Banmal: Lessons, Rules and Examples

Listen to the simplest banmal question, a friend asking what you are doing.

The next section defines banmal and shows where it sits among Korean speech levels.

What Is Banmal?

Banmal is the casual speech level of Korean. A speech level is a set of sentence endings that tells the listener how close or how formal the speaker feels. Banmal is the closest level, and the word means "half speech" (반 is "half," 말 is "speech"), because it leaves off the polite 요. Textbooks call it 해체.

The basic rule fits in one line: take the polite form and remove 요. 먹어요 becomes 먹어, and 가요 becomes 가. Nouns with the copula change shape: 이에요 and 예요 become 이야 and 야, so 학생이에요 becomes 학생이야. Yes/no questions keep the same form and use rising tone: 밥 먹었어? (bap meogeosseo?) [밥 머거써?] = "Did you eat?"

Banmal is a speech level, not a rude word. A friend who says 밥 먹었어? is being warm, while the same sentence from a stranger is not. The relationship decides. Learners often pick up banmal from dramas, and then use it too early with people at work. For the other levels, see polite speech and formal speech, and for the whole system see Korean speech levels. The next section gives a route through the lessons.

Where Should You Start with Banmal?

Start with the form, then the etiquette, then the comparison with respectful speech. The pronouns and the commands build on those three. The recommended order has five steps.

1. How to make banmal. Read how to make banmal casual speech, which teaches the rule and the 이야/야 copula.
2. When to use it. Read when to use banmal, which teaches who you may use it with and how to ask.
3. How it compares. Read banmal vs jondaetmal, which puts the same message in both styles.
4. Casual pronouns. Read 나 너 banmal pronouns and 아/야, which covers "I," "you" and calling a friend by name.
5. Casual commands. Read banmal commands and suggestions -아/어 -자, which covers orders and "let us."

Who can skip ahead? A learner who already forms banmal correctly can start at step 2. A learner who has no polite speech yet should read the lesson on polite speech first, because banmal is built from the polite form. The next section describes each lesson.

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Each lesson below has a short description, one example sentence with Revised Romanization (RR, the official Latin spelling, shown only as an aid) and audio.

How to Make Banmal Casual Speech

This lesson teaches the rule for forming banmal: drop the final 요, change 이에요/예요 to 이야/야, and keep yes/no questions in the same form with rising tone. It also shows how banmal differs from 해요체 and 해라체. Example: 어디 가? (eodi ga?) "Where are you going?"

When to Use Banmal

This lesson teaches the etiquette: who may hear banmal from you, how to ask with 말 놓아도 돼요?, and why age questions come up early in Korean friendships. It separates offered banmal from unilateral banmal. Example: 말 놓아도 돼요? (mal noado dwaeyo?) [말 노아도 돼요?] "May I speak casually?"

Banmal vs Jondaetmal

This lesson compares casual and respectful speech on one message and shows the three layers of respect: the ending, honorific words and -(으)시-. It includes a table of who gets which style. Example: 뭐 해? 지금 집이야. (mwo hae? jigeum jibiya.) [뭐 해? 지금 지비야] "What are you doing? I am at home now."

나 너 Banmal Pronouns and 아/야

This lesson teaches the casual words for "I" and "you," the changes 내가 and 네가, and the calling particle 야 after vowels and 아 after consonants. Example: 민수야, 밥 먹었어? (minsuya, bap meogeosseo?) "Minsu, did you eat?"

Banmal Commands and Suggestions -아/어 -자

This lesson teaches the casual command -아/어, the firm -아/어라, the suggestion -자 and the bans -지 마 and -지 말자. It explains why -아/어라 sounds like a parent. Example: 같이 가자. (gachi gaja.) [가치 가자] "Let us go together."

With all five lessons described, the next section helps you pick the one that matches your sentence.

Which Lesson Fits Your Sentence?

Match the sentence you want to say to the lesson in the table.

The next section shows who can actually hear banmal.

When Can You Use Banmal?

You can use banmal with close friends, younger people you know and children, and only after the other person agrees. With strangers and elders, stay polite even if they use banmal to you. The situation table gives a quick guide.

The ritual of switching is a short question: 말 놓아도 돼요? ("May I speak casually?"). Banmal also feels natural in dramas, which can mislead learners, because a script does not follow office rules. The lesson on when to use banmal explains each case. The next section shows the mistake to avoid first.

Which Mistake Comes First?

The most common first mistake is using banmal with someone older "to be friendly." In English, casual speech can warm a conversation. In Korean, banmal toward an older person can sound disrespectful, even with a smile. Friendliness can be shown with polite speech, a warm tone and a shared meal.

A second early mistake is dropping 요 from 이에요 or 예요 and getting 이에 or 예, which are not copula forms (예 even means "yes"). Use 이야 or 야. Each lesson in the set explains these slips in detail. The next section lists what the set leaves out.

What Does This Set Not Cover?

This set covers the casual style and its basics. The polite 해요체 is in polite speech, the formal level is in formal speech, and honorific words and -(으)시- are in Korean honorifics. Verb-by-verb conversion tables are in the page on casual conjugation. The decision across all levels is in which Korean speech level to use.

All Korean text and spoken forms on this page were machine-generated and reviewed and signed off by Min-ji Park on 15 October 2026. The next section shows how to practise.

How Do You Practise Banmal?

Practise banmal by turning polite sentences into casual ones and checking them against a key. A short routine works well across a week.

1. Read one lesson and say its model sentences aloud with the audio.
2. Write five polite sentences about your day, then rewrite each one in banmal.
3. Take the grammar quizzes to check the pattern.
4. Review the forms with the grammar flashcard decks.
5. Print a grammar worksheet and fill it in by hand.
6. Check how a verb changes with the Korean verb conjugator.

Each lesson ends with a practice set and an answer key. After finishing the set, continue to the other lessons in Korean grammar.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make banmal?

Take the polite 해요체 sentence and drop the final 요: 먹어요 becomes 먹어, and 가요 becomes 가. Change 이에요 or 예요 to 이야 or 야: 학생이에요 becomes 학생이야. Yes/no questions keep the same form with rising tone, so 밥 먹었어요? becomes 밥 먹었어? The first lesson in this set teaches the rule in full.

When is banmal rude?

Banmal is rude when the listener has not agreed to it and is older, unfamiliar or in a role that deserves respect. The same sentence is warm between close friends and rude from a stranger. Korean speakers usually ask or wait for an invitation, such as 말 편하게 하세요, before they switch.

How do I choose: banmal vs jondaetmal?

Look at the listener. Use banmal with close friends, younger people and children who have agreed. Use jondaetmal, the respectful style, with elders, strangers, colleagues and customers. Jondaetmal uses -요 or -ㅂ니다, honorific words and -(으)시-. If you are unsure, polite 해요체 is the safe choice.

Which lesson in casual speech (banmal) should I read first?

Read how to make banmal first, because the other lessons use its endings. Then read when to use banmal, so that you know the etiquette. After that, the comparison with jondaetmal, the pronouns 나 and 너, and the commands and suggestions can be read in any order, since each one builds on the first two.