Korean Speech Levels: Polite, Formal, and Casual
Korean has multiple speech levels that encode social distance and respect. Here is how each one works, when to use it, and the rules that decide your choice.
Why Korean Has So Many Speech Levels
Korean sentence endings show how the speaker addresses the listener. Traditional descriptions distinguish several speech levels; this guide focuses on polite 해요체, formal 하십시오체 (also called 합쇼체), and casual 해체. 반말 is a broader everyday label for non-polite speech, rather than the name of just one grammatical speech level.
The reason this exists comes down to Korean's deep historical relationship with social hierarchy. Until the late Joseon period, every interaction encoded the relative status of the speaker and listener — age, social class, family role, occupation. The speech level system survives even as Korean society has modernised because the underlying social calculus — who is older, who is the customer, who started the conversation — still matters in everyday life.
Start with 해요체 for ordinary polite exchanges, then learn to recognize formal and casual endings. Other styles, including 하오체, 하게체, and written 해라체, appear in particular relationships and genres. Their frequency depends on the material you read or hear; they are not all simply obsolete.
Level 1: 합쇼체 — The Highest Formal Form
합쇼체 (or 하십시오체) is the highest level of formal speech, marked by the verb endings -ㅂ니다/습니다 in statements and -ㅂ니까/습니까 in questions. You will hear this on news broadcasts, in business presentations, in customer-facing service announcements, and in any context where the speaker is signalling maximum respect and professional distance.
Typical examples: 안녕하십니까? (Hello, formal), 감사합니다 (Thank you, formal), 어디에서 오셨습니까? (Where are you from, formal). Notice that 안녕하십니까 is almost never said between friends; it would feel theatrical. But a flight attendant says it to passengers, a salesperson says it to customers, and a junior employee says it to their CEO without thinking.
For most learners, 합쇼체 is something you should be able to recognise and understand even if you do not actively use it. The exception is if you work in a Korean corporate setting, where you will hear and need to produce 합쇼체 routinely. If that is your situation, Level 5 of HaruKorean specifically covers the 합쇼체 forms you will need.
Level 2: 해요체 — The Polite Default
해요체 is a useful starting point for polite everyday exchanges with strangers, shop staff, and new acquaintances. Its endings include -아요/-어요 and forms such as 해요. The appropriate style depends on the relationship and setting; a fixed percentage does not describe every conversation.
Examples: 어디 가세요? (Where are you going, polite), 안녕하세요 (Hello, polite), 감사해요 (Thank you, slightly softer than 감사합니다), 잘 지냈어요? (Have you been well, polite past).
Levels 2, 3, and 4 introduce many examples in 해요체. Practice changing a short sentence between styles: 가요 (gayo, polite), 갑니다 (gamnida, formal), and 가 (ga, casual) all describe going, but address the listener differently.
Level 3: 반말 — The Intimate Form
반말 is Korean's intimate speech level, used between close friends of similar age, between family members of similar generation, and from older speakers to younger ones in clearly established relationships. The verb endings drop the polite -요: 어디 가? (Where are you going?), 잘 지냈어? (Have you been well?), 뭐 해? (What are you doing?).
Reaching the point in a friendship where you can use 반말 with someone is a real social moment in Korea, called 말 놓다 (literally 'let down speech'). You typically do not switch to 반말 unilaterally; you ask. The phrase 우리 말 놓을까요? means 'should we drop the polite form between us?', and getting the timing right is part of forming a closer friendship.
Misusing 반말 is one of the social errors that can come across as rude. Using it with a stranger or with someone clearly older than you sounds aggressive or childish. Stick to 해요체 in any new relationship, and let the other person initiate the switch to 반말 once enough familiarity has built up.
The Subject Honorific -(으)시-: A Layer Beyond Speech Levels
Separate from speech levels is the subject honorific -(으)시-, which elevates the grammatical subject of the sentence — usually because the subject is someone the speaker respects. This is independent of the speech level: you can use -(으)시- in both 해요체 and 합쇼체.
Examples: 가다 (to go) becomes 가시다 when the subject is a respected person. 선생님이 가세요 means 'the teacher is going' with respect to the teacher. 선생님이 가요 would be grammatical but socially incomplete — you should elevate the subject when referring to someone older or higher in status. Some verbs have completely different honorific forms: 먹다 (to eat) becomes 잡수시다, 자다 (to sleep) becomes 주무시다, 있다 (to exist/be) becomes 계시다.
-(으)시- is one of the trickiest features of Korean for learners because it requires constant social awareness. You do not just decide on a speech level once and stick with it; you also decide, for each sentence, whether the subject deserves elevation. With your boss as the subject, every verb takes -(으)시-. With your friend as the subject, none do. This is where Japanese speakers have a big advantage — the underlying calculation is similar to subject-honorific keigo (尊敬語).
Practical Rules for Choosing the Right Level
When in doubt, use 해요체. It is the safest default for almost any adult interaction. The only situations where 해요체 is too informal are formal business settings, broadcasting, and announcements — where 합쇼체 is expected.
Match the speech level of the person who started the conversation. If they used 합쇼체, respond in 합쇼체. If they used 해요체, respond in 해요체. If they used 반말 to you and they are older or in a position of authority, respond in 해요체 (asymmetric speech levels are normal and expected between people of different status).
Do not switch to 반말 with anyone you have just met, regardless of their apparent age. Many learners hear native speakers use 반말 with each other and assume it is the default; it is not. Native speakers who use 반말 freely with each other have established that relationship over time. As a foreign speaker, you are essentially always in 해요체 unless someone explicitly invites you to drop it.
Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Check whether your ending fits the listener and the situation. 가게에 갔어요 (gagee gasseoyo, I went to the shop) is polite; 가게에 갔습니다 (gagee gatsseumnida) is formal; 가게에 갔어 (gagee gasseo) is casual. Polite and formal styles can alternate naturally in a conversation, but an unexpected switch to casual speech can change the relationship you imply.
The second most common mistake is failing to use -(으)시- when the subject is older or higher in status. 'My mother is sleeping' should be 어머니가 주무세요, not 어머니가 자요. Skipping the subject honorific is grammatically possible but sounds disrespectful in a way most learners do not realise until a native speaker corrects them.
The third common mistake is over-formalising in casual contexts. Using 합쇼체 with classmates or friends sounds theatrical and creates social distance. Save 합쇼체 for work contexts, formal speeches, and contact with people who clearly outrank you professionally.
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