Seven Korean Speech Levels: Meaning, Rules and Examples

What you'll learn

• Name the seven levels in order and give one ending for each.
• Pick the three levels to study first and the level to recognise next.
• Identify the level of a sentence from its final ending.
• Explain the difference between a formal level and a polite level.

Before you start: you should know that Korean verbs take different endings for different listeners, which the Korean SOV sentence pattern shows with the verb in last position. A final ending is the last part of the last word, such as 요 in 가요. Audio plays only when you press a button.

What Are the Seven Korean Speech Levels?

The seven Korean speech levels are the seven sets of final endings in traditional grammar, ranked from the highest raising of the listener to the lowest. A speech level is a family of endings that says "I raise you this much" or "I treat you as an equal". Korean grammar calls this system 상대 높임법, "listener honorification".

The names come from the verb 하다 (to do). Each level is named after the command form of 하다 in that style: 하십시오 gives 하십시오체, 해요 gives 해요체, and 해 gives 해체. The ending 체 means "style". This is useful, because you can read a level name as a mini model sentence.

Standard school grammar groups the living levels into four formal levels and two informal levels. Some grammarians add 하소서체, an older and higher level, which gives seven. The groups are:

• Formal (격식체): 하십시오체, 하오체, 하게체, 해라체.
• Informal (비격식체): 해요체, 해체.
• Archaic (very high): 하소서체.

Here is a first example with the three most useful levels. The verb is 가다 (to go), used as a command.

• 가십시오. (gasipsio.) [가십씨오] = "Please go." This is 하십시오체, formal and very respectful.
• 가요. (gayo.) = "Go" or "I go." This is 해요체, polite and friendly.
• 가. (ga.) = "Go." This is 해체, casual, for close friends.

The three sentences use the same verb. Only the ending changes, and the ending tells the listener how the speaker ranks them. The next section places all seven levels in one table.

How Do the Seven Korean Speech Levels Work?

The seven Korean speech levels work as a ladder of endings. The speaker picks one rung for each sentence, based on age, rank, closeness and setting. Rungs higher on the ladder raise the listener more, and rungs lower on the ladder raise the listener less.

Pattern Table

The table shows each level from highest to lowest with the forms of 가다. The statement form says "goes", the command form says "go", and the last column says how common the level is today.

Three details in the table deserve attention.

First, the table shows the ladder as seven rungs, but the two daily rungs, 하십시오체 and 해요체, are the ones you will use in nearly every polite sentence. The lessons on formal speech -ㅂ니다/습니다 and 해요체 polite speech -아요/어요 teach them in full.

Second, the casual rung, 해체, is the one most beginners meet in dramas and songs. The lesson on how to make banmal casual speech shows how to build it.

Third, the plain rung, 해라체, uses the ending -다 in writing: 간다, 먹는다, 예쁘다. The lesson on Korean plain style 해라체 covers it.

The table shows the ladder. The worked example shows how to read a level from a sentence.

Worked Example: Naming the Level of a Sentence

Naming the level of a sentence works by reading only the last ending and matching it to the table. Follow the steps with the sentence 이리 오게.

1. Find the final word. The final word is 오게, from the verb 오다 (to come).
2. Find the ending. Remove the stem 오. The ending left is -게.
3. Match the ending. The ending -게 as a command belongs to 하게체 in the table.
4. Decide the rank. 하게체 raises the listener a little. It is used by an older speaker to a junior adult.
5. Read the result. 이리 오게. (iri oge.) = "Come over here." An older man speaks to a younger man he respects a little but treats as a junior.

You will know it worked when you can place the ending in one row. A second sentence shows the same method with 하오체: 들어오지 마시오 (deureooji masio) = "Do not enter." The ending -시오 points to 하오체, and the sentence is typical for a sign.

The common slip is to name the level by the first word instead of the last ending. In Korean the ending is at the end of the sentence, and everything before it stays the same across levels. The next section compares the formal and informal groups.

How Are Formal and Informal Levels Different?

The difference between formal and informal levels is the feeling of the setting. A formal level (격식체) sounds official and distant. An informal level (비격식체) sounds relaxed and personal. Neither group is automatically more polite, because 해요체 is informal and still respectful.

Verdict: when you need respect, you can choose either 하십시오체 or 해요체. Choose 하십시오체 when the setting is official, and choose 해요체 for most other cases. For the exact choice between them, the lesson on which Korean speech level to use gives a step-by-step guide.

An example shows the risk of confusing formal with polite. A learner who calls 해요체 "informal" may think it is not respectful enough for a teacher. Actually, 선생님, 어디 가세요? is perfectly respectful. The word informal describes the setting, not the amount of respect.

The comparison shows the two groups. The next section covers the cases where the older levels still appear.

When Do You Use Each Level, and When Not?

Use the levels according to the table, and keep four exceptions in mind. Each one gives the rule and an example.

