-ㅂ니다 vs -아요/어요: Differences, Rules and Examples

What you'll learn

• Choose between 하십시오체 and 해요체 for a given listener and setting.
• Convert one sentence between -ㅂ니다/습니다 and -아요/어요.
• Recognise fixed formal phrases such as 처음 뵙겠습니다.
• Avoid using formal endings in every conversation.

Before you start: you should know the rule in formal speech -ㅂ니다/습니다 and have seen the polite ending in 해요체 polite speech -아요/어요. Time: about 30 minutes.

What Is the Difference in -ㅂ니다 vs -아요/어요?

-ㅂ니다/습니다 is formal and -아요/어요 is everyday polite, and the difference is tone, not meaning. The formal ending sounds official, distant and prepared. The 요 ending sounds friendly, personal and spontaneous. Both show respect, so neither is rude.

The One-Line Rule

Use -ㅂ니다 when you speak to a group, in an official role or in a ranked setting. Use -아요/어요 when you talk with one person in an ordinary exchange. Example: a presenter says 발표를 시작합니다 ("We begin the presentation"), and the same person asks a colleague 점심 먹었어요? ("Did you eat lunch?") over coffee.

Side-by-Side Table

The terms 격식체 (gyeoksik-che, "formal style") and 비격식체 (bigyeoksik-che, "informal style") are the two groups used by the 국립국어원 (National Institute of Korean Language) in its grammar descriptions. 하십시오체 belongs to the first, and 해요체 belongs to the second. The next section puts both forms on one sentence.

How Do Both Forms Look on the Same Sentence?

Both endings attach to the same stem, so converting a sentence means swapping the ending and nothing else. Start with 감사하다 ("to be thankful"). The stem is 감사하. The formal ending gives 감사합니다 and the polite ending gives 감사해요.

Formal: 감사합니다. (gamsahamnida) Pronounced [감사함니다]. The stem ends in the vowel 하, so ㅂ니다 attaches and the ㅂ sounds like ㅁ.

Polite: 감사해요. (gamsahaeyo) Pronounced [감사해요]. A 하다 verb takes 해요, so 감사하 becomes 감사해요.

Converting follows the steps below. The same steps work for any verb.

1. Find the dictionary form. 감사하다.
2. Remove 다. The stem is 감사하.
3. Choose the level. Formal means ㅂ니다 or 습니다. Polite means 아요, 어요 or 해요.
4. Attach the ending. 하 + ㅂ니다 gives 합니다. 하 + 여요 gives 해요.

You'll know it worked when both sentences keep the same words before the ending. Common mistake at this step: changing the vocabulary when you change the level, for example swapping 감사 for another word. Only the ending changes.

Eight everyday phrases show the same pair in practice.

One row needs a note. 안녕하세요 is the polite form of the honorific 안녕하시다, and 안녕하십니까 is its formal form. Both greet a person with respect, and 안녕하세요 is the normal choice in daily life. The verb forms for formal speech are collected in korean formal conjugation. The next section matches the endings to listeners.

Which Ending Fits Which Listener?

The listener and the setting pick the ending. Five common situations give a clear answer for each.

Pronunciation: 하겠습니다 is [하겓씀니다], 주세요 is [주세요], 시작합니다 is [시자캄니다], 먹어요 is [머거요], and 도착합니다 is [도차캄니다].

The Job Candidate

An interviewer expects -ㅂ니다. Say 열심히 하겠습니다 ("I will work hard") and 감사합니다 ("Thank you"). In Korean hiring interviews the formal ending shows that you understand the setting. A 요 ending is understandable but may sound too casual.

The Shop Customer

A shop assistant may use -ㅂ니다 toward you, but you may reply with -아요/어요. Say 이거 주세요 ("Please give me this") and 얼마예요? ("How much is it?"). Customers rarely need the formal ending, because their role does not require it.

The Presenter

A speaker addressing a group should use -ㅂ니다 throughout. Say 오늘은 한국어 문법을 설명하겠습니다 ("Today I will explain Korean grammar"). The same person uses -아요/어요 for questions with one listener after the talk.

