with a vowel.


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## Ladymeri

Thank you so much.


Dunno Jack said:


> Hi Ladymeri,
> 
> It depends on the last syllable of the word right before 이십니다/십니다.
> 1. 선생 - the last syllable 생 ends with a consonant ㅇ. In that case, 이십니다 follows 선생.
> 2. 누구 - 구 ends with a vowel ㅜ. Then 십니다 is the way to go.
> 
> Similarly, here's a simpler example with 이다/다
> 
> 1. 이것은 호박이다 (This is a zucchini) - 호박 ending with a consonant ㄱ, thus followed by 이다.
> 2. 이것은 사과다 (This is an apple) - 사과 ending with a vowel ㅘ, followed by 다.


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## Dunno Jack

I don't see anything wrong with 누가 이 선생이십니까?
It's one of many polite ways to ask 'Who is Mr. Lee?'.
It's fine.


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## mink-shin

Hi again, Ladymeri, I'm back.


Ladymeri said:


> So the first sentence is not common?



No, it's my mistake. Dunno's right.


Dunno Jack said:


> I don't see anything wrong with 누가 이 선생이십니까?



I'd just thought "이" in your first sentence had the meaning of English word "this", which was so rash conclusion.
Somehow, I was shortsighted at that moment. Sorry for my mistake.
---In my defense, I was in an airport and I had some trouble with a woman and was little annoyed... Please understand me  ... ---

Though your first sentence's not wrong, I see two spacing errors in your sentences.



Ladymeri said:


> 누가 이 선생 이십니까?
> 1.누가 이 *선생이*십니까?
> 저분이 누구 십니까
> 2.저분이 *누구십*니까?



You must not leave any space between a word and its post-position.


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## Ladymeri

It was so helpful thanks


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## Rance

You may want to match the honorifics used.
-시- sounds more natural if paired with 선생*님 *than 선생.


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## mink-shin

Rance said:


> You may want to match the honorifics used.
> -시- sounds more natural if paired with 선생*님 *than 선생.


 I agree.


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## Ladymeri

I didn't get that. (My korean is so weak  ) Could you rewrite the sentence and explain more please?


Rance said:


> You may want to match the honorifics used.
> -시- sounds more natural if paired with 선생*님 *than 선생.


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## mink-shin

Ladymeri said:


> I didn't get that. (My korean is so weak  ) Could you rewrite the sentence and explain more please?


이 선생이십니까 = '이 선생' + '이-' + '-시-' + '-ㅂ니까'.

'이 선생' is a noun phrase, it means 'Teacher Lee'
'이-' is a stem of '이다', it has a similar meaning with 'be' in English.
'-시-' is a prefinal honorific ending, '-시-' makes its sentence more honorific.
'-ㅂ니까' is an interrogative ending, it also has honorific nuance.

In other words, we can see that there're two morphemes having honorific nuance in your sentence. But when we call someone honorifically, we usually attach the suffix '-님' to someone's name.

So if you attach the suffix '-님' to '선생' in your first sentence, the sentence will be more natural.


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## Ladymeri

Thanks a lot mink-shin.


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## mink-shin

Hi, Ladymeri.

I've read my post again and figured it out that I have to add something more specific just in case any confusion occurs.



mink-shin said:


> '-시-' is a prefinal honorific ending, '-시-' makes its sentence more honorific.
> '-ㅂ니까' is an interrogative ending, it also has honorific nuance.



Of course we can see two morphemes having honorific nuance.
But, in terms of function, there is a slight difference between them.

We use '-시-' in calling the subject of its predicate honorifically.
We use '-ㅂ니까' when we regard our listener as upper(or elder or superior...) person than us.
Considering their function, as Rance said, we can figure it out that '-시-' is related to '-님' rather than '-ㅂ니까' even though '-ㅂ니까' has also honorific nuance.

Let me give you some examples. I'm going to express their, who are the speaker and '누구 = 이 선생' and the listener, relationships by using inequality signs.

누가 이 선생이십니까? (= 누가 + 이 선생 + 이- + *-시-* + *-ㅂ니까*)
*The speaker < '누구 = 이선생'*, *The speaker < The listener
*
누가 이 선생입니까? (= 누가 + 이 선생 + 이- + *-ㅂ니까*)
The speaker [> or =] '누구= 이 선생',* The speaker < The listener
*
누가 이 선생이셔? ( =누가 + 이 선생 + -이 +* -시- *+ -어)
*The speaker > '누구 = 이 선생'*, The speaker [> or =] The listener

Note that it's just for your information, Ladymeri. Unfortunately, we don't always use our language in logical way.


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## sk k

Hi, I'a a native korean speaker.
I wanna tell you something.

We never used to '-니까?'
It is only used by soldiers. LOL
Or in very formal situation.

please use '~어요?', '~나요?', '~세요?'
ex) 안녕하십니까? -> 안녕하세요?
저 분은 누구십니까? -> 저 분은 누구세요?


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## Ladymeri

sk k said:


> Hi, I'a a native korean speaker.
> I wanna tell you something.
> 
> We never used to '-니까?'
> It is only used by soldiers. LOL
> Or in very formal situation.
> 
> please use '~어요?', '~나요?', '~세요?'
> ex) 안녕하십니까? -> 안녕하세요?
> 저 분은 누구십니까? -> 저 분은 누구세요?


Hi, thanks for your reply. And what's the difference between 어요,나요 and 세요?


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## Juna2016

어요, 나요 and 세요 is more common. 
십니까 is formal Korean. 

So most Korean say that 누가 이 선생님이세요?


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