Korean speech levels

There are seven verb paradigms or speech levels in Korean, and each level has its own unique set of verb endings which are used to indicate the level of formality of a situation. Unlike honorifics – which are used to show respect towards someone mentioned in a sentence – speech levels are used to show respect towards a speaker's or writer's audience, or reflect the formality or informality of the situation. They represent a system of honorifics in the linguistic use of the term as a grammar system, distinct from honorific titles.

The names of the seven levels are derived from the non-honorific imperative form of the verb hada (하다; "to do") in each level, plus the suffix che (체), which means "style". Each Korean speech level can be combined with honorific or non-honorific noun and verb forms. Taken together, there are 14 combinations.

Some of these speech levels are disappearing from the majority Korean speech . Hasoseo-che is used now mainly in movies or dramas set in Joseon era, and in religious speech.^[1] Hage-che is limited to modern male speech. Whilst Hao-che is found more commonly in the Jeolla dialect and Pyongan standard dialect.

Higher levels

Hasoseo-che

Name	Hasoseo-che (하소서체)
Formality	very high
Politeness	high
Currency	uncommon

Very formally polite
Traditionally used when addressing a king, queen, or high official.

When the infix op / saop , jaop (옵; after a vowel / 사옵 , 자옵; after a consonant) or sap / jap (삽 / 잡) or sao / jao (사오 / 자오) is inserted, the politeness level also becomes very high. hanaida (하나이다) becomes haomnaida (하옵나이다; non-honorific present declarative very formally very polite), hasinaida (하시나이다) becomes hasiomnaida (하시옵나이다; honorific present declarative very formally very polite). The imperative form hasoseo (하소서) also becomes haopsoseo (하옵소서; non-honorific imperative very formally very polite) and hasiopsoseo (하시옵소서; honorific imperative very formally very polite). It is used now:

• historical dramas
• religious text such as the Bible, Buddhist scriptures etc.
• address royalty

Present	Honorific Present	1st Person	2nd Person
hanaida (하나이다)	hasinaida (하시나이다)	jeo (저)	a title, e.g. imgeum (임금)

Hasipsio-che

Name	Hasipsio-che (하십시오체)
Formality	high
Politeness	high
Currency	common

Formally polite
This conversational style is generally called either the "formal" or the "formal polite". Another name for this is hapsyo-che or 합쇼체 This is a common style of speaking. A conversation with a stranger will generally start out in this style and gradually fade into more and more frequent haeyo-che. It is used

• between strangers at the start of a conversation
• among colleagues in more formal settings; example work meetings
• by TV announcers
• to customers
• in certain fixed expressions like 만나서 반갑습니다 mannaseo bangapseumnida "Pleased to meet you"

Present	Honorific Present	1st Person	2nd Person
hamnida (합니다)	hasimnida (하십니다)	jeo (저)	a title, e.g. seonsaengnim (선생님)

Middle levels

The middle levels are used when there is some conflict or uncertainty about the social status of one or both participants in a conversation. The hage-che and hao-che are being replaced by or merging with haeyo-che.

Haeyo-che

Name	Haeyo-che (해요체)
Formality	low
Politeness	high
Currency	common

Casually polite
This speech style is called the "polite" style in English. Like the 해체 Hae-che, it exhibits no inflection for most expected forms. Unlike other speech styles, basic conjugations for the declarative, interrogative and imperative forms are identical, depending on intonation and context or other additional suffixes. Most Korean phrasebooks for foreigners follow this speech style due to its simplicity and proper politeness. Second person pronouns are generally omitted in the polite speech styles. (See Korean pronouns.) It is used:

• In Korean phrasebooks for foreigners.
• Between strangers, especially those older or of equal age.
• Between colleagues
• By younger speakers as a less old-fashioned alternative to the hao-che.
• By men and women in Seoul as a less formal alternative to the hasipsio-che.

Present	Honorific Present	1st Person	2nd Person
haeyo (해요)	haseyo (하세요) (common), hasyeoyo (하셔요) (rare)	jeo (저)

