Korean Polite Speech: 해요, 합니다, and 반말

Textbooks list several speech levels, and most of them you will rarely hear. For real life, three endings cover almost everything: 해요, 합니다, and 반말. If you are not sure, use 해요. It is polite, and it does not sound like an announcement or like you are talking down to someone.

These are verb endings, not particles. 저는 학생이에요 uses 는 from 은/는 vs 이/가, then 이에요 at the end. The wider particle set is in Korean particles explained.

The three endings you need

The same verb, 먹다 (to eat), in the three forms you will actually hear:

A rising tone turns the polite one into a question: 먹어요? You do not need a different ending just to ask.

해요, the one to live in

Dictionary verbs end in 다. Drop 다, then add 아요 or 어요, and 요 is what makes it polite.

• Stem vowel ㅏ or ㅗ: 아요. 가다 becomes 가요. 보다 becomes 봐요. You do not write 가아요 or 보아요.
• Any other vowel: 어요. 먹다 becomes 먹어요.
• 하다 becomes 해요. 공부하다 becomes 공부해요.

Past polite keeps the 요 and uses the same vowel choice: 갔어요 (ㅏ, so 았), 먹었어요 (not ㅏ or ㅗ, so 었), 했어요. Same politeness, different time. The everyday future is ㄹ 거예요 after a vowel and 을 거예요 after a consonant: 갈 거예요, I will go. 먹을 거예요, I will eat. 하다 becomes 할 거예요.

Adjectives take the same ending. 좋아요 already means "is good." There is no extra word for "is."

합니다, when it fits

합니다체 is what you hear on the news, in announcements, and in a lot of workplace speech to a group. A vowel stem takes ㅂ니다: 갑니다, 옵니다. A consonant stem takes 습니다: 먹습니다, 읽습니다. 하다 becomes 합니다.

Two formal lines are normal even in ordinary polite life: 감사합니다 and 죄송합니다. Using 합니다 for every sentence with a friend sounds distant, like you are reading a notice. You do not sound more correct. You sound formal.

반말, and when to wait

반말 drops 요. 먹어, 가, 해, 좋아. With friends, 나 replaces polite 저, so 나는 학생이야, or 난 in fast speech.

Use it with close friends, family, and little kids you know. With someone you just met, stay in 해요 even if they look younger. Age is not permission. Koreans switch when the relationship is close enough, and one person often asks first: 말 놓을까요? That means "shall we drop the polite endings?" Until you hear that, or you are clearly among close friends, keep 요.

Yes and no follow the same split. Polite: 네 and 아니요. With friends: 응 and 아니. 네 is the safe yes almost everywhere. 아니요 is the word "no." 아니에요 is different: it means "is not," as in 학생이 아니에요.

이에요, 예요, 입니다

After a noun, polite "is" splits on the last syllable. A consonant takes 이에요. A vowel takes 예요.

Formal style does not split: 학생입니다 and 친구입니다 both use 입니다. Casual style splits again: 학생이야 after a consonant, 친구야 after a vowel.

Respect for the other person

요 is about how you speak to the listener. A different piece, 시, is about the person who does the action, when that person is someone you show respect: a teacher, a guest, a grandparent.

Two more you will hear: 자다 becomes 주무시다 (주무세요), and 있다 becomes 계시다 (계세요) for a person. 세요 is also the polite way to ask someone to do something: 여기 앉으세요 means please sit here. 앉다 ends in a consonant, so it takes 으세요. You do not put the respectful forms on yourself. 제가 가세요 and 제가 드세요 are wrong. For your own actions, 가요 and 먹어요.

Asking for something

At a café or a shop, 주세요 is the normal polite request. You do not need a longer ending to sound polite.

For a bigger favor, start with 죄송하지만. 잠깐만요 covers "one moment." The casual versions, 줘 and 도와 줘, belong with the same people you already use 반말 with.

Mistakes to fix early

• Mixing levels in one sentence. 저는 학생이에요 is polite all the way through. 나는 학생이에요 pairs casual 나 with a polite ending. 저는 학생이야 pairs polite 저 with a casual ending.
• 세요 on yourself. 가세요, 드세요, and 주무세요 are about someone you respect, not about you.
• 선생님예요. 님 ends in a consonant, so 선생님이에요.
• 합니다 with friends for every line. Save it for formal settings, and keep 감사합니다 as the thank-you that works almost anywhere.

Check yourself

Polite speech: quick answers

Practice in Hanuri

Foundations teaches the 해요 endings first, including the shorter spellings like 봐요 and 마셔요, then checks 이에요 and 예요. Stay with that form until it is automatic.