Lesson 14 1-Year Course, Week 36

The Six Speech Levels and When to Use Them

Learn Korean’s six speech levels — 하십시오체, 하오체, 하게체, 해라체, 해요체, 해체 — which ones people use today, and how to choose the right one safely.

Professor Hangyeol · The history, culture and advanced expressions of Hangeul

What you will learn in this lesson

Name the six speech levels and recognize their endings
Know which levels are common today and which are mostly old-fashioned
Choose between 하십시오체, 해요체 and 반말 in real situations
Understand when casual speech is rude and how to switch politely

Professor Hangyeol

Hello again, my friend. In the last lesson we showed respect to the person we talk about. Today we look at the person we talk to. Korean changes the end of every sentence depending on who is listening. There are six levels, but do not be frightened — in daily life you will mostly need three.

What is a speech level?

A speech level is the set of sentence endings you choose for your listener. The same idea, "I’m going", can be said in many ways: 갑니다, 가요, 가, 간다…

Korean grammar books usually describe six levels. They are named after how the verb 하다 looks in that style: 하십시오체, 하오체, 하게체, 해라체, 해요체 and 해체. The ending 체 means "style".

The levels are often divided into two groups. The formal styles (하십시오체, 하오체, 하게체, 해라체) sound official or fixed. The informal styles (해요체, 해체) sound softer and are used in most conversations. Speech level is separate from honorifics: you can say 선생님이 가셨어 to a close friend (해체 + -시-), because the teacher is the subject but your friend is the listener.

The six speech levels with 가다 (to go)

Level	Statement	Question	Command	Politeness
하십시오체	갑니다	갑니까?	가십시오	Very polite and formal
하오체	가오	가오?	가시오	Somewhat polite, old-fashioned
하게체	가네	가나? / 가는가?	가게	To an adult junior, old-fashioned
해라체	간다	가니? / 가냐?	가라	Plain; also used in writing
해요체	가요	가요?	가요 / 가세요	Polite, everyday
해체 (반말)	가	가?	가	Casual, close friends

Ordered roughly from most to least polite. Intonation separates statement, question and command in 해요체 and 해체.

Professor Hangyeol

In my grandfather’s village, men greeted each other with 하오 and 하게 every day. