Addressing strangers

[mattahmet]

First of all, I apologize if this topic has already been covered in another thread or lesson. (If so, I'd appreciated being pointed in the right direction.)

I've always been baffled at the apparent lack of a polite word for "you" in Korean. I've been told time and again just to avoid any word for "you" and to use the honorific -shi- infix in verbs instead. But sometimes there are cases where I feel I have to say something for "you". Let me give a couple examples:

The other day, I rode the elevator down with a neighbor of mine who is about the same age (mid-thirties) or younger. She said something along the lines of 일찍 출근하시네요. I wanted to say "You too?" but I wasn't sure how to say it! In English we'd say "You start work early too?" with emphasis on "you". So how do I put emphasis on "you" in Korean?? Can I say 아가씨도요? But I've heard women don't like to be called 아가씨.

And how do I say "Is this yours?" I have a book of expressions for Koreans learning English. The phrase "Excuse me, but isn't the paper bag on the rack yours?" is translated "실례지만, 선반에 있는 종이봉투는 당신 것이 아닙니까?" Of course, Koreans would never say 당신 to a stranger. So what can I say in this case instead? For a man? Woman? Older person?

[manyakumi]

I understand your concern.

As a matter of fact, Koreans got the same concerns about that.
Although some ladies don't dislike to be called as 아가씨, but it still doesn't fit with your case.
The best term I can suggest you is to use 그 쪽.
And you could be more politer by attaching an honorific, 분.
So, you may say "그 쪽도 일찍 나가시네요?" or "그 쪽 분도 일찍 나가시네요?"
This always works well for persons around your age.

But you cannot use this for much older people.
You'd better call them as 선생님.
Though 선생님 means "teacher" you know, literally it means "Person who was born earlier" : 선생(先生)님
So we use this for older people generally.

For the young, you may say 학생 unless you are in grandfather's age.

[Keith]

Yea I've had the same concern as well. I try to avoid involving "you" in the sentence altogether. But like the example that you've mentioned, as Manyakumi mentioned, 그쪽 (geujjok) can work well. meaning "that way" or "that direction." It's good because you're being direct without being direct at the same time

[javiskefka]

I believe that it's also correct to use '거기' in place of 'you' when speaking on the phone.

[orbiter]

May I just clarify... when can we use 당신???

[manyakumi]

거기 is also used but it sounds slightly rude than 그 쪽.

And we rarely use 당신 in daily conversations but it's still used among old peoples.
Especially when they fight.

But it appears often in song lyrics or poetries.