Formal Speech -ㅂ니다/습니다: Meaning, Rules and Examples

What you'll learn

• Choose ㅂ니다 or 습니다 by looking at the last sound of the stem.
• Form 합니다, 갑니다, 삽니다, 먹습니다 and 입니다 from the dictionary form.
• Read the spoken forms, such as [감니다] and [먹씀니다], and say them aloud.
• Tell the formal ending from the everyday polite ending and the casual ending.

Before you start: you should read Hangul and know that Korean puts the verb last. Time: about 30 minutes.

What Does the Formal Speech -ㅂ니다/습니다 Mean?

-ㅂ니다/습니다 is the formal polite statement ending of Korean. It adds no new meaning to the verb. It tells the listener that the speaker is being formal and respectful, in the way a news anchor, a shop assistant or a job candidate speaks.

Korean grammar sorts speech into speech levels, which are sets of sentence endings that show how the speaker relates to the listener. Grammar books call this system 상대 높임법 ("listener honorification"). The formal level is called 하십시오체 (hasipsio-che), and it is also widely known by its shorter name 합쇼체 (hapsyo-che). The word 체 (che) means "style". The level has four ending types:

This lesson covers the first row. The question ending has its own lesson, formal question -ㅂ니까/습니까, and the command is taught in formal commands -(으)십시오.

A First Example

Listen to each sentence at normal speed, then slowly.

1. 감사합니다. (gamsahamnida) "Thank you."

Pronunciation: [감사함니다]. The word is 감사하다 ("to be thankful"). Its stem 감사하 ends in a vowel, so ㅂ니다 attaches to the last syllable and 하 becomes 합. The ㅂ then sounds like ㅁ because it stands before ㄴ.

2. 저는 학생입니다. (jeoneun haksaeng-imnida) "I am a student."

Pronunciation: [저는 학쌩임니다]. Here 학생 ("student") takes the formal copula 입니다, which is 이다 ("to be") in its formal form. The 생 is spoken [쌩] after the final ㄱ of 학, and the ㅂ of 입니다 becomes [ㅁ].

The first sentence uses a verb and the second uses 이다, and both end in -ㅂ니다. The next section shows how to build the ending.

How Does the Formal Speech -ㅂ니다/습니다 Work?

The ending depends on whether the stem ends in a vowel or a consonant. A stem (어간) is the dictionary form without 다. Vowel stems take ㅂ니다, written under the last syllable as a final consonant (받침). Consonant stems take 습니다 as a separate syllable.

Pattern Table

Four details make the table easy to apply.

1. Look at the last sound of the stem only. 가 ends in a vowel, so ㅂ니다. 먹 ends in the consonant ㄱ, so 습니다.
2. Drop the ㄹ before ㅂ. A stem that ends in ㄹ loses it, so 살 becomes 사 and the result is 삽니다, not 살습니다. This is the same ㄹ-drop that appears before ㄴ, ㅂ and ㅅ in many endings.
3. Say ㅂ as [ㅁ] before ㄴ. 갑니다 is spoken [감니다]. The standard pronunciation rules of the 국립국어원 (National Institute of Korean Language) call this nasalization (비음화).
4. Say 습 with a tense ㅆ after a final consonant. 먹습니다 is spoken [먹씀니다], so the 습 is pronounced [씀].

The copula 이다 ("to be") has its own forms. After a noun it becomes 입니다 in both cases, with no choice between ㅂ니다 and 습니다. Its negative partner 아니다 becomes 아닙니다.

The same ending works for adjectives, which behave like verbs in Korean. 좋다 becomes 좋습니다 ("It is good"), and 크다 becomes 큽니다 ("It is big"). The verb conjugation chart is in korean formal conjugation. The next section builds one full sentence step by step.

Worked Example: Building 감사합니다 Step by Step

To make a formal sentence, take the dictionary form, remove 다, check the last sound of the stem and add the ending. Follow these steps with 감사하다, then repeat with 먹다.