Hao-che

Name	Hao-che (하오체)
Formality	high
Politeness	neutral
Currency	less common

Formally neither polite nor impolite
This conversational style is called the "semi-formal," "middle," "formal lateral," or "authoritarian" style in English. In Seoul, the 쇼 -syo ending is frequently pronounced 수 su. It is similar to the 하십시오체 Hasipsio-che, but does not lower oneself to show humility. It basically implies "My status is as high as you so I won't be humble, but I still respect your status and don't want to make you feel offended" so it's still supposed to be polite yet never willing to lower one's head to please the listener. (e.g. In the medieval times, if two kings from different countries have a meeting, they both would use this speech style. A king can use this speech style to his courtiers to show a minimum level of courtesy, and the courtiers will think the king is using a refined language.) It was originally a refined, poetic style that people resorted to in ambiguous social situations. Until the end of the nineteenth century, it was used widely in the ways the polite style is used now; but with the emergence of the polite style, the range of the semiformal style narrowed, and it became a style used only with inferiors.^[2] Further, due to its over-use by authority figures during Korea's period of dictatorship, it became associated with power and bureaucracy and gained a negative connotation. Consequently, this style has almost completely fallen out of use in modern South Korea, and the generation of Koreans who came of age after democratization also conspicuously avoid using it. It is used:^[3]

• Occasionally among the older generation, by civil servants, police officers, middle management, middle-aged people, and other people of intermediate social rank who have temporary authority over what would normally be considered their superiors
• Used in written language such as signs and public notices, in which case the imperative form is used.
• In historical dramas, where it gives the dialogue a more old-fashioned sound.
• In the spoken form of certain dialects, such as the Hamgyŏng dialect.

Present	Honorific Present	1st Person	2nd Person
hao (하오)	hasyo (하쇼), hasio (하시오)	na (나)	dangsin (당신)

Hage-che

Name	Hage-che (하게체)
Formality	neutral
Politeness	neutral
Currency	less common

Neither formal nor casual, neither polite nor impolite
This conversational style is called the "familiar." It is intermediate in politeness between haeyo-che and hae-che. It is not used to address children, and is never used to address blood relatives. It is used only:^[4]

• By some older people when addressing younger people or especially in-laws in a friendly manner.
• Used for those under one's authority: by professors toward their students, by bosses toward their employees etc.
• Between adult male friends, occasionally.
• In novels

Present	Honorific Present	1st Person	2nd Person
hane (하네)	hasine (하시네)	na (나)	jane (자네)

Lower levels

The hae-che and haera-che styles are frequently mixed together in the same conversation, so much so that it can be hard to tell what verb endings belong to which style. Endings that may be used in either style are:

• Question: -니?/-냐?/-느냐?
• Proposition: -자. (this is roughly equivalent to "let's" in English)
• Casual statement: -지. (this is roughly equivalent to "I suppose")
• Casual question: -지?. (this is roughly equivalent to "I wonder if" in English)
• Exclamation: -구나! -다!

Haera-che

Name	Haera-che (해라체)
Formality	high
Politeness	low
Currency	common

Formally impolite
This conversational style is generally called the "plain" style. In writing and quoting, the plain style is the equivalent of the third person. Any other written style would feel like a first-person account (that is, anything else would seem to be told in the main character's own voice). It is used:

• To close friends or relatives of similar age, and by adults to children.
• In impersonal writing (books, newspapers, and magazines) and indirect quotations ("She said that...").
• In grammar books, to give examples.
• In some exclamations.

Present	Honorific Present	1st Person	2nd Person
handa (한다)	hasinda (하신다)	na (나)	neo (너)

Hae-che

Name	Hae-che (해체)
Formality	low
Politeness	low
Currency	common

Casually impolite
This conversational style is called the "intimate" in English. Like the 해요체 Haeyo-che, it exhibits no inflection for most expected forms. Basic conjugations for the declarative, interrogative and imperative forms are identical, depending on intonation and context or other additional suffixes. It is used:

• Between close friends and relatives.
• When talking to children.

Non-Honorific Present	Honorific Present	1st Person	2nd Person
hae (해) (in speech), hayeo (하여) (in writing)	hasyeo (하셔)	na (나)	neo (너)

Endings

Formal Speech

Hasoseo-che

Raises the addressee very highly.

Declarative Mood[평서법]	Indicative	-사옵나이다, -(으)옵나이다 - saomnaida, -(eu)omnaida
	To indicate a reminder by conveying a fact that has been seen, heard, or experienced.	-더니이다 , -더이다 -deoniida , -deoida
	To indicate intention or conjecture	-사오리이다, -사오리다, -(으)오리이다 -saoriida, -saorida, -(eu)oriida
Interogative Mood[의문법]	Indicative	-사옵나이까, -(으)옵나이까 -saomnaikka, -(eu)omnaikka
		-사옵니까, -(으)옵니까-saomnikka, -(eu)omnikka
		-사오니까, -(으)오니까-saonikka, -(eu)onikka
	To indicate a question about the other party's intentions for an action or state	-사오리이까, 사오리까 -saoriikka, saorikka
		-(으)오리이까, -(으)오리까 -(eu)oriikka, -(eu)orikka
	To ask the other party about the action he intends to do	-(으)리이까, -리까 -(eu)riikka, -rikka
	To ask to reflect on past	-더니이까, -더이까 -deoniikka, -deoikka
Imperative Mood[명령법]	-(으)옵소서, -(으)소서 -(eu)opsoseo, -(eu)soseo
Propositive Mood[청유법]	-(으)사이다 -(eu)saida

Hasipsio-che

Raises the addressee highly.

