Day 24: Understanding Honorifics and Formal Speech in Korean

Day 24: Understanding Honorifics and Formal Speech in Korean

Welcome to Day 24 of your Korean language journey! Today, we’re going to focus on honorifics and formal speech in Korean.

Korean has a complex system of politeness levels, and understanding honorifics and how to speak formally is essential for making a good impression, especially when talking to people you don’t know well or people who are older than you. Korean culture places a strong emphasis on respect, and speaking politely is a sign of good manners.

By the end of today’s lesson, you’ll understand when and how to use formal speech and honorifics, and you’ll be able to speak politely in various situations.

1. What Are Honorifics in Korean? (존댓말이란 무엇인가요?)

In Korean, honorifics are special words, particles, and verb endings used to show respect. Honorifics are used to address people who are older, higher in status, or when you want to show politeness.

Korean has two main types of speech:

  • 존댓말 (jondaetmal) – Honorific (polite) language

  • 반말 (banmal) – Informal (casual) language

존댓말 (jondaetmal) is used when speaking to:

  • People who are older than you

  • People you don’t know very well

  • People in positions of authority (e.g., teachers, bosses)

반말 (banmal) is used when speaking to:

  • Close friends and people of the same age or younger

  • People you are comfortable with

2. Honorifics in Nouns

In addition to using specific verb endings for formal speech, Korean also has honorific forms of nouns. For example:

  1. 사람 (saram) – person
    어른 (eoreun) – adult (honorific)

  2. 집 (jip) – house
    댁 (daek) – house (honorific)

  3. 이름 (ireum) – name
    성함 (seongham) – name (honorific)

Examples:

  • 저는 어른을 존경해요. (Jeoneun eoreuneul jongyeonghaeyo.) – I respect adults.

  • 선생님의 성함을 여쭤봐도 될까요? (Seonsaengnim-ui seongham-eul yeojjweobwado doelkkayo?) – May I ask for your name, teacher?

Notice that the honorific noun form is used to show respect when addressing or talking about the person. In these cases, you’ll also notice that the honorific title is often added to the person’s title, such as 선생님 (seonsaengnim) for “teacher.”

3. Honorific Verb Forms

In Korean, verbs also change depending on the level of respect you want to convey. The polite form of a verb ends in -요 (-yo), and the honorific form can sometimes add an additional level of respect.

Here are the most common polite verb endings:

  • -어요 (-eoyo) or -아요 (-ayo) for regular polite speech

  • -시다 (-sida) for honorific speech

Examples:

  • 가다 (gada) – to go → 가요 (gayo) – polite
    → 가세요 (gaseyo) – honorific

  • 하다 (hada) – to do → 해요 (haeyo) – polite
    → 하세요 (haseyo) – honorific

  • 먹다 (meokda) – to eat → 먹어요 (meogeoyo) – polite
    → 드시다 (deusida) – honorific

Examples:

  • 선생님, 교실에 가세요. (Seonsaengnim, gyosil-e gaseyo.) – Teacher, please go to the classroom.

  • 어머니, 식사 드세요. (Eomeoni, siksa deuseyo.) – Mother, please eat.

Notice how the honorific form of the verb (-세요 or -시다) is used to show respect.

4. When to Use Honorifics

In Korean, using honorifics is essential for proper social interactions. Here’s when to use 존댓말 (jondaetmal):

  1. With elders or people of higher status:
    When you’re talking to someone who is older than you, you should use 존댓말 (jondaetmal).

    • Example: 저는 어머니께 말씀드릴 거예요. (Jeoneun eomeoni-kke malssimdeul geoyeyo.) – I will tell my mother.

  2. When you first meet someone:
    Even if they’re the same age or younger, it’s polite to use 존댓말 (jondaetmal) when you don’t know the person well.

    • Example: 반갑습니다. (Bangapseumnida.) – Nice to meet you.

  3. In formal settings:
    If you’re in a professional or formal setting (e.g., meetings, interviews), you should use 존댓말 (jondaetmal).

    • Example: 이 보고서를 작성해 주세요. (I bogoseoreul jakseonghae juseyo.) – Please write this report.

5. Switching Between Honorifics and Casual Speech

If you’re already familiar with someone, you can switch from 존댓말 (jondaetmal) to 반말 (banmal). However, be careful when switching, especially with people who are older or in higher positions.

You can ask for permission to switch to 반말 (banmal) by saying:

  • 반말 해도 될까요? (Banmal haedo doelkkayo?) – May I speak casually?

Once you have permission to use 반말 (banmal), you can use informal verb forms like -아/어 (a/eo):

  • 가다 (gada) → 가 (ga) – Go

  • 하다 (hada) → 해 (hae) – Do

  • 먹다 (meokda) → 먹어 (meogeoeo) – Eat

6. Practice Using Honorifics and Polite Speech

Let’s practice using honorifics and polite speech in sentences:

  1. I will go to the office tomorrow. (formal)
    내일 사무실에 가세요. (Nael samusil-e gaseyo.)

  2. Please eat. (honorific)
    식사 드세요. (Siksa deuseyo.)

  3. Can you speak slowly, please? (polite)
    천천히 말씀해 주세요. (Cheoncheonhi malssimhae juseyo.)

  4. I am going home, teacher. (honorific)
    선생님, 저는 집에 가요. (Seonsaengnim, jeoneun jibe gayo.)

7. Common Mistakes to Avoid

  1. Not Using Honorifics When Necessary:
    Avoid using 반말 (banmal) in situations where 존댓말 (jondaetmal) is expected, especially with strangers, elders, or people of higher status.

  2. Overusing Honorifics with Friends:
    You can use 반말 (banmal) with close friends, but using 존댓말 (jondaetmal) all the time can sound too stiff. Make sure to adjust based on the context.

  3. Mixing Honorifics with Casual Speech:
    Be careful not to mix the honorific form of nouns and verbs with the informal forms. For example, it’s inappropriate to say "오늘 영화 봐요?" (Oneul yeonghwa bwayo?) instead of "오늘 영화 보세요?" (Oneul yeonghwa boseyo?) when speaking to an elder.

What’s Next? (다음은 무엇인가요?)

Tomorrow, in Day 25, we will learn about making suggestions and offering help in Korean. You’ll learn how to offer assistance, make recommendations, and politely suggest things to others!