The Korean Language has an extensive grammatical honorifics system, known as 높임말 (High Speech), which is based on functional inflexion: the grammatical structure, or verb changes depending on who one is talking to/about. The inflexion or addressal changes depending on the addressee’s age, social status, intimacy, and situation.

In Korean, there are 7 levels of inflexion for sentences, divided into 3 parts, high speech, middle speech, and low speech. They are further subdivided into polite high speech, polite middle speech and so on.

1. High Speech

1.1 Very Formally-Polite (하소서체)

This is used in traditional contexts, and was used until the Joseon Dynasty, with aristocrats and the royalty. It is still used in religious contexts, and is found in Korean translation of Buddhist texts, and the Bible. It is the highest level of politeness and formality in Korean but is uncommon in modern speech.

1. Base Verb: 하나이다 (To Do)
2. Present Formally-Polite: 하옵나이다
3. Honorific Present Formally-Polite: 하시옵나이다

1.2 Formal Polite (하십시오체)

This is used frequently and conversationally by Koreans. It is the speech level one speaks to a stranger, teacher, or professor with and in a formal setting, with their colleagues and seniors. TV stars, MCs, newsreporters, and announcers only use this level.

1. Base Verb: 하다
2. Present Formal Polite: 합니다
3. Honorific Present Formal Polite: 하십니다

2. Middle Speech

2.1 Casual Polite (해요체)

This is the most frequent speech level in Korean and is used among people of around the same age or status level. It is used with strangers of the same age as well. Most conversation among colleagues, friends, family, and other acquaintances happens in this speech level, and hence it is usually the first speech level taught to foreigners learning Korean.

1. Base Verb: 하다
2. Present Casual Polite: 해요
3. Honorific Present Casual Polite: 하세요, 하셔요 (Rare)

2.2 Neutral Familiar (하게체)

This speech level can be understood as “familiar.” It is neither casual nor formal, and is neither polite nor impolite. It is extremely uncommon in usage, and is only used by older people addressing younger people, and by professors or bosses to their students and inferiors respectively. It is never used to address children or blood relatives. It is to not be confused with the interrogative or exclamatory grammar ending, “-네.”

1. Base Verb: 하다
2. Present Neutral Familiar: 하네
3. Honorific Present Neutral Familiar: 하시네

3. Low Speech

3.1 Formal Impolite (해라체)

This style is a “plain” or “unbiased” style of speech or writing. It is used widely in writing first-person accounts, and quoting. In speech, it is used by adults to children, and by close friends. It is also exclamatorily used.

• Base Verb: 하다
• Present Formal Impolite: 한다
• Honorific Present Formal Impolite: 하신다

3.2 Informal Impolite (해체)

It is another very common speech level, used in everyday conversation. It is also the most intimate style of speech. It is used when talking to children and with close family and friends.

1. Base Verb: 하다
2. Present Informal Impolite: 해
3. Honorific Present Informal Impolite: 해셔

By, Shantanu Dayal Sharan

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