1. Start from the dictionary form. 감사하다 ("to be thankful").
2. Remove 다. The stem is 감사하.
3. Check the last sound. 하 ends in the vowel ㅏ, so the ending is ㅂ니다.
4. Attach the ending. Put ㅂ under 하 to make 합, then add 니다: 감사합니다.
5. Add a full stop. Written statements end in a period: 감사합니다.

You'll know it worked when the word ends in 니다 and the syllable before it has a final ㅂ, or when the word ends in 습니다. Common mistake at this step: adding 습니다 to a stem that already ends in a vowel, as in 감사하습니다. The vowel stem needs ㅂ: 감사합니다.

Repeat the same steps with 먹다. The stem is 먹, which ends in the consonant ㄱ, so the ending is 습니다, and the result is 먹습니다. Add words before the verb to make a sentence: 저는 밥을 먹습니다 ("I eat a meal"), pronounced [저는 바블 먹씀니다].

With the rule clear, the next question is how this ending compares with the other speech levels.

How Is -ㅂ니다/습니다 Different from Similar Forms?

-ㅂ니다/습니다 sits at the formal end of the three levels learners meet first. The everyday polite ending is -아요/어요, and the casual ending is -아/어. All three can translate to the same English sentence, but they signal a different relationship.

Pronunciation: 먹어요 is [머거요] (meogeoyo), 학생이에요 is [학쌩이에요], and 학생이야 is [학쌩이야]. The formal ending is the longest of the three, and the sound change in 갑니다 [감니다] does not occur in 가요.

For a longer comparison with situations and personas, read -ㅂ니다 vs -아요/어요. For the polite ending itself, read 해요체 polite speech -아요/어요. The next section covers where the formal ending belongs.

When Do You Use It, and When Not?

Use the formal ending when you address a group, a customer, a senior person you do not know or a public audience. Avoid it in relaxed talk with friends and family, where it sounds stiff. The listener and the setting decide, not the topic.

Pronunciation: 맑습니다 is [막씀니다], 도착합니다 is [도차캄니다], 시작합니다 is [시자캄니다], 하겠습니다 is [하겓씀니다] and 알겠습니다 is [알겓씀니다]. Soldiers and officers in Korea traditionally use a formal style whose sentences end in -다, -나 or -까, which Koreans call 다나까 말투 (the "da-na-kka way of speaking"). It is built from the same formal endings, although the armed forces have relaxed the rule for everyday talk in recent years.

The ending also combines with tense and honorific markers, so one stem can become many forms:

Two limits apply. First, many native speakers use the formal ending only for set phrases in daily life, such as 감사합니다, 죄송합니다 ("I am sorry") and 안녕히 계십시오 ("Goodbye"), and speak the rest of the conversation in 해요체. This mix is normal and is explained in mixing -요 and -ㅂ니다 in korean. Second, written reports, newspapers and academic papers usually use the plain written style (먹는다), not -ㅂ니다. The full list of situations is in when to use formal speech in korean. The next section lists the errors to avoid.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make?

Six mistakes cover most wrong -ㅂ니다/습니다 sentences.

1. Using 습니다 after a vowel stem. 가습니다 and 하습니다 are wrong. A vowel stem takes ㅂ니다: 갑니다, 합니다.
2. Using ㅂ니다 after a consonant stem. 먹ㅂ니다 cannot even be written as a normal syllable. A consonant stem takes 습니다: 먹습니다.
3. Keeping the ㄹ. 살습니다 and 알습니다 are wrong. Drop the ㄹ: 삽니다, 압니다.
4. Adding 요 to the formal ending. 합니다요 and 갑니다요 are wrong in standard speech. The formal ending is complete without 요. Choose one level: 합니다 or 해요.
5. Writing the spoken form. 갑니다 is spoken [감니다], but you still write 갑니다. The spelling keeps the stem, and the pronunciation rules do the rest.
6. Using 입니다 after a verb. 가입니다 is wrong. 입니다 belongs after nouns only, as in 학생입니다. Verbs take ㅂ니다 or 습니다.

