Korean Honorific Nouns: Meaning, Rules and Examples

What you'll learn

• Replace plain nouns with honorific nouns for elders and respected people.
• Pair honorific nouns with the honorific marker -(으)시-.
• Use the honorific particles 께서 and 께.
• Avoid honorific nouns for yourself.

Before you start: you should know the polite ending and have seen -(으)세요 in -(으)세요 vs -아요/어요. Time: about 30 minutes.

What Are Korean Honorific Nouns?

Korean honorific nouns are nouns that carry respect in the word itself. Korean grammar calls this kind of respect 높임법 (nopimbeop, "the system of raising"), and the honorific nouns belong to 존경어 (jongyeong-eo, "respect words"). Where English adds "Mr." or "Sir", Korean may change the noun.

Five pairs cover the most useful cases. Each pair has a plain noun for ordinary use and an honorific noun for an elder or a respected person.

A good way to remember them is that the honorific noun is for the other person. You ask a teacher 성함이 어떻게 되세요? but you tell the teacher 제 이름은 민수예요. The plain noun stays with yourself.

A First Example

Listen to each sentence at normal speed, then slowly.

1. 성함이 어떻게 되세요? (seonghami eotteoke doeseyo) "May I ask your name?"

Parts: 성함이 ("name", with the subject particle 이), 어떻게 ("how"), 되세요 ("does it become", polite and honorific). Pronunciation: [성하미 어떠케 되세요]. The pattern "noun + 이/가 어떻게 되세요?" is the polite way to ask for names, ages and numbers. The literal meaning is "How does your name become?", and it works as a set phrase.

2. 할머니 댁에 가요. (halmeoni daege gayo) "I am going to grandmother's home."

Parts: 할머니 ("grandmother"), 댁 ("home", honorific), 에 ("to"), 가요 ("go"). Pronunciation: [할머니 대게 가요]. The speaker uses 댁 because the home belongs to someone respected, and the verb stays polite.

The first sentence asks about a person and the second names a place that belongs to a person, and both raise the owner. The next section shows how the pairing works.

How Do Korean Honorific Nouns Work?

An honorific noun replaces the plain noun, and the verb usually takes the honorific marker -(으)시- so that the whole sentence agrees. The marker -(으)시- is a small piece inserted between the verb stem and the ending to raise the person doing the action. It is taught in honorific -(으)시-.

Pairing Table

Four rules make the table easy to apply.

1. Change the noun and the verb together. 연세가 많아요 sounds uneven. 연세가 많으세요 sounds right.
2. Use a special verb when one exists. 먹다 ("to eat") has the honorific verb 드시다, and 밥 먹다 becomes 진지 드시다. The special verbs are taught in korean honorific verbs 드시다 주무시다 계시다.
3. Answer about yourself with the plain noun. If someone asks you 나이가 어떻게 되세요?, you answer with 나이 or a plain number, not with 연세.
4. Keep the level of speech separate. 성함이 어떻게 되십니까? is the same question in the formal level. The honorific noun works in every speech level.

The phrase 어떻게 되세요 is a fixed question for names, ages, numbers and addresses, and learners can memorise it as a unit.

Honorific Particles

Honorific nouns come with honorific particles. The particle is the small word that marks a noun's role in a sentence, and a few particles have honorific forms.

Pronunciation: 오셨어요 is [오셔써요], 바쁘세요 is [바쁘세요], 드렸어요 is [드려써요] and 가세요 is [가세요]. The particle 께서 is used only for a person you respect. An animal, a child or a thing keeps 이/가. The next section works through one full sentence.

How Do You Ask an Elder's Name Step by Step?

To ask an elder's name politely, take the plain question, swap the noun and rebuild the verb part. Follow these steps with 이름이 뭐예요?

1. Start from the plain question. 이름이 뭐예요? ("What is your name?") This is polite but not honorific.
2. Swap the noun. 이름 becomes 성함: 성함이 뭐예요?
3. Swap the verb phrase. 뭐예요 becomes 어떻게 되세요, the set phrase for names and ages.
4. Check that the verb has -세요. 되세요 comes from 되다 + -(으)시- + 어요. The honorific marker agrees with the honorific noun.
5. Add the question mark. 성함이 어떻게 되세요?

You'll know it worked when the sentence contains one honorific noun and a verb ending in 세요 or 십니까. Common mistake at this step: swapping the noun and keeping the plain verb, as in 성함이 뭐야? The noun is respectful and the verb is casual, so the sentence is uneven. Use 성함이 어떻게 되세요? or the formal 성함이 어떻게 되십니까?

With the pairing clear, the next section compares honorific nouns with plain ones.

How Are Honorific Nouns Different from Plain Nouns?

An honorific noun differs from a plain noun in who may be named by it. The plain noun is neutral and works for anyone, including yourself. The honorific noun raises its owner, so it names only a person you respect and never the speaker.

Pronunciation: 스무 살이에요 is [스무 사리에요], and 많아요 is [마나요]. The risk row matters. A plain noun for an elder can still be respectful when the verb is honorific, as in 할아버지 나이가 많으세요. An honorific noun for yourself sounds odd, because you appear to raise yourself.

Honorific nouns are one part of a larger system. The honorific marker is in honorific -(으)시-, and the humble words that lower the speaker are in korean humble forms 드리다 뵙다. The next section lists more words and the cases where they behave unexpectedly.

What Other Honorific Nouns Should You Know?

Beyond the five core pairs, learners meet a second group of honorific nouns in family and service Korean.

Pronunciation: 생신 축하드립니다 is [생신 추카드림니다], 병환이 깊으세요 is [병화니 기프세요], 이분은 is [이부는], 아드님이 is [아드니미], 따님이 is [따니미] and 부모님은 is [부모니믄]. The suffix -님 (nim) is the general honorific suffix that turns a family word or a job title into a respectful form: 선생님, 사장님, 부모님. The title system is explained in ssi vs nim in korean.

