Korean Speech Levels & Titles
What are Korean honorifics?
They are ways of speaking in Korean that communicate the relationship between the speaker and the subject or the listener. Korean has this built into the language with special words, titles, and grammar.
Korean has different speech levels. These levels are demonstrated in the verb endings. The speech levels that are used most often are formal speech, polite/casual speech, and Informal speech. You may also see them listed as high, middle, and low.
Korean Honorifics
Korean honorifics can be thought of as a special speech level. In Korean culture, respect is given high importance in everyday life. This is evident in the Korean language. Koreans use honorific language to communicate respect between the speaker and the subject/listener. Honorifics are used to communicate relative positions in a hierarchy. Typically Korean honorifics are used to show respect to someone higher in the hierarchy or a person who holds a high social status.
Formal & Polite
The formal speech level is used when you’re speaking to someone older than you, someone who holds a higher position than you, or someone who belongs to a higher social hierarchy. Sentences using the formal speech level usually ends with ~ㅂ니다.
The polite speech level or also known as the standard speech can be used in most situations. You can use this speech level when you’re speaking with people you know, but don’t have a close relationship with them. Sentences using this speech level usually end with 요.
Informal speech level
The informal speech level or also known as casual speech can be used when you’re speaking with people with who you have close relationships such as friends and family. This is also the speech level you can use with those younger than you or of lesser seniority.
Korean Speech Levels vs Honorifics
Korean speech levels can be thought of as politeness levels. Typically they are verb endings that demonstrate the formality of a situation. For example, you might use an informal speech level with friends, someone the same age as you, or someone younger than you. You would use the standard speech level for everyday communication. You could use the formal version when giving a speech or a news broadcast. You can use different speech levels to talk about yourself.
Honorifics are used to show respect to the listener or the third person you’re talking about. Honorifics are usually special words (nouns, verbs, verb endings, pronouns, etc) used to show respect. Korean honorifics are typically used for speaking to someone older than you or higher than you in the social hierarchy. You cannot use honorifics to talk about yourself.
What are Honorific Terms in Korean?
Honorific terms in Korean are special titles, words, and verbs that are used to refer to people older than you or higher than you in the social hierarchy.
Honorifics in Korean
The word “honorifics” in Korean can be expressed in 2 ways. The first one is 존댓말. The other word for “honorifics” in Korean is 높임말.
존댓말 is about how you convey or show respect in your sentences while 높임말 is about the choice of respectful words you use in your sentences. 반말 can be translated as the use of informal or casual speech.
KOREAN SUFFIXES
님 = a high-level honorific used to show respect to someone. This suffix is used with people’s names and titles. Koreans can call you using your full name or first name + 님. That is a common way to address someone with respect.
You’ll see the 님 suffix added to job titles. A common 님 usage is with the title of teacher - 선생님.
씨 = used to address people that are roughly on the same level of the social hierarchy. (slightly older or younger than you) An example of this might be two students in class.
This is used with a person’s name + 씨. For example, your classmate is named 배지훈. You address your classmate as 지훈 씨.
아/야 = used with people who are close to you and younger. The format used is name + 아/야. If the name ends in a consonant, then you’ll use name + 아. ㅑIf the name ends in a vowel, then you can use name + 야.
KOREAN TITLES:
오빠
- Literal meaning: “older brother”
- Is also used to call: A male friend or a male sibling who’s older than you (as a female)
- Is used by: A younger female to call an older male friend or sibling
형
- Literal meaning: “older brother”
- Is also used to call: A male friend or a male sibling who’s older than you (as a male)
- Used by: A younger male to call an older male friend or sibling
언니
- Literal meaning: “older sister”
- Is also used to call: A female friend or a female sibling who’s older than you (as a female)
- Used by: A younger female to call an older female or sibling
누나
- Literal meaning: “older sister”
- Is also used to call: A female friend or a female sibling who’s older than you (as a male)
- Used by: A younger male to call an older female or sibling
선배
- Literal meaning: “senior”
- Is used to call: A female or male student who’s older than you at school/university
- Used by: A younger female or male student
- Example: If you’re a senior at a university and your friend is a freshman, you’re 선배 to them.
