Understanding Korean Honorifics and Politeness Levels
In Korean, how you speak to someone can change depending on who they are. This is called 'honorifics.' It helps show respect to people like elders, teachers, or strangers.
Basic Levels of Politeness
Important Points
- Informal Speech (반말)
- Polite Speech (존댓말)
- Formal Speech (격식체)
Informal speech is used with friends or people younger than you. Polite speech is used with people you respect or don't know well. Formal speech is used in very formal settings like news or presentations.
Using Honorifics with Verbs
To make a verb polite, we often add '-요' at the end. For formal speech, we use '-습니다' or '-ㅂ니다'.
Examples
- 가다 (to go) -> 가요 (polite) -> 갑니다 (formal)
- 먹다 (to eat) -> 먹어요 (polite) -> 먹습니다 (formal)
Some verbs have special honorific forms. For example, 'to eat' becomes '드시다' when showing respect.
Examples
- 먹다 (to eat) -> 드시다 (honorific)
- 자다 (to sleep) -> 주무시다 (honorific)
Honorific Nouns and Titles
When talking about someone with respect, we can use special nouns or titles. For example, calling a teacher '선생님' instead of just their name.
Examples
- 할아버지 (grandfather)
- 사장님 (boss)
Important Points
- Using informal speech with elders
- Forgetting to add '-요' or '-습니다' for politeness
- Mixing up honorific and regular verbs