How to Make Banmal Casual Speech: Meaning, Rules and Examples

What you'll learn

• Turn a polite 해요체 sentence into banmal by dropping -요.
• Change 이에요/예요 into 이야/야 and 아니에요 into 아니야.
• Ask a banmal question with rising tone and no change of form.
• Tell banmal (해체) apart from 해요체, 해라체 and formal speech.
• Avoid the mistake of using banmal with someone who should hear polite speech.

Before you start: you should know the polite ending -아요/어요 from the lesson on 해요체 polite speech -아요/어요 and basic sentence order. If sentence order is new to you, read the Korean SOV sentence pattern first. Audio plays only when you press a button.

What Is Banmal, and How Is It Made?

Making banmal casual speech means learning the rule that turns polite Korean into casual Korean. Banmal (반말) is a speech level, which is a set of sentence endings that show how close the speakers are. The word is made of 반 ("half") and 말 ("speech"), so it is "half speech," speech without the polite 요. Textbooks call it 해체.

Two annotated examples show the rule.

• 밥 먹었어? (bap meogeosseo?) [밥 머거써?] = "Did you eat?" The polite version is 밥 먹었어요? Here 밥 means "rice" or "a meal", 먹었어 is the past of 먹다 "to eat", and the question is shown only by rising tone.
• 어디 가? (eodi ga?) = "Where are you going?" The polite version is 어디 가요? The verb 가 is the stem of 가다 "to go".

In both examples, the only change is that 요 disappears. The meaning stays the same, and only the closeness between the speakers changes. The next section turns this into a precise rule.

How Does the Rule for Banmal Form Work?

The rule is: take the polite form and remove 요. That rule covers most verbs and adjectives. Two groups need extra care: the noun-plus-copula endings 이에요 and 예요, and sentences that use the honorific -(으)시-. Questions need no change at all.

The table shows that verbs and adjectives simply lose 요. The copula, the "is" word, changes shape. The next parts give the detail for each group.

Verbs and Adjectives: Drop 요

For a verb or an adjective in the polite style, remove 요 and nothing else. 먹어요 becomes 먹어, 좋아요 becomes 좋아, and 갔어요 becomes 갔어. The same rule applies to the past and future forms, because 요 is always the last syllable.

• 지금 뭐 해? (jigeum mwo hae?) = "What are you doing now?"
• 이거 맛있어. (igeo masisseo.) [이거 마시써] = "This is delicious."

The Copula: 이에요/예요 Become 이야/야

After a noun, the polite copula is 이에요 (after a consonant) or 예요 (after a vowel). In banmal these become 이야 and 야. 학생이에요 becomes 학생이야, and 친구예요 becomes 친구야. The negative 아니에요 becomes 아니야.

• 나는 학생이야. (naneun haksaengiya.) [나는 학쌩이야] = "I am a student."
• 이건 내 책이야. (igeon nae chaegiya.) [이건 내 채기야] = "This is my book."

Notice that you cannot get this result by deleting 요. 학생이에요 without 요 would be 학생이에, which is not a form of the language. Learn the pair 이야/야 as its own rule. The lesson on casual conjugation covers more verbs, including 이야 and 아니야.

Questions: Same Form, Rising Tone

A banmal question has the same words as the statement, and there is no question particle to add. In a yes/no question, the tone rises at the end, and a question mark shows it in writing: 밥 먹었어 ("I ate") becomes 밥 먹었어? ("Did you eat?"). In a question with 어디 or 뭐, the stress falls on the question word and the end usually falls or rises and falls: 어디 가? ("Where are you going?"). A sharp final rise with 어디 unstressed turns it into "Are you going somewhere?". With the form clear, one full sentence can be built step by step.

Worked Example, Step by Step

Making banmal works by starting from a polite sentence and following the rule. Follow the steps with "Did you eat?"