• 하소서체. The endings -(으)소서 and -옵소서 appear in prayers, hymns and period dramas. A king's servants say 전하, 통촉하여 주시옵소서 ("Your Majesty, please consider"). Nobody uses it in daily talk.
• 하오체. The ending -(으)시오 appears on signs, forms and notices: 조용히 하시오 ("Be quiet"). Some older speakers use it in speech. Said to a stranger today, it can sound bossy.
• 하게체. The ending -게 and -네 is used by older men to younger adult men, as in 자네, 밥 먹었나? ("Have you eaten, young man?"). Teachers and elders may also use it in letters. A learner should not use it.
• 해라체. The ending -다 is the plain style of books, news articles and essays, and it is also used to children. In speech between adults, it sounds blunt or rude.

An honest limit: the boundary between these levels shifts with region, age and family habit. The same speaker may also move between 하십시오체 and 해요체 within one conversation. This lesson gives the standard picture and does not teach each ending in detail. The lessons on formal speech -ㅂ니다/습니다 and Korean plain style 해라체 build the endings that matter.

The exceptions explain why only a few levels matter for learners. The next section lists the mistakes that result.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with the Seven Levels?

Learners usually make five mistakes, and each one has a quick repair.

1. Believing you must master all seven. Learners often assume that a complete course covers every level. Actually, three levels cover almost all conversation: 하십시오체, 해요체 and 해체. Fix: master 해요체 first, add 하십시오체, and recognise the rest.
2. Treating 해요체 as casual. The ending -요 is classed as informal, but it is respectful. Fix: use it with teachers, shop staff and elders.
3. Using 하오체 to sound extra polite. A phrase like 어서 오시오 sounds like a sign or a king in a drama. Fix: say 어서 오세요.
4. Using 하게체 to a stranger. 자네 and -네 endings belong to a senior speaking to a junior. Fix: use 해요체 with strangers.
5. Mixing 해라체 and 해체 up. 간다 is plain style, found in writing and to children. 가 is casual spoken style. Fix: use 간다 when you write a diary, and 가 when you chat with a friend.

Use this checklist when a sentence sounds off: What is the last ending? Which row of the table is it? Does the listener match that rank? Practice puts the checklist to work.

Practice and Answers

Try the four items before you read the answer key. Cover the answers with your hand.

1. Name the level. What level is 먹습니다?
2. Fix the error. A learner says 어서 오시오 to a customer in a shop. What should the learner say?
3. Translate. Write "Please go" in 하십시오체 and "Go" in 해체, using 가다.
4. Write your own. Write the statement "I go" in 해요체 and in 해체 for the verb 먹다.

Answer key

1. 하십시오체. The ending -습니다 is the formal polite statement ending, and 먹습니다 is read [먹씀니다].
2. 어서 오세요. The 하오체 command -시오 sounds like a sign. The 해요체 -세요 is warm and respectful.
3. 가십시오 (하십시오체) and 가 (해체).
4. 먹어요 (해요체) and 먹어 (해체). Check that the polite form ends in -요 and the casual form has no 요.

A rule of thumb for checking your own work: if the sentence ends in -ㅂ니다, -요 or a bare stem plus -아/어, it is one of the three levels you need first.

Next Lessons after the Seven Korean Speech Levels

After the seven Korean speech levels, study the three daily levels and the decision guide. This lesson maps the whole ladder but does not teach each ending in depth.

1. Read which Korean speech level to use to choose a level for any person.
2. Study formal speech -ㅂ니다/습니다 for the formal level.
3. Study 해요체 polite speech -아요/어요 for the default polite level.
4. Learn how to make banmal casual speech for friends.
5. Learn Korean plain style 해라체 for books and news.
6. Return to Korean speech levels to see every lesson in the set.

With these steps, the seven Korean speech levels become a ladder you can read: find the ending, match the row, and choose the rung that fits the listener.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many speech levels does Korean have?

Korean grammar books list six or seven. The six living levels are 하십시오체, 하오체, 하게체, 해라체, 해요체 and 해체. Counting the archaic 하소서체, used in prayers and period dramas, gives seven. A learner needs three first: formal -ㅂ니다, polite -아요/어요 and casual -아/어. The rest can wait.

Which speech level should a beginner learn first?

Learn 해요체 first, because it is polite and fits almost everyone you meet. Add 하십시오체 next for greetings, shops and work, then 해체 for friends who invite you to speak casually. Recognise 해라체 when reading books and news. The other three you only need to understand when you hear them.

Is 해체 the same as 반말?

In everyday use, yes. 반말 means "half speech" and refers to casual, non-honorific speech, which is the 해체 level (-아/어). Some people also use 반말 for 해라체. Both lack a polite ending, so use them only with close friends, children and people younger than you who agree to casual talk.

Are 하오체 and 하게체 still used?

Rarely, and mostly in fixed settings. Older men use 하게체 to younger adults, as in 이리 오게. Signs and forms use 하오체 commands, as in 들어오지 마시오. Both appear in period dramas. A learner should understand them but should not use them, because they sound old-fashioned or commanding in modern conversation.

Does formal mean more polite than polite?

Not exactly. Formal (격식체) and informal (비격식체) describe the feeling of a setting, while the level shows how high the listener is raised. 하십시오체 is formal and very respectful, and 해요체 is informal and also respectful. A formal level can sound distant, and an informal level can sound warm.