Korean grammar · Beginner (A1)
Speech levels: 해요, 합니다, 반말 and 한다
The four speech styles used today, who uses which with whom, and the same statement, question, request and suggestion in each style.
Four ways to end a sentence
Every Korean sentence ends in a speech style that shows how formal the situation is and how close you are to the listener. The words stay the same; the verb ending changes. Four styles are in use today.
(haeyoche), the polite style, ends in -요 and is the everyday default with anyone you don't know well. (hamnidache), the formal style, ends in -ㅂ니다 / -습니다 and is used at work, in announcements and in the news. (banmal), casual speech, drops the -요 and is for close friends and family. (handache), the plain style, is used mainly in writing.
This course uses the polite style unless a dialogue says otherwise. It's always a safe choice.
| Style | Sounds | Used | “I go” |
|---|---|---|---|
| (haeyoche) | polite, friendly | everyday default with strangers, colleagues, shop staff, older people | (gayo) |
| (hamnidache) | formal | meetings, presentations, interviews, announcements, news, customer service | (gamnida) |
| (banmal) | casual, close | close friends of your age, younger people you know well, family | (ga) |
| (handache) | plain, neutral | books, newspapers, diaries, essays, headlines | (ganda) |
Who uses which, with whom
Age and closeness decide. With someone older than you, someone you've just met or someone in a professional role, use , or in formal situations. Even adults of the same age who've just met use until they become friends.
is only for close friends of your age, people younger than you whom you know well, and family. Using it with a stranger or an older person sounds rude. Usually the older person suggests switching: (mal pyeonhage haseyo), feel free to speak casually. Between people of the same age, one may ask (uri mal noeulkkayo?), shall we drop the formalities?
Styles can mix: a mother may use to her son while he answers in .
- 말 편하게 하세요.Mal pyeonhage haseyo.Feel free to speak casually (with me).
- 우리 말 놓을까요?Uri mal noeulkkayo?Shall we speak casually with each other?
The same sentence in each style
Here are statements, a question, a request and a suggestion in all four styles. In and , a statement and a question differ only in the voice. In the question ends in -ㅂ니까 / -습니까. The question -니 is spoken, mostly to children or close friends; sounds blunt and is used in writing or instructions.
| Meaning | (haeyoche) | (hamnidache) | (banmal) | (handache) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I go. | (gayo) | (gamnida) | (ga) | (ganda) |
| I eat. | (meogeoyo) | (meokseumnida) | (meogeo) | (meongneunda) |
| It's expensive. | (bissayo) | (bissamnida) | (bissa) | (bissada) |
| I'm a student. | (haksaengieyo) | (haksaengimnida) | (haksaengiya) | (haksaengida) |
| Are you going? | (gayo?) | (gamnikka?) | (ga?) | (gani?) |
| Please go. / Go. | (gaseyo) | (gasipsio) | (ga) | (gara) |
| Let's go. | (gayo) | (gapsida) | (gaja) | (gaja) |
From 해요체 to 반말
is easy to form from the polite style: drop the final -요. → (meogeo), → (joa). 이에요 / 예요 become 이야 / 야: (haksaengiya). A few words change too: → (na, I), → (nae, my), → (eung, yes), → (ani, no).
Friends call each other by name + -아 after a consonant or -야 after a vowel: (Minjuna), (Seoyeona), (Jihoya). There is a casual “you”, (neo), but it is only for close friends and younger people.
- 뭐 해?Mwo hae?What are you doing?
- 그냥 집에 있어.Geunyang jibe isseo.Just staying at home.
- 민준아, 같이 영화 보자.Minjuna, gachi yeonghwa boja.Minjun, let's watch a film together.
- 응, 좋아.Eung, joa.Yeah, sounds good.
합니다체: the formal style
Add -ㅂ니다 to a stem ending in a vowel and -습니다 to one ending in a consonant: (gamnida), (meokseumnida). Stems ending in ㄹ drop it: (salda) → (samnida). Questions end in -ㅂ니까? / -습니까?, and requests in -(으)십시오.
You hear this style from staff, in announcements and in the news, and you use it when you introduce yourself at work or give a presentation. Many fixed phrases are in it, even in everyday conversation.
- 감사합니다.Gamsahamnida.Thank you.
- 처음 뵙겠습니다.Cheoeum boepgetseumnida.How do you do? (meeting for the first time)
- 잘 부탁드립니다.Jal butakdeurimnida.I look forward to working with you.
- 이번 역은 강남입니다.Ibeon yeogeun Gangnamimnida.This stop is Gangnam.
한다체: the plain written style
is the style of books, newspapers, reports, diaries and headlines. It is neutral, not rude, because it isn't aimed at a listener. Action verbs end in -ㄴ다 after a vowel and -는다 after a consonant (, ); descriptive verbs keep the dictionary form (); nouns take -이다 / -다. The past is -았다 / -었다.
You also need these plain forms for reported speech and for -고 생각하다 (to think that), as in (jotago saenggakhaeyo), I think it's good.
- 서울에 첫눈이 내렸다.Seoure cheonnuni naeryeotda.The first snow fell in Seoul.
- 요즘 물가가 너무 비싸다.Yojeum mulgaga neomu bissada.Prices are far too high these days.
- 나는 매일 아침 일기를 쓴다.Naneun maeil achim ilgireul sseunda.I write in my diary every morning.