A seventh habit is more about style than grammar: using -ㅂ니다 in every conversation. A learner who says 먹습니다 to a friend at lunch sounds like a news announcer. The same habits carry over to formal question -ㅂ니까/습니까. 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. 가다 ("to go"): 가습니다 or 갑니다?
2. Fix the error. 살습니다 (The speaker wants to say "I live" formally.)
3. Translate. "I am a teacher." Use 선생님 (teacher) and the formal copula.
4. Write your own. Write one formal sentence about your job or your studies, using 입니다 or a verb ending in -ㅂ니다/습니다.

Answer Key

1. 갑니다 (gamnida) Pronounced [감니다]. The stem 가 ends in a vowel, so the ending is ㅂ니다.

2. 삽니다 (samnida) Pronounced [삼니다]. A stem ending in ㄹ drops the ㄹ before ㅂ.

3. 저는 선생님입니다. (jeoneun seonsaengnim-imnida) Pronounced [저는 선생니밈니다]. The noun 선생님 takes 입니다, and the final ㅁ of 선생님 moves to the next syllable.

4. Sample answer: 저는 회사원입니다. (jeoneun hoesawon-imnida) "I am an office worker." Pronounced [저는 회사워님니다]. Any job or study sentence with a correct ending is right.

If you chose the wrong ending, check the last sound of the stem: a vowel takes ㅂ니다, a consonant takes 습니다, and ㄹ disappears. Then continue with the next lessons.

Next Lessons and Where to Go from Here

After formal speech -ㅂ니다/습니다, the natural next lesson is formal question -ㅂ니까/습니까, which turns the same stem into a question. To choose between the formal and everyday endings, read -ㅂ니다 vs -아요/어요. To learn where formal speech is expected, read when to use formal speech in korean. The set overview, korean formal speech, lists every lesson in order. Sentences like these also depend on the Korean SOV sentence pattern, because the verb with its ending always comes last.

This page uses Revised Romanization only as a learning aid; the Hangul is the reference. To remember the idea in one line: formal speech -ㅂ니다/습니다 attaches ㅂ니다 to a vowel stem and 습니다 to a consonant stem, drops ㄹ before ㅂ, and uses 입니다 after nouns.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does -ㅂ니다/습니다 Mean?

-ㅂ니다/습니다 is the formal polite statement ending of Korean, known as 하십시오체. It does not add meaning to the verb. It marks the speaker as formal and respectful toward the listener, which suits news, announcements, presentations, customer service and first meetings with senior people.

How Do I Form -ㅂ니다/습니다?

Remove 다 from the dictionary form. If the stem ends in a vowel, add ㅂ니다 to that last syllable: 가다 becomes 갑니다. If it ends in a consonant, add 습니다: 먹다 becomes 먹습니다. A stem ending in ㄹ drops the ㄹ first, so 살다 becomes 삽니다.

What Is the Most Common Mistake with -ㅂ니다/습니다?

Learners often add 습니다 to a vowel stem and write 가습니다 instead of 갑니다. The reverse error is also common, such as 먹ㅂ니다 for 먹습니다. Check the last sound of the stem before the ending. A second frequent error is adding 요 afterwards, as in 합니다요, which is wrong in standard speech.

How Is -ㅂ니다/습니다 Different from -아요/어요?

-ㅂ니다/습니다 sounds official and distant, while -아요/어요 sounds friendly and respectful. Both are polite and both mean the same thing in English, so 먹습니다 and 먹어요 are both "I eat". Pick the formal ending for public speaking, news and service, and the 요 ending for everyday conversation.

Do I Use -ㅂ니다/습니다 in Speech, Writing or Both?

Both, with limits. It is common in spoken announcements, speeches, interviews, business emails and letters. Newspapers, reports and academic papers usually use the plain written style, such as 먹는다, instead. In everyday chat with people you meet often, the 요 ending is more natural than -ㅂ니다.