Listen to the simplest honorific sentence.
The next section defines the topic and shows the three kinds of honorific.
What Are Korean Honorifics?
Korean honorifics are the part of the language that marks respect, and Korean grammar calls the whole system 높임법 (nopimbeop, "the way of raising"). Respect appears in three places: the person doing the action, the person receiving it, and the listener. The 국립국어원 (National Institute of Korean Language) describes the three as subject, object and listener honorifics.
| Kind | Korean term | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject honorific | 주체 높임 | raises the person doing the action | 선생님이 오세요. "The teacher is coming." |
| Object honorific (humble) | 객체 높임 | lowers the speaker toward the person receiving the action | 제가 드릴게요. "I will give it to you." |
| Listener honorific | 상대 높임 | shows respect to the listener through the sentence ending | 갑니다 / 가요 |
Pronunciation: 드릴게요 is [드릴께요] (deurilgeyo), 갑니다 is [감니다] (gamnida) and 가요 is [가요] (gayo). The third kind is the speech-level system taught in Korean speech levels. The first two kinds are the subject of this set.
The marker rule is short. Add 시 to a vowel stem and 으시 to a consonant stem, then add the ending. 가다 becomes 가시다, and with the polite ending 가세요. 읽다 becomes 읽으시다, and with the polite ending 읽으세요, spoken [일그세요]. The past is -셨-: 오셨어요 ("came", spoken [오셔써요]). A few verbs have special honorific partners: 먹다 becomes 드시다, 자다 becomes 주무시다, and 있다 becomes 계시다. The next section gives a route through the lessons.
Where Should You Start with Korean Honorifics?
Start with the marker, then the vocabulary, then the humble forms, then the people words, and finish with the review lessons. Five stages cover the set.
- Stage 1: the marker. Read honorific -(으)시-, then -(으)세요 vs -아요/어요.
- Stage 2: respectful words. Read korean honorific nouns and korean honorific verbs 드시다 주무시다 계시다.
- Stage 3: lowering yourself. Read korean humble forms 드리다 뵙다.
- Stage 4: words for people. Read ssi vs nim in korean, honorific vs polite speech in korean, korean word for you and korean older sibling titles 오빠 언니 형 누나.
- Stage 5: review. Read korean honorific mistakes, then 나 vs 저 korean.
Who can skip ahead? A learner who already forms 가세요 and 읽으세요 correctly can start at stage 2. A learner who has not read about speech levels 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.
Honorific -(으)시-
The marker lesson teaches how to insert 시 or 으시 between the stem and the ending, how the past becomes -셨-, and why you never use it for yourself. Example: 아버지께서 오셨어요. (abeojikkeseo osyeosseoyo.) "Father has come." Spoken [아버지께서 오셔써요].
-(으)세요 vs -아요/어요
The comparison lesson shows how the same verb sounds with and without the marker, and which subjects deserve it. Example: 어디 가세요? (eodi gaseyo?) "Where are you going?" asked to someone you respect. Spoken [어디 가세요].
Korean Honorific Nouns
The noun lesson covers respectful replacements such as 성함 for name, 연세 for age, 진지 for meal and 댁 for home. Example: 성함이 어떻게 되세요? (seonghami eotteoke doeseyo?) "May I ask your name?" Spoken [성하미 어떠케 되세요].
Korean Honorific Verbs 드시다 주무시다 계시다
The verb lesson teaches the special honorific partners of common verbs: 드시다 for eating, 주무시다 for sleeping and 계시다 for being. Example: 할머니께서 주무세요. (halmeonikkeseo jumuseyo.) "Grandmother is sleeping." Spoken [할머니께서 주무세요].
Korean Humble Forms 드리다 뵙다
The humble lesson teaches the words a speaker uses to lower their own action toward a respected person, such as 드리다 for giving and 뵙다 for seeing. Example: 제가 선생님께 드릴게요. (jega seonsaengnimkke deurilgeyo.) "I will give it to the teacher." Spoken [제가 선생님께 드릴께요].
Ssi vs Nim in Korean
The title lesson compares 씨 and 님, which attach to names and job titles, and explains when each one is safe. Example: 민수 씨, 안녕하세요. (minsu ssi, annyeonghaseyo.) "Hello, Minsu." Spoken [민수 씨 안녕하세요].
Honorific vs Polite Speech in Korean
The contrast lesson separates the two choices that learners blend: polite speech shows respect to the listener, and the honorific marker shows respect to the person discussed. Example: 선생님이 오세요. (seonsaengnimi oseyo.) "The teacher is coming." Spoken [선생니미 오세요].
Korean Word for You
The pronoun lesson explains why Korean avoids "you" with elders and replaces it with a title or a name. Example: 선생님은 어디 가세요? (seonsaengnimeun eodi gaseyo?) "Where are you going, teacher?" Spoken [선생니믄 어디 가세요].
Korean Older Sibling Titles 오빠 언니 형 누나
The family-title lesson shows how the speaker's gender decides between 오빠 and 형, and between 언니 and 누나. Example: 오빠, 어디 가요? (oppa, eodi gayo?) "Oppa, where are you going?" Spoken [오빠 어디 가요].
Korean Honorific Mistakes
The mistakes lesson collects the common errors: using the marker for yourself, doubling it, and mixing honorific and humble words. Example: 제가 가요. (jega gayo.) "I am going," not 제가 가세요. Spoken [제가 가요].