- Opposite word of 선배 is 후배
후배
- Literal meaning: “junior”
- Is used to call: A female or male student who’s younger than you at school/university
- Used by: An older student to call someone who’s younger than him/her
- Example: If your friend is a freshman at a university and you’re a senior, your friend is 후배.
동생
- Literal meaning: “younger sibling”
- Is used to call: A younger male or female sibling or any friend who’s younger than you (as a female/male)
- Used by: An older male/female or an older sibling to one who’s younger than them
- Side note: You don’t use this word when you call them. Call them by name.
여동생
- Literal meaning: “younger sister”
- Is used to call: A younger female sibling or any female who’s younger than you (as a female/male)
남동생
- Literal meaning: “younger brother”
- Is used to call: A younger male sibling or any male who’s younger than you (as a female/male)
Why Do Koreans Use Honorifics?
This hierarchical culture is followed strictly. Not only just for differences in status but differences in age as well: even a 1-year age difference is considered enough to warrant honorificity.
In many situations, you will see Koreans become overjoyed when they learn that their conversation partner is the same age.
This is because they can speak freely and comfortably to people of the same age, so they will refer to each other as 친구 (chingu, meaning friend), even if they are not close. But if their conversation partner is older, they must use a more polite and formal way of speaking. If they don’t, it could be thought of as disrespectful, embarrassing, or socially insensitive.