1. Start with the polite sentence. 밥 먹었어요? (bap meogeosseoyo?) = "Did you eat?"
2. Find the last word. The last word is 먹었어요: the stem 먹, the past marker 었, and the polite ending 어요.
3. Check whether it is a noun plus 이에요/예요. It is not, because 먹었어요 is a verb. The simple rule applies.
4. Drop the final 요. 먹었어요 becomes 먹었어.
5. Keep everything else and use rising tone. 밥 먹었어? (bap meogeosseo?) [밥 머거써?] = "Did you eat?" (to a friend).

You will know it worked when the sentence has no 요 and the question mark is the only sign that it is a question. The most common slip is dropping 요 in a sentence that ends in 이에요 or 예요. In that case, replace the whole ending with 이야 or 야. The next question is how banmal compares with the other levels learners meet.

How Is Banmal Form Different from Similar Forms?

Banmal differs from similar forms by its closeness level and its ending. Banmal (해체) is casual and has no 요. The polite 해요체 is the everyday standard for strangers and elders. The plain 해라체 uses -다 and appears in writing, to children and in thoughts. The formal level uses -ㅂ니다/-습니다.

The table shows that banmal and 해요체 differ only by 요 in many verbs, while 해라체 uses a different ending. A fuller comparison, including vocabulary and honorifics, is in banmal vs jondaetmal. These contrasts lead into the cases where the simple rule needs care.

When Do You Use Banmal, and When Not?

Banmal is a speech level, not rude by itself: the relationship decides whether it is rude. The same sentence 밥 먹었어? is warm between close friends and rude from a stranger. The ending is only the grammar, and the situation gives it its meaning. The lesson on when to use banmal covers the etiquette in detail.

The simple rule also needs care in these cases.

• Honorific -(으)시-. Dropping 요 from 가세요 gives 가세, which is not normal banmal. Banmal removes the honorific completely: 가세요 becomes 가.
• Other endings with 요. -죠 becomes -지 (맞죠? → 맞지?), -네요 becomes -네, and -ㄹ까요 becomes -ㄹ까 (갈까요? → 갈까?).
• Formal endings. 갑니다 and 먹습니다 do not lose a 요. Rebuild them as 가 and 먹어.
• Yes and no. 네 becomes 응, and 아니요 becomes 아니.
• Commands and suggestions. Banmal commands and suggestions, such as 와 and 가자, have their own page: banmal commands and suggestions.

• 같이 갈까? (gachi galkka?) [가치 갈까?] = "Shall we go together?"

An honest limit: this lesson shows how to make banmal, not who may use it. It also leaves out the casual words for "I" and "you," which are in the lesson on 나 너 banmal pronouns and 아/야. A short conversation shows the rule at work.

What Does a Short Banmal Conversation Look Like?

A short banmal conversation uses the same words as a polite one, with no 요 and with 응 and 아니 for yes and no. Read the exchange between two close friends and notice each change from the polite style.

• A: 뭐 해? (mwo hae?) = "What are you doing?" The polite version is 뭐 해요?
• B: 그냥 집에 있어. (geunyang jibe isseo.) [그냥 지베 이써] = "Just at home." The polite version is 그냥 집에 있어요.
• A: 밥 먹었어? (bap meogeosseo?) = "Did you eat?"
• B: 아니, 아직 안 먹었어. (ani, ajik an meogeosseo.) [아니 아직 안 머거써] = "No, not yet."
• A: 그럼 같이 먹자. (geureom gachi meokja.) [그럼 가치 먹짜] = "Then let us eat together."
• B: 응, 좋아. (eung, joa.) = "Yes, sounds good."

Three details stand out. First, every verb loses its 요. Second, 아니 answers a question like "no," and 응 answers like "yes," in place of 아니요 and 네. Third, 먹자 is a suggestion ending that appears only in casual speech, and the lesson on banmal commands and suggestions explains it. Reading short exchanges like this one trains the ear for the rhythm of casual Korean, and the mistakes below show where learners go wrong.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with Banmal Form?

Learners most often get the relationship, the copula or the honorific wrong. Four mistakes appear again and again.

