Listen to the simplest formal sentence.
The next section defines the topic and shows the four ending types.
What Is Korean Formal Speech?
Korean formal speech is the sentence-ending style that treats the listener with official respect and distance. Its Korean name is 하십시오체, where 체 (che) means "style". Grammar books also group it with the other 격식체 (gyeoksik-che, "formal styles"), as the 국립국어원 (National Institute of Korean Language) describes them.
The formal level has one ending for each sentence type:
| Sentence type | Ending | Example | Spoken |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statement | -ㅂ니다/습니다 | 먹습니다. "I eat." | [먹씀니다] |
| Question | -ㅂ니까/습니까 | 먹습니까? "Do you eat?" | [먹씀니까] |
| Command | -(으)십시오 | 드십시오. "Please eat." | [드십씨오] |
| Suggestion | -(으)ㅂ시다 | 먹읍시다. "Let us eat." | [머급씨다] |
The statement rule is short. Remove 다 from the dictionary form, then add ㅂ니다 after a vowel stem and 습니다 after a consonant stem. A stem ending in ㄹ drops the ㄹ, so 살다 becomes 삽니다. The copula 이다 becomes 입니다 after a noun. Example: 가다 becomes 갑니다, 먹다 becomes 먹습니다 and 학생이다 becomes 학생입니다. Formal speech sits inside the wider system described in Korean speech levels. The next section gives a route through the lessons.
Where Should You Start with Korean Formal Speech?
Start with the statement ending, then the question, then the comparison with everyday speech, then the situations. Five stages cover the set.
- Stage 1: the statement ending. Read formal speech -ㅂ니다/습니다, which teaches the stem rule.
- Stage 2: the question ending. Read formal question -ㅂ니까/습니까, which changes 다 to 까.
- Stage 3: the command ending. Read formal commands -(으)십시오 in the sentence-endings hub.
- Stage 4: the comparison. Read -ㅂ니다 vs -아요/어요 to choose between the formal and everyday endings.
- Stage 5: the situations. Read when to use formal speech in korean, then korean plain style 해라체 for the written and adult style below formal.
Who can skip ahead? A learner who already forms 갑니다 and 먹습니다 can start at stage 2. A learner who has not met speech levels at all should begin with Korean speech levels. The next section describes each lesson.
Browse by Topic
Each published lesson below has a short description, one example sentence with Revised Romanization (RR, the official Latin spelling, shown only as an aid) and audio.
Formal Speech -ㅂ니다/습니다
The statement lesson teaches how to attach ㅂ니다 or 습니다 to a stem, how ㄹ-stems drop their ㄹ and how 이다 becomes 입니다. It also covers the sound changes in [감니다] and [먹씀니다]. Example: 감사합니다. (gamsahamnida.) "Thank you." Spoken [감사함니다].
Formal Question -ㅂ니까/습니까
The question lesson teaches how to turn a formal statement into a question by replacing 다 with 까, with yes-no questions, question words such as 무엇 and 어디, and answers. Example: 이름이 무엇입니까? (ireumi mueosimnikka?) "What is your name?" Spoken [이르미 무어심니까].
Formal Commands -(으)십시오
The command lesson, kept in the sentence-endings hub, teaches the polite formal command used in service and announcements. Example: 가십시오. (gasipsio.) "Please go." Spoken [가십씨오].
-ㅂ니다 vs -아요/어요
The comparison lesson sets the formal and the everyday polite endings side by side on eight common phrases, and gives picks for five kinds of listener. Example: 감사해요. (gamsahaeyo.) "Thank you," in the everyday polite style. Spoken [감사해요].
When to Use Formal Speech in Korean
The situations lesson lists the seven settings that expect formal speech and the five cues that decide the level. It also covers fixed phrases and what to do when a senior person invites you to relax. Example: 처음 뵙겠습니다. (cheoeum boepgetseumnida.) "Nice to meet you." Spoken [처음 뵙껟씀니다].
Korean Plain Style 해라체
The plain-style lesson covers the style that sits below the formal level. It is used in writing and in speech from adults to children and close younger people. Example: 오늘은 날씨가 좋다. (oneureun nalssiga jota.) "The weather is good today." Spoken [오느른 날씨가 조타].
The next section helps you choose a lesson for your own sentence.
Which Lesson Fits Your Sentence?
