Korean speech levels and honorifics explained: 해요체, 합쇼체 and 반말

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Korean changes the ends of its verbs depending on who you are talking to and who you are talking about. That sounds intimidating, but in practice a learner needs three speech levels and a handful of honorific words. This guide covers what they are and when to use each one.

Two separate ideas

Korean politeness works on two axes at once:

Speech level: how polite you are to the person you are talking to. This is shown by the verb ending.
Honorifics: respect for the person you are talking about, shown by -시- and by special nouns and verbs.

You can be polite to your friend (speech level) while talking about your friend's grandmother respectfully (honorific). Keeping the two apart makes everything clearer.

The three speech levels you need

합쇼체 (formal polite): endings like -습니다 / -ㅂ니다 and questions in -습니까. Used in news broadcasts, presentations, announcements, the military, formal business and when addressing an audience. Example: 감사합니다 (thank you), 반갑습니다 (nice to meet you).
해요체 (informal polite): endings in -아요 / -어요. This is the everyday polite form, used with strangers, shop staff, colleagues and anyone older or senior to you. Example: 가요 (I go / are you going?), 맛있어요 (it's delicious).
반말 (casual speech): the same verbs without -요: 가, 먹어, 맛있어. Used with close friends of the same age, younger people who have agreed to it, family members you are close to, and children.

If you are unsure, use 해요체. It is polite without being stiff, and nobody will be offended by it.

When to switch to 반말

Switching to 반말 is a step in a relationship, not something you decide alone. Often the older person suggests it: 말 편하게 하세요 (speak comfortably) or 말 놓을까요? (shall we drop the formality?). Using 반말 with a stranger or someone older without that agreement comes across as rude, while staying in 해요체 with a close friend for too long can feel distant.

The honorific -시-

To show respect for the subject of a sentence, add -시- to the verb stem. In 해요체 this usually becomes -세요 / -으세요:

가요 (goes) becomes 가세요 (goes, respectfully)
읽어요 (reads) becomes 읽으세요
선생님이 오세요. The teacher is coming.

You never use -시- about yourself. 저는 가세요 is wrong; 저는 가요 is right.

Honorific verbs

Some common verbs have their own honorific form instead of a -시- version:

먹다 / 마시다 (eat / drink) becomes 드시다: 할머니께서 진지를 드세요. Grandmother is eating.
있다 (to be somewhere) becomes 계시다: 사장님 계세요? Is the boss in?
자다 (sleep) becomes 주무시다: 안녕히 주무세요. Good night (sleep well).
말하다 (speak) becomes 말씀하시다.
주다 (give, to someone senior) becomes 드리다: 선물을 드렸어요. I gave a present.

Honorific nouns and particles

집 (house) becomes 댁, 나이 (age) becomes 연세, 이름 (name) becomes 성함, 밥 (meal) becomes 진지.
The subject particle 이 / 가 becomes 께서, and 에게 (to) becomes 께.
저 and 저희 are humble forms of "I" and "we", used in polite speech instead of 나 and 우리.

Phrases worth memorising

안녕하세요: hello (해요체)
안녕히 가세요 / 안녕히 계세요: goodbye to someone leaving / staying
처음 뵙겠습니다: nice to meet you (formal)
성함이 어떻게 되세요?: may I ask your name?
맛있게 드세요: enjoy your meal
수고하셨습니다: thank you for your hard work, said at the end of a working day

A simple rule of thumb

Use 해요체 with almost everyone, 합쇼체 when speaking formally or to a group, and 반말 only when invited. Add -시- when talking about someone older or senior, and learn 드시다, 계시다 and 주무시다 early because you will hear them every day. Which speech level situations still confuse you? Ask in the comments, or share a time you got it wrong and how people reacted.