Korean Honorific Vocabulary: 30 Words with Romanization and Audio

What you'll learn

• Match all 30 honorific words to their English meanings and to their plain partners.
• Say five of them aloud with the help of the Revised Romanization and the audio.
• Write two original sentences that use words such as 성함 (name, honorific) and 연세 (age, honorific).
• Tell an honorific word, which raises the other person, from a humble word, which lowers yourself.

Prerequisites: you can read Hangul and know the polite ending -아요/-어요. It also helps to know the honorific verb ending in honorific endings. Estimated time: about 75 minutes, plus short reviews on the following days.

Korean Honorific Vocabulary at a Glance

The list has 30 words in five groups. Korean marks respect in the words themselves: some nouns, particles and verbs have a respectful twin, and some words lower the speaker. The groups run from nouns to particles, humble words, swaps for common verbs and nouns, and titles that end in -님. It belongs to Relationships and Titles.

This page covers the vocabulary. For the honorific verb ending -(으)시- and the speech levels, see honorific endings. For a deeper look at the nouns, the korean honorific nouns page lists more of them.

Which Honorific Words Should You Learn First?

Learn 선생님 (teacher), 성함 (name), 연세 (age), 드시다 (to eat) and 계시다 (to be) first. With these five you can ask an older person their name and age and talk about what they are doing. A short question such as 성함이 어떻게 되세요? (What is your name?) needs only one noun and a verb ending. Then follow this order:

1. Step 1: the five words above.
2. Step 2: the other honorific nouns: 댁, 생신 and 분.
3. Step 3: the particles 께서 and 께, and the humble words 저 and 저희.
4. Step 4: the other swaps (진지, 말씀, 주무시다) and the titles with -님.

The scene below numbers ten of the objects and people from a family dinner with a guest, so you can tie each word to something you can point at.

Word · 10

1. 1

   성함

   Play

   seongham

   name (honorific)

2. 2

   연세

   Play

   yeonse

   age (honorific)

3. 3

   댁

   Play

   daek

   house (honorific)

4. 4

   생신

   Play

   saengsin

   birthday (honorific)

5. 5

   진지

   Play

   jinji

   meal (honorific)

6. 6

   말씀

   Play

   malsseum

   words; speech (honorific)

7. 7

   드시다

   Play

   deusida

   to eat (honorific)

8. 8

   주무시다

   Play

   jumusida

   to sleep (honorific)

9. 9

   계시다

   Play

   gyesida

   to be; to stay (honorific)

10. 10

    선생님

    Play

    seonsaengnim

    teacher; sir or madam

Tap a number to hear the word. Notice how many of the honorific words are Sino-Korean, such as 연세 and 생신, while 진지 and 드시다 are native.

Honorific Nouns (성함, 연세, 댁)

These seven nouns replace the plain word when you talk about an older or senior person. 성함 replaces 이름 (name), 연세 replaces 나이 (age), 댁 replaces 집 (house), 생신 replaces 생일 (birthday), 분 replaces 사람 (person), and 따님 and 아드님 replace daughter and son. They raise the person you are speaking to or about.

The rule for this group is that honorific words are for other people, never for yourself. You can ask 성함이 어떻게 되세요? to a customer, but you introduce yourself with 제 이름은 민수예요, not with 성함. The same rule applies to the family nouns: you call someone else's daughter 따님, and your own is 딸. 분 is used as a counter too, as in 두 분 (two people, polite), which links to the people counters. The ending 되세요 in the first sentence comes from the verb 되다 with the honorific -(으)시-: it shows respect to the person you ask.

How Do You Say Honorific Particles (께서, 께) in Korean?

Particles attach to nouns, and four of them have honorific forms. 께서 replaces 이/가 for the subject, 께서는 and 께서도 replace 은/는 and 도, and 께 replaces 에게 and 한테 for the person who receives something. They go with honorific verbs that end in -(으)시-.

The honorific particle and the honorific verb go together: 선생님께서 말씀하셨어요 has 께서 on the noun and 시 inside the verb 말씀하셨어요. If you use only one of them, the sentence feels uneven, so learners usually pair them. The particle 께 shows who receives, as in 할머니께 전화했어요, and is paired with a humble verb such as 드리다 when something is given: 할머니께 선물을 드렸어요. 께 is not used for the subject, and 께서 is not used for the receiver.

Humble Words (저, 저희)

Humble words work in the opposite direction from honorific words. They do not raise the other person. They lower the speaker or the speaker's group, and the result is respect. 저 and 저희 are the humble forms of I and we, and 드리다, 여쭈다, 뵙다 and 모시다 are humble verbs for giving, asking, meeting and accompanying.

저희 lowers your own group, such as your family or your company, in front of the listener. 저희 부모님 sounds respectful because you are lowering your own family. In the sentence 저희 부모님은 부산에 사세요, the verb 사세요 still carries the honorific -(으)시- because the subject is your parents, whom you respect. That is a useful example: the humble 저희 and the honorific 사세요 live in the same sentence. Remember that a humble verb needs a receiver or listener who is higher than you.