Declarative Mood[평서법]	Indicative	-(스)ㅂ니다 -(seu)mnida
		Humble	-(으/느)ㄴ뎁쇼 -(eu/neu)ndepsyo
			-(으)옵니다 , -사옵니다-(eu)omnida , -saomnida
	To describe a fact		-(이)올시다 -(i)olsida
	To express certainty in belief/assertion		-(스)ㅂ지요 -(seu)bjiyo
Interogative Mood[의문법]	Indicative		-(스)ㅂ니까-(seu)mnikka
	To ask the other party about the action he intends to do.		-(으)리까 -(eu)rikka
	To express certainty in belief/assertion		-(스)ㅂ지요 -(seu)pjiyo
Imperative Mood[명령법]			-(으)ㅂ시오-(eu)psio
Propositive Mood[청유법]			-(으)십시다, -(으)시지요, -(으)시라-(eu)sipsida, -(eu)sijiyo, -(eu)sira
Request			-(으)ㅂ시사-(eu)psisa

Hao-che

Raises the addressee moderately.

Declarative Mood [평서법]	Indicative	-(으)오, -오/소 -(eu)o, -o/so
	To show speaker already knows	-(ㄴ/는)다오, -(이)라오 -(n/neun)dao, -(i)rao
	To express Intention or Conjecture	-(으)리다 -(eu)rida
	To express experienced event/action	-(스)ㅂ디다 -(seu)bdida
Imperative Mood [명령법]		-(으)오, -(으)우-(eu)o, -(eu)u
Exclamatory Mood [감탄법]		-(는)구려, -(이)로구려-(neun)guryeo, -(i)roguryeo

Hage-che

Lowers the addressee moderately.

Mood		Ending
Declarative Mood [평서법]	Indicative	-네-ne
	To indicate intention or conjecture	-(으)ㄹ레 -(eu)lle
	To show speaker already knows	-(ㄴ/는)다네 -(n/neun)dane
	To explain one's thoughts	-(으)ㄹ세 , -(eu)lse
	Connective Ending	-(으/느)니 -(eu/neu)ni
Imperative Mood [명령법]		-게-ge
Interogative Mood [의문법]	Indicative	-나, -(으/느)ㄴ가-na, -(eu/neu)ga
	To show the speaker guesses a certain situation	-(으)ㄹ런가 (eu)lleonga
	To strongly deny the preceding content by a question, meaning similar "How could that be ? "	-(으)ㄹ쏜가 -(eu)lssonga
Propositive Mood [청유법]		-(으)세, -(으)세나-(eu)se, -(eu)sena
Exclamatory Mood [감탄법]		-(으)ㄹ세, -(이)로세-(eu)lse, -(i)rose
Supposition		-(으)ㄹ세-(eu)lse

Haera-che

Lowers the addressee.

Declarative Mood [평서법]	Indicative	-(ㄴ/는)다 -(n/neun)da
	To show speaker already knows	-(ㄴ/는)단다, -(이)란다 -(n/neun)danda, -(i)randa
	Connective Ending	-(이/었/겠)거니 -(i/eot/get)geoni
	To present a fact the speaker realized anew from a person	-더라 -deora
	To show the speaker guesses a certain situation	-(으)리라 -(eu)rira
	To express Intention	-(으)리로다 -(eu)riroda
	To express certainty in belief/assertion	-(으)렷다 -(eu)ryeotda
Imperative Mood [명령법]		-어라, -(으)라, -도록
Interogative Mood [의문법]	Indicative	-냐, -니
	To to judge that something is not likely to happen and ask something in response.	-(으)랴
	To ask the listener in a friendly manner if he/she intends to accept a certain act which will be done for him/her.	-(으)련
	To to ask about the listener's personal experience of the past in a friendly manner.	-던
	To aske what the listener experienced in the past.	-디
	To complain about a certain fact	-(ㄴ/는)담, -남, -(이)람
	To guess about something	-(으/느)ㄴ고
	To confirm and ask questions about a previous suggestion or piece of advice.	-자면서
Propositive Mood [청유법]		-자
	To advise the listener in a friendly manner to do a certain act together.	-자꾸나
	To permit gently or order mildly.	-(으)렴, -(으)려무나
Intention[약속법]		-(으)마
Exclamatory Mood [감탄법]	To imply a certain feeling in a newly learned fact.	-(는)구나, -(이)로구나,
	To indicate that the speaker notices or is impressed by a newly learned fac	-(는)군
	To ask a question about a certain fact that is assumed to be already given.	-(ㄴ/는)다니
	To express admiration	-(으)ㄹ데라니,
	To worry about something possibly happening.	-(으)ㄹ라, -(으)ㄹ세라
	To emphasise a fact or statement	-(이)라니까
Subjunctive Mood [가정법]		-(으)ㄹ진저