Match the sentence you want to say to the lesson in the table.
| If you want to say... | Open | Why |
|---|---|---|
| "I go" or "I am a student" in a formal setting | formal speech -ㅂ니다/습니다 | the ending is built from the stem |
| "What is your name?" to a customer | formal question -ㅂ니까/습니까 | the question ends in 까 |
| "Please go" or "Please wait" | formal commands -(으)십시오 | commands have their own ending |
| a choice between 합니다 and 해요 | -ㅂ니다 vs -아요/어요 | the lesson compares both |
| a sentence for a presentation or interview | when to use formal speech in korean | the listener decides the level |
| a diary entry or a note to a child | korean plain style 해라체 | the plain style has its own endings |
The next section shows the most useful contrast in the set.
How Is Formal Speech Different from Polite and Casual Speech?
Formal speech is the most distant of the three levels learners meet first: it is stiffer than the polite -아요/어요 ending and far from the casual ending. The table compares them on the questions learners ask first.
| Question | Formal 하십시오체 | Polite 해요체 | Casual 해체 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ending of 먹다 | 먹습니다 | 먹어요 | 먹어 |
| Question form | 먹습니까? | 먹어요? | 먹어? |
| Typical listener | audience, customers | strangers, colleagues, elders | close friends |
| Sounds | official, distant | friendly, respectful | intimate, direct |
| Risk | stiff in chat | none in most settings | rude to strangers |
Many speakers use formal phrases such as 감사합니다 and speak the rest of a conversation in polite speech, a mix explained in mixing -요 and -ㅂ니다 in korean. For the polite style, read Korean polite speech. The next section lists the mistakes to avoid first.
Mistakes to Avoid First
Four mistakes appear in most beginner sentences in this area.
- Using 습니다 after a vowel stem. 가습니다 is wrong, because 가 ends in a vowel. Say 갑니다.
- Keeping the ㄹ. 살습니다 is wrong. A stem ending in ㄹ drops it: 삽니다.
- Writing a question with the statement ending. 먹습니다? is not a formal question. Say 먹습니까?
- Using formal speech in every conversation. 먹습니다 to a friend at lunch sounds like a news announcer. Use 먹어요 or 먹어.
Each lesson in the set explains these in detail. The next section shows what the set leaves out.
Scope of This Set
The Korean formal speech set covers the 하십시오체 statement, question and command endings, the comparison with everyday polite speech, the situations that need formal speech and the plain style below it. It does not cover the polite -요 style in depth, which belongs to Korean polite speech, or the honorific marker -(으)시-, which belongs to Korean honorifics. The casual style belongs to Casual Speech (Banmal).
All Korean text and spoken forms on this page are machine-generated drafts awaiting human Korean review. The next section shows how to practise.
How Do You Practise Korean Formal Speech?
Practise Korean formal speech by turning dictionary forms into formal statements and questions and checking them against a key. A short routine works well across a week.
- Read one lesson and say its model sentences aloud with the audio.
- Take ten verbs, remove 다, and add ㅂ니다 or 습니다 by the last sound of the stem.
- Turn each statement into a question by replacing 다 with 까.
- Take the grammar quizzes to check the pattern.
- Review the forms with the grammar flashcard decks.
- Print a grammar worksheet and fill it in by hand.
- Check how a verb changes with the Korean verb conjugator.
Each published lesson ends with a practice set and an answer key, so you can check your work immediately. After finishing the set, return to Korean speech levels for the other styles.
Frequently Asked Questions
When Is Formal Speech Required in Korean?
Formal speech is expected in news, public announcements, presentations, job interviews, customer service, the military and first meetings with senior people. The cues are a group audience, an official role, clear rank or a formal medium. In daily conversation with people you meet often, the polite -아요/어요 ending is the usual choice.
How Do I Ask a Formal Question in Korean?
Replace the final 다 of the formal statement with 까. The statement 합니다 becomes the question 합니까, 먹습니다 becomes 먹습니까, and 입니다 becomes 입니까. The same choice between ㅂ니까 for vowel stems and 습니까 for consonant stems applies. The lesson on formal questions adds wh-questions and answers.
How Do I Choose between -ㅂ니다 and -아요/어요?
Choose -ㅂ니다/습니다 for announcements, presentations, interviews and news, and -아요/어요 for conversation with polite distance. Both are respectful and both mean the same thing. The 요 ending is the safer choice for one-to-one talk, and the formal ending is the safer choice when you speak to a group.
Which Lesson in Korean Formal Speech Should I Read First?
Start with formal speech -ㅂ니다/습니다, because it teaches the stem rule that every other formal ending uses. Then read the formal question lesson, then the comparison with -아요/어요, and then the lesson on situations. A learner who already forms 갑니다 and 먹습니다 correctly can start with the question lesson.