The New Colleague

A colleague you meet every day expects -아요/어요. Use 해요체 at lunch and in chat, and switch to -ㅂ니다 when you report to a manager in a formal meeting. A newcomer should copy the style of the first speaker.

The Learner Travelling

A traveller should use -아요/어요 with hosts, drivers and shop staff, and recognise -ㅂ니다 in announcements. Hearing 도착합니다 on a train or 안녕하십니까 at a hotel does not require a reply in kind.

The next section gives the rule of thumb for moments when you are unsure.

Which Ending Is Safer When You Are Unsure?

-아요/어요 is the safer ending in one-to-one conversation, and -ㅂ니다 is the safer ending when you speak to a group or in an official role. If you cannot tell which kind of moment you are in, use -아요/어요 with a respectful attitude, and watch what the other person uses.

The expert rule has three parts.

1. Follow the first speaker. If the other person says 먹었습니다, answer in a similar level. If they say 먹었어요, use 해요체.
2. Raise the level, not lower it. Moving up from 해요체 to -ㅂ니다 rarely offends. Dropping to casual speech without an invitation does.
3. Treat the written form separately. Formal letters and emails often use -ㅂ니다. Social media posts between friends usually use 해요체 or casual speech.

The social rules are covered in when to use formal speech in korean and in which korean speech level to use. The next section lists the errors to avoid.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make?

Five mistakes appear most often when learners compare the two endings.

1. Using -ㅂ니다 in every conversation. A learner who says 먹습니다 to a friend sounds like a news announcer. Use 먹어요 or 먹어.
2. Assuming 요 is rude. The 요 ending is respectful. It is not casual speech. Casual speech drops 요: 먹어.
3. Mixing both inside one sentence. 저는 학생입니다요 is wrong in standard speech. Choose one ending per sentence.
4. Treating 안녕하세요 as casual. 안녕하세요 is polite and honorific. Close friends say 안녕, which is casual.
5. Forgetting that the formal ending changes the sound. 갑니다 is [감니다], while 가요 is [가요]. Read the spoken forms in the table above.

A sixth habit is to use the formal ending to be "extra safe". In a café, 얼마입니까? ("How much is it?") is correct but sounds like a customs officer. 얼마예요? is the natural choice. The next section covers the edge cases.

Edge Cases and Exceptions

The rule works in most situations, and a few cases need care.

• Mixing is normal. Many speakers say 감사합니다 and 죄송합니다 as fixed phrases and speak the rest in 해요체. For example, 감사합니다. 정말 맛있어요. ("Thank you. It is really tasty.") is a natural pair. The mixing rule is in mixing -요 and -ㅂ니다 in korean.
• Some phrases live mainly in the formal form. 처음 뵙겠습니다 ("Nice to meet you", literally "I meet you for the first time"), spoken [처음 뵙껟씀니다], is the standard first-meeting phrase. The polite 처음 봬요 exists but sounds lighter, and a speaker who wants a warmer tone usually says 만나서 반가워요 instead.
• The phone changes the style. People who use 해요체 with a manager face to face often answer a work call with 감사합니다 or 안녕하십니까.
• Written style differs from both. Newspapers, reports and academic papers use the plain written style (먹는다). Among written texts, letters, emails and notices are the ones that typically use -ㅂ니다.
• Questions behave differently. The formal question has its own ending (갑니까?), but the polite question uses the same form as the statement (가요?). The ending is explained in formal question -ㅂ니까/습니까.
• Honorific marker is separate. 가십니까 and 가세요 both contain -(으)시-, which raises the person you talk about. The level and the honorific marker are two separate choices.

The next section states honestly where this advice stops.

When Is Each Ending the Wrong Choice?

-ㅂ니다 is the wrong choice when it makes a warm moment feel cold, and -아요/어요 is the wrong choice when it makes an official moment feel casual. Both errors cost the speaker a little credibility, and neither makes the sentence ungrammatical.