Informal Speech

Haeyo-che

Raises the addressee moderately.

Declarative Mood [평서법]	also used in Interogative Mood [의문법] Exclamatory Mood [감탄법] Propositive Mood [청유법]	-어요, -이에요/예요, -(이)여요, -(이)요[
Imperative Mood [명령법]		-어요, -(으)세요, -(으)시어요

Hae-che

Lowers the addressee or does not raise the addressee.

Declarative Mood [평서법]	Indicative	-어, -(이)야
	To confirm something	-지,
	To ask the listener again, or confirm what the speaker heard earlier.	-(ㄴ/는)다지
	To show speaker already knows	-(이)라지,
	To refer to the reason, cause, or basis for the preceding statement that the speaker thought of.	-거든, -거들랑
	To express experienced event/action	-데
	To answer, omitting the question that should follow and finishing the sentence.	-고
	To indicate that no other way exists except for that.	-(으)ㄹ밖에
Imperative Mood [명령법]		-어, -지
Interogative Mood [의문법]	Indicative	-어, -(이)야, -(으)ㄹ까,
	To ask the listener in a friendly manner.To ask something that the speaker already knows to cross-check the information.	-지
	To indicate a vague doubt.	-(으/느)ㄴ지
	To ask if something uncertain will happen actually or to express	-(으)ㄹ는지
	To ask the listener to try to guess and answer.	-게
	To indicate the speaker's intention to do something in the future, or to ask for the listener's thoughts about that.	-(으)ㄹ래,
	To admire something while anticipating the listener's response.	-(으/느)ㄴ데
	To ask casually about the expectation or assumption of an event.	-(으)려나
	When the speaker asks himself/herself about his/her thoughts or asks for another person's opinion.	-(으)ㄹ거나
	To confirm and asks questions about a fact that one heard.	-(ㄴ/는)다면서, -(이)라면서
Exclamatory Mood [감탄법]	Toi ndicate that the speaker notices or is impressed by a newly learned fact	-(는)구먼
	To talk about a certain result happening as one expected, while giving reasons for it.	-더라니,
	To express admiration	-(으)ㄹ데라니, -(으)ㄹ사
	To express self talk that impress	-(이)로고,
Propositive Mood [청유법]	To emphasise the suggestion to do a certain act together by repeating it.	-자니까
Intention [약속법]		-(으)ㄹ게
Objective Negation [객관부정법]		-(으)ㄹ세말이지
Monologue [독백]	To ask again or admiring an unexpected fact in surprise.	-(ㄴ/는)다니, -(이)라니
	To say a newly learned fact with admiration.	-(으/느)ㄴ걸,
	To indicate a guess or assumption.	-(으)ㄹ걸,
	To emphasise one's remark, while reconfirming what was said earlier.	-(ㄴ/는)다니까, -(이)라니까
	To strongly denying the fact of the preceding statement, or raising a question about it.	-(ㄴ/는)대, -나

See also

• Korean honorifics
• Korean pronouns

References

1. "[Ms포토]조윤서 '사랑을 받아주시옵소서~'". MHN스포츠 (in Korean). 2022-10-18. Retrieved 2022-10-23.
2. Lee, Iksop; Ramsey, S. Robert (2000). The Korean Language. State University of New York Press. ISBN 0-7914-4831-2.
3. 안진명; 선은희 (2013). Korean grammar in use: Advanced (in Korean). Darakwon. p. 334. ISBN 978-89-277-3116-0.
4. 안진명; 선은희 (2013). Korean grammar in use: Advanced (in Korean). Darakwon. p. 338. ISBN 978-89-277-3116-0.

• 문체법 [1], (국어국문학자료사전, 1998, 한국사전연구사).