How Do You Say Honorific Swaps (밥-진지, 말-말씀) in Korean?

Some everyday words are replaced altogether when they refer to an elder. 밥 becomes 진지, 말 becomes 말씀, and the verbs 먹다, 자다, 있다 and 아프다 become 드시다, 주무시다, 계시다 and 편찮으시다. Learn them as pairs.

These are separate words, not a suffix, so they must be memorized in pairs: 밥 and 진지, 먹다 and 드시다, 자다 and 주무시다, 있다 and 계시다. A good test is the question 진지 드셨어요? (Have you eaten?), which an older person is glad to hear. 있다 has two honorific forms: 계시다 for being in a place, as in 집에 계세요, and 있으시다 for having something, as in 시간 있으세요? (Do you have time?). 말씀 can be a swap for 말 (words) and also a humble verb partner: 말씀드리다 means to tell a senior person.

Titles with -님

The suffix 님 turns a title into a respectful address. You say 선생님 to a teacher, 사장님 to a boss and 고객님 to a customer. Add the suffix directly to the title, with no space. After a full name in forms and notices, 님 is spaced: 홍길동 님.

In Korean workplaces, people use the title plus 님 instead of the person's name, so you hear 팀장님 more often than the team leader's name. Do not add a second respect word: 선생님님 is wrong, because 님 is already inside. The same is true of 어르신, which is a respectful noun and cannot take 님. In a notice or email, a name plus 님 (홍길동 님) is a polite way to address a person whose title you do not know. The ending in 주문하시겠어요? combines the honorific -(으)시- with -겠-, and it is the pattern shop staff use to ask what you will order.

How Do You Pronounce Korean Honorific Words?

Most honorific words are said as they are written, but a few change their sound. The National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원) sets these changes in its standard pronunciation rules. Revised Romanization follows the spoken sound for linking, but it does not show tensing caused by a neighbouring sound.

Audio and Slow Playback

Each word and sentence has its own clip. The five clips below play the harder words slowly. Play a clip, say the word, then play it again and compare the ends of the syllables.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with Honorific Words?

Five patterns catch learners when they speak to elders.

1. Using honorific words for yourself. 성함 and 연세 are for other people. For yourself, use 이름 and 나이.
2. Mixing up honorific and humble. 드시다 raises the other person who eats, while 드리다 lowers you when you give. Check who is doing the action.
3. Adding 님 to a respectful word. 선생님 is correct, and 선생님님 is not. 어르신 already carries respect, so it takes no 님.
4. Using 께서 without the verb ending. 선생님께서 말씀했어요 feels wrong. Pair 께서 with 말씀하셨어요.
5. Reading 고객님 as written. The sound is [고갱님]. The final ㄱ turns into ㅇ before ㄴ.

If you remember who is raised and who is lowered, most of the trouble goes away. The practice section turns the list into drills.

Practice: Flashcards and Worksheet

Study in three steps. First, run the deck in recognition mode until the 30 words feel familiar. Second, switch to listening mode and tap the clip before the card turns. Third, take the five-question quiz below. The deck stores your progress in your browser. The vocabulary flashcard decks page lists the other decks.

A printable worksheet for these words (word list, matching, writing practice, fill-in-the-blank exercises and answer key) is available in A4 and US Letter from the download card on this page. For additional practice, write the plain word and its honorific partner side by side on cards.

Where to Go Next

After this page, continue with Korean Pregnancy and Baby Vocabulary for family words, or with honorific endings to pair these nouns with the verb ending -(으)시-.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Honorific Vocabulary in Korean?

Honorific vocabulary is the set of respectful words that replace plain ones when you talk about or to an older or senior person. Examples are 성함 for name, 연세 for age and 드시다 for to eat. Humble words such as 저희 lower yourself instead. Together they show respect in the words, not only in the verb ending.

How Do You Say Name in the Honorific Form in Korean?

The honorific form of name is 성함 (seongham). Ask 성함이 어떻게 되세요? when you need an older person's name, for example at a clinic or a shop. For yourself, use 이름, as in 제 이름은 민수예요. The word 성함 is never used for yourself.

What Is the Difference between Honorific and Humble Words?

Honorific words raise the person you talk about, for example 연세 or 드시다. Humble words lower the speaker, for example 저희 or 드리다. Both create respect, but they point in different directions. Check who is the actor in the sentence and whether you want to raise them or lower yourself.

How Many Honorific Words Should I Learn First?

Five first: 선생님, 성함, 연세, 드시다 and 계시다. They let you address a teacher, ask a name and age, and talk about what an older person is doing. At five new words a day the 30 words take about a week with review.

Where Can I Practise Honorific Words with Flashcards?

Use the vocabulary flashcard decks. The deck for this page holds all 30 words with Hangul, romanization and audio, in recognition and listening modes. Your progress stays in your browser. Pair each honorific card with its plain partner when you review.

Is There a Printable Worksheet for Honorific Words?

A printable worksheet for these words (word list, matching, writing practice, fill-in-the-blank exercises and answer key) is available in A4 and US Letter from the download card on this page. For practice, the tables on this page can be copied by hand, and the deck carries the same 30 words.

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