Three limits are worth stating plainly. First, this page describes tendencies, and workplaces differ. Some companies expect -ㅂ니다 in every internal meeting, and others use 해요체 throughout. Second, age and region change the picture, and a younger speaker may use 해요체 where an older speaker would use -ㅂ니다. Third, a page cannot replace feedback. A Korean teacher can tell you how a particular phrase feels. For now, the examples here are machine-generated examples reviewed and signed off by Min-ji Park on 15 October 2026.

Now test yourself.

Practice and Answers

Try all four items before you read the answers. Each answer has audio, normal and slow.

1. Choose the form. You open a presentation to the company board. 발표를 시작합니다 or 발표를 시작해요?
2. Fix the error. A learner tells a friend 맛있습니다요. (The speaker wants to sound natural.)
3. Translate. "Thank you." Say it in everyday polite speech, not in formal speech.
4. Write your own. Write one polite sentence about what you study, then write the same sentence in the formal style.

Answer Key

1. 발표를 시작합니다. (balpyoreul sijakhamnida) Pronounced [발표를 시자캄니다]. A presentation to a group needs the formal ending.

2. 맛있어요. (masisseoyo) Pronounced [마시써요]. The speaker added 요 to a formal ending. Choose 맛있어요 for a friend or 맛있습니다 for a formal setting.

3. 감사해요. (gamsahaeyo) Pronounced [감사해요]. The stem 감사하 plus 해요 gives the everyday polite form.

4. Sample answer: 저는 매일 한국어를 공부해요. (jeoneun maeil hangugeoreul gongbuhaeyo) "I study Korean every day." Pronounced [저는 매일 한구거를 공부해요]. The formal version is 저는 매일 한국어를 공부합니다, spoken [저는 매일 한구거를 공부함니다].

If you chose the wrong level, ask who is listening and what the setting is. Then continue with the next lessons.

Next Lessons and Where to Go from Here

After -ㅂ니다 vs -아요/어요, the natural next lesson is when to use formal speech in korean, which lists the situations that call for the formal ending. To study each ending on its own, read formal speech -ㅂ니다/습니다 and 해요체 polite speech -아요/어요. For the mixing rules, read mixing -요 and -ㅂ니다 in korean. The set overview, korean formal speech, lists every lesson in order, and korean grammar differences collects the other pairs that learners confuse.

This page uses Revised Romanization only as a learning aid; the Hangul is the reference. To remember the idea in one line: -ㅂ니다 vs -아요/어요 is a choice of tone, with -ㅂ니다 for official and public speech and -아요/어요 for everyday conversation with polite distance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is -ㅂ니다 More Polite than -아요/어요?

-ㅂ니다 is more formal, not more polite. Both endings show respect to the listener. The formal ending sounds official and distant, and the 요 ending sounds friendly and respectful. In a shop or with a new neighbour, the 요 ending is the better choice, because the formal one can sound like a news announcer.

Which Ending Should a Beginner Learn First?

Most beginners should learn -아요/어요 first, because they use it in daily conversation with strangers, colleagues and teachers. Learn the formal ending next, because greetings, service Korean and every news broadcast use it. Reading both early helps, since 감사합니다 and 안녕하십니까 are formal phrases a learner hears from the first day.

Can I Use -ㅂ니다 and -아요/어요 in the Same Conversation?

Yes. Many speakers use formal phrases such as 감사합니다 and 죄송합니다 and speak the rest of the conversation in 해요체. The mix is natural and does not offend anyone. What sounds odd is switching within a single sentence or switching without a reason, such as moving from 가요 to 갑니다 in the same answer.

Do -ㅂ니다 and -아요/어요 Mean the Same Thing?

Both endings have the same meaning and a different tone. 먹습니다 and 먹어요 both translate as "I eat". The first suits public, official and ranked situations, and the second suits everyday conversation. Tone is the only difference, so the setting, not the meaning, decides which one you use.

What Do Korean Companies and Schools Use?

Practice varies by workplace and by moment. Presentations, formal reports read aloud, customer calls and meetings with executives usually use -ㅂ니다, and ordinary talk with colleagues often uses -아요/어요. A newcomer should follow the style used by the person who speaks first, and switch to the formal ending whenever the setting becomes official.