You’ll also see 아/어 드리다 in place of 아/어 주다.
The structure of the first phrase is: verb stem + 아/어/여해드릴게요. This is commonly used to tell someone that you will do something for them. You can translate it to “I will do … for you.”
If you form this phrase as a question, it will be: verb stem + 아/어/여해드릴까요?
This is commonly used to ask someone if they would like you to do something for them? It translates to “Shall I do … for you?”.
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✿ ֹ ∗ ִ ★ 𓈒 ◌ ❀ ㅤ۫ㅤ♡ . ✶⠀𓈒⠀⠀𓏸⠀ 𓇼 ׅ ܔ ֺ 㞫 ࣭ ︵͡ ⁺ 人 𝅄 ׁ ˳ 🎹 ˖ ׁ 𖣠 ⠀ֵ⠀⠀෧ ⠀ ?̸⠀⠀ ೀ⠀ 〹 ׅ ۟ . 술
𝟐𝟐ㅤ﹏ㅤ ꐦ ֹ ᮫ ֹ 🤲🏻 ꪆ୧ ✴︎ ㅤ︒ㅤ۪ㅤㅤ⬭ㅤ* ✵ㅤ ִ ⩇⩇⠀ ݁ ⠀ ⁀✧ ֗ ๑ ✦ ㅤ҉ ⠀ ᳙ ꜜ 我 🥄 ⏎ ˚ㅤִ ୨୧ ᘒ ˖˙ ᰋㅤㅤ ℍ ۫ ˖ 🥛 ݂ ʾʾ ੭ꠥ ⪩ ⪨ㅤ . 𓂋⠀ ׅ ⠀♡𝅼 ⠀ ⏜͡︵ㅤׅㅤׄㅤ ☆゙ ۫ 𝆹₍ 𔘓 ₎ㅤ𝆬 ට 💭 ㅤׅㅤ ✩︶︶ ก ࣪ ۪ ✣ ⠀۪⠀ ᶻ 𝘇 𐰁⠀ ㅊ♡⠀ׅ ⠀ ⟡ ⌢ ꒰੭ . 𓈒 𔘓 𔓘 掁 💕 ╰ ヰ ׂ 𖣯 ࣪ ꗃ ִ ⩇⩇:⩇⩇ ᘞ ㅤ◌ ㅤ𝆬ㅤㅤ˓˓ㅤ ꕤㅤ۪ ㅤ៸៸ㅤ☆ ⃞𝆬 യㅤ𓈒ㅤ𑁯 ◌⃝ ⏜⃞ ♡ ˙ ㅤ𓈒 ᜊㅤ👻 ᭸꛱ ׁ 𝆹 ͜͡✿͜͡ 。 ˚ ︶︶✩ㅤ𖠗. ꒰୨ ୧꒱ㅤ☁️ ◞ ♡̶ 𓂃 𝆯 ᨒ ‹3 💤 ৫ ⌗ ☘︎ ׁׁ 𓏹 ﹙﹠﹚ ִ 🍣 ノ⠀ ㅋ ⠀֥ ⠀ ᯙ̷⠀៰ ˚⠀𐂯 . 𐚱⠀⁕ `⠀ 𝁼 ⁰ ⠀៹ ㅤׄㅤ ✿ . 𓆱 𖦹 ۪ ࣪ 𐑥 ୨୧ 🥛 ࣪ ׅ 言ㅤׄㅤ﹨ㅤ ⠀ᘞ⠀ ⠀۪ㅤ ♡ㅤ . .ㅤ🥨⃝⠀⠀
⏜⃞♡⠀ ᕱᕱㅤ۫⠀◦⠀✂️ ⠀៰ ˚ㅤꔫㅤ🍈 ࣪ 𖣂 𓈒 ៰៰
≠̲͞ ⠀⠀🥘⠀⠀Ꮺ ⠀𝅄⠀ֹ⠀ 𒄬 % ִ ㅤׄ͜✧ׅ͡ㅤ ࣪ 🏵️ 𓆪 ㅤεїз 𑇗ㅤ 삶 ੭୧ ۫ 𝅄 𑁍 ۪ ☆̲ ㅤׅㅤ 🪐 ㅤ˚ㅤ ♡ᰍ ૮꒱
★ ࣪˖ ⌕ ♪⠀ꕆ⠀𝇄 𝇃 ⠀𝅄⠀ֹ⠀ᄎ ♡ ⃞ છ۪ ㅤ۫ ⾆ㅤ𓈒 𓄹♡ ㅤᕬ ᕬ 𝅄 𑄻𑄾ㅤ۫ㅤㅤིྀㅤ𝅄 🗑️ ㅤ** ㅤ۫ㅤ𝟺𝟺𝟺ㅤㅋㅋ ׁ 〃
✯ ⠀⠀⃞✦ ⠀ׅ⠀ׅ⠀ׅ⠀ \⠀ 𑁤 . 🧠 ᰨ ㅤ🍎♡︎ㅤㅤ% ೀㅤㅤ۫ㅤ⠀꒰੭ ゚ ࿙⃛͜࿚⃛ ͡๑ ㅤⳊⳊ ㅤ🎹 . ᨦ ㅤ❀⃝ㅤ ͡✦ !?
レ ꒱꒱ㅤ🥛 ㅤ۪ㅤֺㅤ :¨·.·¨: ㅤ🌸̶̫ㅤ࣭୨ৎㅤ:𝙳ㅤ🍣⃞﹗ ຊ ㉶
☏̸̷ ఎ⠀𓈒 ⠀𝇈⃝🛁⠀𝆬⠀ ᜊ゙ 🧺 ⭒ ۪ ﹪ ׅ╰╮ ׅ ✩̸ ׄ ﹝🍜 ﹞ 𓈒 ☾ㅤֺ𝆬ㅤ◠ ੭ 𔓕 🌊 ‧₊˚ ✩ . ̊͟͞ ᳤ ✩᳣ ۪ ᯤ
ᨳ᭬ ✨ ˚ 𝆹 ᭝♡ 코코넛 𔓗 🌙 。ㅤ𝆬ㅤ ִ ◎ ᜨ 🌱 𔘓
🦢̼ ☆ ࣪ ִ ◌⃘ 🩹̼ ▭ֹ▭ׅ▭ֹ▭ׅ ✰ 。 ✿𝆬 キ 𝓟 !
