“What is your age?” — when you first encounter a Korean person this is a typical question. Although this is very personal, it’s only to treat someone with respect given your age.
The ages of the individuals conversing have a significant impact on Korean grammar and speech patterns, particularly through varying degrees of formality and honorific language. In addition to grammar, this affects common vocabulary and interpersonal communication when speaking to an older person in Korea, speakers use more formal or courteous grammar; conversely, when speaking to friends or younger people, more informal forms are acceptable. There are various ways to ask someone their age depending on their relative age and the desired level of politeness, and honorific suffixes like 씨(ssi) are frequently used in verbs to express respect. As a result, in Korea it is very important to treat older people.
GRAMMAR PATTERNS
Two basic speech patterns inSouth Korea, Banmal(반말) and Jondaemal(존댓말), indicate the degree of familiarity or respect between speakers.
Banmal(반말):
- Banmal is the informal or casual speech used among close friends, younger people, or those with whom you share intimacy or equality.
- Shorter, simpler forms are used instead of polite verb endings.
- It can be impolite or disrespectful to use Banmal with an older person who holds a higher social status without their consent.
- Ends with -아 ,어 or no special ending.
- Example of greeting : “안녕 (Annyeong).”
- Example in a sentence : 몇 살이에요? (How old are you?)
Jondaemal(존댓말):
- Jondaemal is polite speech used to show respect to elders or strangers.
- It is a default mode in public, professional and respectful contexts.
- Respectful ends with“-어요/-아요”(polite casual), “-습니다/-ㅂ니다” (deferential formal), “-해요체” is polite yet approachable.
- Example of greeting: “안녕하세요”(Annyeonghaseyo)
- Example in a sentence : “나이가 어떻게 되세요?” (How old are you?)
IN A TABLE FORM:
| CATEGORY | WORD | BANMAL | JONDAEMAL |
| Noun | Person | 사람 | 분 |
| Noun(suffix) | Teacher | None | 선생님 |
| 3.Pronoun | We | 우리 | 저희 |
| 4.Verb | To eat | 먹어 | 드세요 |
| 5.Ending | _ | -어/-아 | -세요/-습니다 |
In addition to being grammatical differences, Banmal and jondaemal are also signs of social consciousness and emotional ties. By demonstrating politeness, humility, and respect toward elders, strangers, or those in positions of authority, Jondaemal (존댓말) preserves social harmony and appropriate manners. Banmal (반말), on the other hand, is reserved for friends, close relatives, or people younger than oneself; it means familiarity, equality, and affection.
Written by – Sahinoor
About the Author –
My name is Sahinoor. I have a strong desire to learn a new language and culture whenever I get spare time. Despite being from a different culture, I have always been interested in other cultures. After watching Korean drama, I became very interested in Korean culture and life-style as a teenager. My passion for learning has given me a fantastic opportunity to write articles. I will be able to broaden my knowledge and discover a lot more about my cherished South Korea by writing articles.