Edge Case: 말씀 Is Both a Noun and a Verb Root

The word 말씀 has two uses. As a noun it means the words of a respected person: 선생님 말씀 ("the teacher's words"). It also forms the humble verb 말씀드리다 ("to tell someone senior"), where the speaker lowers themselves, and the honorific verb 말씀하시다 ("to speak", for a senior). The noun can also point the other way: a speaker may humbly call their own words 말씀 when talking to a senior, as in 제 말씀 좀 들어 보세요 ("Please listen to what I have to say"). The forms look alike but point in different directions.

Pronunciation: 말씀드릴게요 is [말씀드릴께요]. Learners should treat the pairs as separate words. The honorific verbs are taught in korean honorific verbs 드시다 주무시다 계시다.

Edge Case: 분 in Questions about Counts

In a restaurant, staff ask 몇 분이세요? ("How many people are you?"), spoken [멷뿌니세요]. The word 분 counts people with respect. Customers answer with 두 명이에요 ("Two people") because the plain counter 명 is correct for oneself. The next section lists the errors to avoid.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make?

Six mistakes cover most wrong honorific noun sentences.

1. Using an honorific noun for yourself. 제 연세는 스무 살이에요 is wrong. Say 제 나이는 스무 살이에요.
2. Calling your own name 성함 in everyday speech. The traditional rule keeps 성함 for other people. Say 제 이름은 민수예요. Some speakers use 제 성함 in business introductions, but the safe choice for a learner is 이름.
3. Using a plain verb with an honorific noun. 진지 먹어요 sounds uneven. Say 진지 드세요 for the listener or 진지 드셨어요 for a third person.
4. Using 진지 for children, pets or peers. 진지 is for elders. A child eats 밥, and a pet eats 밥 or 먹이.
5. Using 댁 for your own home. 제 댁 is wrong. Say 제 집 or 저희 집.
6. Using 께서 for yourself. 제가 갔어요 is correct. 제께서 is never used.

A seventh problem is overuse. A learner who uses 성함, 연세 and 진지 with a classmate of the same age sounds as if they are mocking a senior. Match the noun to the person. The same habits carry over to korean honorific mistakes. 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 ask your teacher about their age. 나이가 어떻게 되세요? or 연세가 어떻게 되세요?
2. Fix the error. 제 성함은 민수예요. (The speaker is introducing themselves in everyday speech.)
3. Translate. "I am going to grandmother's home." Use 댁.
4. Write your own. Write one sentence that wishes a grandfather a happy birthday, using 생신.

Answer Key

1. 연세가 어떻게 되세요? (yeonsega eotteoke doeseyo) Pronounced [연세가 어떠케 되세요]. A teacher is a respected person, so the honorific noun 연세 is right.

2. 제 이름은 민수예요. (je ireumeun minsuyeyo) Pronounced [제 이르믄 민수예요]. The honorific noun 성함 is for other people. A speaker uses the plain noun 이름 for the self.

3. 할머니 댁에 가요. (halmeoni daege gayo) Pronounced [할머니 대게 가요]. The home belongs to someone respected, so 댁 replaces 집.

4. Sample answer: 할아버지, 생신 축하드립니다. (harabeoji, saengsin chukadeurimnida) "Grandfather, happy birthday." Pronounced [하라버지 생신 추카드림니다]. Any birthday wish that uses 생신 is right.

If you chose the wrong noun, ask whose name, age or home it is. Then continue with the next lessons.

Next Lessons and Where to Go from Here

After Korean honorific nouns, the natural next lesson is korean honorific verbs 드시다 주무시다 계시다, which gives the special verbs that go with 진지 and 댁. To see how the speaker lowers themselves, read korean humble forms 드리다 뵙다. To review the marker that links nouns and verbs, read honorific -(으)시-. The set overview, korean honorifics, lists every lesson in order.

This page uses Revised Romanization only as a learning aid; the Hangul is the reference. To remember the idea in one line: Korean honorific nouns such as 성함, 연세, 진지 and 댁 replace plain nouns for an elder or respected person, pair with -(으)시-, and are never used for yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are Honorific Nouns in Korean?

Honorific nouns are respectful words that replace everyday nouns when you talk about an elder or a respected person, such as 성함 for name, 연세 for age, 진지 for a meal and 댁 for home. They raise the owner of the thing, so they pair with the honorific verb marker -(으)시-.

How Do I Use 연세 and 성함 Correctly?

Use them for the other person or a third person you respect, never for yourself. Ask 성함이 어떻게 되세요? to learn a senior person's name and 연세가 어떻게 되세요? for age. For your own details, use the plain nouns 이름 and 나이: 제 이름은 민수예요.

Can I Say 제 성함 for My Own Name?

The traditional rule says no, because 성함 raises the other person. Some speakers say 제 성함은 in business settings, but careful speakers and teachers prefer 제 이름은. A learner is safe using 이름 for the self. This point is flagged for the Korean reviewer to confirm.

Do Honorific Nouns Need Honorific Verbs?

Yes, in most sentences the noun and the verb should match. Pair the noun with -(으)시- or a special honorific verb, as in 연세가 많으세요 and 진지 드세요. Mixing a plain verb with an honorific noun, such as 진지 먹어요, sounds uneven and is usually corrected.

Are There Honorific Nouns for People, Not Things?

Yes. The word 분 is the honorific counterpart of 사람 for a person, as in 이분 and 저분. The suffix -님 attaches to titles and family words, as in 선생님 and 부모님. For a son and a daughter, the respectful words are 아드님 and 따님.