Korean Honorifics: How Speech Levels Actually Work

Politeness comes in layers

Learners usually picture Korean politeness as a switch between polite and casual. In practice three systems move independently: the sentence ending, which addresses the listener; the infix -(으)시-, which elevates the subject of the sentence; and special vocabulary that swaps the word outright.

This is why a sentence can be polite and still land wrong. Using a polite ending while omitting -(으)시- addresses the listener respectfully but leaves their own action unelevated: a mismatch native speakers notice immediately.

Sentence endings: three levels are enough

Textbooks sometimes list six speech levels; modern spoken Korean effectively uses three. A beginner only needs the middle one to be safe everywhere.

하십시오체 is respectful but distant: think of how shop staff address customers. 해요체 is polite and warm at the same time, which is why it works with everyone from a stranger to a colleague.

The infix that elevates the subject

-(으)시- raises the subject of the sentence, independent of the ending. You slot it into the verb when talking about what the other person did: 선생님이 왔어요 is grammatical but disrespectful, while 선생님이 오셨어요 is what a native speaker says.

One hard rule: never apply -(으)시- to yourself. 제가 가세요 elevates the speaker and sounds absurd to a native ear, and it is among the most common learner mistakes.

When the word itself changes

A handful of everyday words have suppletive honorific forms: entirely different words rather than a modified ending. There are not many, but every one of them is high-frequency.

Particles and address terms shift too: the subject marker 이/가 becomes 께서, the dative 에게 becomes 께, and names take 님 or 씨. 님 is more respectful than 씨 and usually attaches to a title, as in 선생님 (teacher) and 과장님 (manager).

A safe default while you learn

1. End every sentence in 해요체: 가요, 먹어요, 좋아요.
2. Add -(으)시- when the subject is the other person: 가세요, 하셨어요.
3. Never use -(으)시- about yourself.
4. Memorize a few suppletive forms: 드시다, 주무시다, 계시다, 연세, 성함.
5. Do not switch to casual speech until the other person proposes it.

Mistakes here are usually forgiven: a learner slipping into casual speech gets a smile rather than offense. Over-politeness, meanwhile, costs nothing at all, which is why erring upward is always the safe bet.

Speech levels are one half of politeness; the other half is what you call people. Oppa, noona, hyung and unnie explains the family-style titles friends use and when -ssi or -nim fits instead.

Frequently asked questions