나 vs 저 Korean
The pronoun lesson contrasts the plain "I" 나 with the humble "I" 저 and shows the contracted forms 내가 and 제가. Example: 저는 민수예요. (jeoneun minsuyeyo.) "I am Minsu." Spoken [저는 민수예요].
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 |
|---|---|---|
| "Grandfather is reading" | honorific -(으)시- | the marker raises the subject |
| "Where are you going?" to a teacher | -(으)세요 vs -아요/어요 | the polite ending alone does not raise the subject |
| a question about a senior person's name or age | korean honorific nouns | special nouns replace 이름 and 나이 |
| "He is eating" or "She is sleeping" about an elder | korean honorific verbs 드시다 주무시다 계시다 | some verbs have their own forms |
| "I will give this to you" | korean humble forms 드리다 뵙다 | the speaker lowers their own action |
| a name plus a title | ssi vs nim in korean | 씨 and 님 differ in distance |
| a way to say "you" or to call a person | korean word for you | titles replace the pronoun |
| "I" in polite and casual speech | 나 vs 저 korean | the pronoun follows the speech level |
The next section shows the most useful contrast in the set.
How Are Honorifics Different from Polite Speech?
Honorifics raise the person you talk about, and polite speech shows respect to the listener. The two work together but they are separate choices. A sentence can be polite without being honorific, as in 친구가 와요, and it can be both, as in 선생님이 오세요.
| Verb | Polite (neutral subject) | Polite and honorific | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 가다 | 가요 | 가세요 | go |
| 읽다 | 읽어요 | 읽으세요 | read |
| 먹다 | 먹어요 | 드세요 | eat |
| 자다 | 자요 | 주무세요 | sleep |
| 있다 | 있어요 | 계세요 | be (a person) |
Pronunciation: 읽어요 is [일거요] (ilgeoyo), 읽으세요 is [일그세요] (ilgeuseyo), 먹어요 is [머거요] (meogeoyo) and 주무세요 is [주무세요] (jumuseyo). The comparison table does not mean that honorific forms are more polite to the listener. Both columns are polite toward the person you are speaking to, and only the second raises the subject. For the formal alternative, see Formal Polite Speech. The next section lists the mistakes to avoid first.
What Mistakes Should You Avoid First?
Four mistakes appear in most beginner sentences in this area.
- Using -(으)시- for yourself. 제가 가세요 is wrong. Say 제가 가요, because you do not raise your own action.
- Using -(으)시- for objects. 커피 나오셨습니다 is a common service phrase that careful speakers avoid. Say 커피 나왔습니다 or 커피 나왔어요.
- Doubling the honorific. 드시세요 is often heard, but it doubles the marker, because 드시다 already contains 시. The standard form is 드세요.
- Treating -요 as honorific. 선생님이 와요 is polite toward the listener, but it does not raise the teacher. Say 선생님이 오세요.
The Korean honorific mistakes lesson explains why 커피 나오셨습니다 and 계산하실게요 are wrong and how to use -(으)시-, 저희, 씨 and 님 correctly. The next section shows what the set leaves out.
Scope of This Set
The Korean honorifics set covers the subject marker -(으)시-, honorific nouns and verbs, humble forms, names and titles, the words for "you" and "I", and sibling titles. It does not cover the formal -ㅂ니다 style, which belongs to Formal Polite Speech, the polite -요 style, which belongs to Korean polite speech, or the casual style, which belongs to Casual Speech (Banmal). For a vocabulary list of respectful words, see honorific vocabulary, and for address terms see korean terms of address.
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 Honorifics?
Practise Korean honorifics by taking plain sentences and raising the right person in each. 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 시 or 으시 plus the polite ending.
- Replace 먹다, 자다 and 있다 with 드시다, 주무시다 and 계시다.
- Take the Korean honorifics quiz 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
What Is the Difference between Honorific and Humble Forms?
Honorific forms raise the person you talk about, as in 선생님이 오세요, where 세 comes from -(으)시-. Humble forms lower the speaker's own action toward a respected person, as in 제가 드릴게요, where 드리다 replaces 주다. Honorifics show respect to someone else, and humble forms show modesty about yourself.
How Do I Use -(으)시-?
Put -(으)시- between the verb stem and the ending when the subject deserves respect. Use 시 after a vowel stem and 으시 after a consonant stem: 가시다 and 읽으시다. With the polite ending the result is 가세요 and 읽으세요. Never use it for your own actions. The lesson on -(으)시- adds past and formal forms.
How Do I Choose between -(으)세요 and -아요/어요?
Use -(으)세요 when the person doing the action deserves respect, such as a teacher, a grandparent or a customer. Use -아요/어요 when the subject is yourself, a friend, a child or a thing. Both are polite toward the listener, but only -(으)세요 also raises the subject. Compare 선생님이 오세요 with 친구가 와요.
Which Lesson in Korean Honorifics Should I Read First?
Start with honorific -(으)시-, because the marker appears in almost every honorific sentence. Then read -(으)세요 vs -아요/어요, which shows the marker in everyday speech. After that, learn honorific nouns and verbs, then humble forms. A learner who already forms 가세요 and 읽으세요 can start with honorific nouns.