Hangul syllable ni

It is one Korean syllable block; context supplies its job. The Korean vowel sounds close to English “ee.” On its own, 니 usually contributes a syllable to a word or grammatical ending rather than a complete translation. At a sentence’s end, -니? marks an informal question; repeated after nouns, -니 lists alternatives.

Hangul’s syllable-block system is documented in Hunminjeongeum, a 1446 guide to writing Korean speech sounds. This block brings together ㄴ, a consonant letter, and ㅣ, a vowel letter; Hangul’s component letters are called jamo. Its square layout is not copied from the shape of a Chinese character.

Why is 니가 used instead of 네가?

니가 is colloquial; 네가 is standard Korean spelling. In standard Korean, 너 (“you”) takes the subject marker 가 to form 네가; 니가 is used colloquially and in some dialect speech. Korean language guidance from 2019 states this standard-versus-colloquial distinction. Use 니가 to represent casual dialogue and 네가 in standard writing.

Is -니 rude?

Not by itself; -니 is informal, not a polite ending. A 2013 study of Korean television-drama dialogue found that use of -니 varied with the ages and genders of the speakers, social distance, and the attitude being expressed. It linked the ending to relational choices, not to a fixed rule that women use it.

If someone sends 뭐 하니? (“What are you doing?”), it is an informal question. Whether it feels caring or too familiar depends on your relationship. The study used drama dialogue, so treat -니 as a clue to tone, not a rule for every speaker.