💥̸⃞ 𓇬 🫂̲ਓ ִ 𖠁 私の ‧₊˚ 𔒛⠀𓈒⠀⠀𓏸⠀🐚 𑇢 ㅤ۫ㅤ𑰁
♥︎ ꒪ㅤ𝅄ㅤ🝱 ﹠. 〷 ࣭ ౾ ✧ 𝅄 ׁ 〾 ⻉ 𝅄 ᬛ 𐔌 ۪ ֹ 𐓯 ᩙ . ᰔ Քlѳwer ⠀ઈઉ ⠀ֵ⠀ ᭞᭞᭞ 𐓡 ׄ ά. ꔛ ֍ ٜ ℳ ְ 𝟢𝟢 𑇛 🪸 仓 ▞ 𝚈 ’ જ 🏻 ©
#̲#̲ㅤׂㅤ🌍ㅤ:ㅤ𝟭𝟭𝟭ㅤׅㅤ🖖🏻ㅤ˚ㅤ⌒ 𔘓 형.⠀ᨒ 🛏️⃞ **
★⃝͜͡ ֹ 🎮 ׅ 𝐋𝐎̸⃞̷𝐕͡𝐄 ⌯ ׅ ᯥ̸̸̸̸̸̸̸̸̸̸̸̸̸̸̸̸ 𓂅̸ « 𔒅 ׅ ♡̶ 🧇 𓄦 𝙲.
🍽️̶ . Ꮺ ࣭ 📮̸̸̸̸̸̸̸̸̸̷̷̷̷̷ 𔔢̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷ ✿ 𓈒 # ׅ ⊦ 🧭 ࣪ ▩ 🌷것
ꐑꐑ. 高 ↱ ֺ ♟️̷̷̷ 𐀔 ׅ 𖦹 ࣪ 🏮 𓈃 🧂 % : ꀯ ♡ 🏯
交 ๋࣭ 🏐 🜲 ♡𝆬 ★ 🧻 𖥉 ⿻ ⏲ ⩉⩉ ⎯⎯꯭ׁ⎯꯭⎯꯭ׁ⎯ 𒀭
☆̲̅ ⠀ׅ⠀🤞🏻 ᘞ̸ ⠀ׁ⠀ 🍡⃞ ֹ ָ֢ 🦢⃝ ˙ ּ 🍮 ׂ ★̷ׁ͟͞⎯ ࣭ ⃘𓏸
𔘓'𝗌ㅤׂㅤ♡⠀৲⠀ 🥽 ﹫ 📞⠀\⠀ ۪ ᪤ ♡͡. ꒱꒱ " ♡ "
⩨ ೕ ִ ᘏ 🜸 ฺ ა ໋ ҂ 𝄪 ▢ ⟀ 𔔀 ː ⑅ ཐིཋྀ
ಟ ִ ✽ 𓃉 ࣪ ⪨ ᵯ ִ © . ᘠ ✸ ֹ ✛ ִ
𝟑𝟑̸ ֹ ɘ ִ 🏔️ ☆ 🛝゙ ࿚ 𓇼 ⁾⁾ 🪑 ¿ 🝱 ֹ 𔓐
˚ 📦 𖧧 ִ ✱ ࣪ ୨୧ ⸼ ࣪ 💤 ˖ ✿ 𓂂𓏸 യ 🧁 ᯓ 🐮 !!
৶ ׅ 𖥦 𓂃 ‰ 𖥔 𓆸 𖦆 ࣪ ˖ ⩩ ʚ ɞ 𖤐ㅤ𝅄ㅤ۫ 旗🍒ㅤ˚ㅤִㅤ○ㅤ달콤한 ︖﹖ ˒˓ ꩜ㅤ𔓕ㅤ🗯̼ ☘️ 𓊍ㅤׂㅤ͡⊹
>< ៸៸ 🍏ㅤ৴ 𓈒ㅤ୨ৎㅤׂㅤchᧉrrⴗ ᓚᘏᗢㅤ۫ ★ ʚĭɞ
⨳ !! ⊹ ♡⃝ ㅤ۫ ㅤ+ ۫ ᕱᕱ 𝅄 ୧୧⠀ 𝟎꯭𝟎꯭𝟑 |꛱ ꛱͜ | u.
⬙ ۪ ☄︎ 🖖🏻 。 ˖ ❊ 🍢 (e) ∬ ﹒ ‿ ⌆
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