1. Using banmal to someone older "to be friendly." Learners often assume that casual speech is friendlier, as casual English is. Actually, in Korean, banmal toward an older person can sound disrespectful, even with a smile. Wait for the other person to offer it, or ask first.
2. Deleting 요 from 이에요/예요. 학생이에 is not a form of the language, and 친구에 means "to a friend", not "is a friend". Use 학생이야 and 친구야.
3. Keeping the honorific. 어디 가세? is not natural. With a friend, remove -(으)시- as well: 어디 가?
4. Mixing levels in one sentence. 밥 먹었어요? 그래서 배 안 고파? mixes polite and casual. Native speakers do it sometimes on purpose, but a learner should keep one level per conversation.

A quick check for any banmal sentence: Is the listener a close friend, a child or a younger person who agreed? Is there no 요? If the sentence ends in a copula, is it 이야 or 야? If the answers are yes, the sentence is sound.

The practice set below tests these four points directly.

Practice and Answers

Try the four items before you read the answer key. Cover the answers with your hand.

1. Choose the form. Make banmal from 지금 뭐 해요? (지금 뭐 해? / 지금 뭐 해요?)
2. Fix the error. A learner writes 이거 내 책이에 to a friend. Correct it.
3. Translate. "Where are you going?" Use 가다 and banmal.
4. Write your own. Write one banmal question and one banmal statement, using any verbs you know.

Answer key

1. 지금 뭐 해? The polite 해요 loses 요 and becomes 해.
2. 이거 내 책이야. The polite 책이에요 becomes 책이야, not 책이에.
3. 어디 가? (eodi ga?) The polite 어디 가요? loses 요, and the question uses rising tone.
4. Answers vary. Check that no sentence ends in 요 and that a copula, if used, is 이야 or 야. An example: 밥 먹었어? 응, 먹었어. (Did you eat? Yes, I ate.)

If you can complete items 1 to 3 without the key, you can make banmal from any polite sentence. The final section points to what comes next.

Next Lessons after How to Make Banmal Casual Speech

After you know how to make banmal casual speech, learn when to use it, then compare it with respectful speech. This lesson teaches the form and does not cover etiquette, pronouns or commands in depth. Those live on separate pages.

1. Start with when to use banmal, which sets the etiquette rules.
2. Continue with banmal vs jondaetmal, which compares casual and respectful speech on one message.
3. Learn the casual words for "I" and "you" in 나 너 banmal pronouns and 아/야.
4. Return to Casual Speech (Banmal) to see every lesson in this set.

With these steps, the form becomes automatic: take the polite sentence, remove 요, and change 이에요/예요 to 이야/야.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does banmal form mean?

Banmal form is the casual ending style of Korean, called 반말 or 해체. You make it by taking a polite 해요체 sentence and removing -요, so 먹어요 becomes 먹어. Speakers use it with close friends, younger people, children and family. It is a speech level, so the word is not rude by itself.

How do I form banmal?

Start with the polite sentence and drop the final 요: 가요 becomes 가, and 먹었어요 becomes 먹었어. Change 이에요 to 이야 after a consonant and 예요 to 야 after a vowel: 학생이에요 becomes 학생이야. Yes/no questions keep the same shape with rising tone, so 밥 먹었어요? becomes 밥 먹었어?

What is the most common mistake with banmal form?

The most common mistake is using banmal with someone older to sound friendly. Korean speakers expect banmal to be agreed first, and a sudden switch can feel rude. A second mistake is dropping 요 from 이에요 and getting 이에, which is not a word. Say 이야 or 야 instead.

Is 해라체 the same as banmal?

Not exactly. Both are non-polite, and many Koreans call both banmal, but textbooks separate them. 해체 (먹어) is the conversational ending this lesson teaches. 해라체 (먹는다, 먹어라) is the plain -다 style of essays, diaries and speech to children. With a friend, 먹어 is the normal choice, and 먹는다 sounds like narration.

Do I use banmal form in speech, writing or both?

Banmal is mostly spoken. It appears in chats between friends, text messages, drama dialogue and quoted speech in stories. Essays, news and reports use the plain 해라체 style instead, such as 먹는다. In messages to friends, people write banmal just as they speak it.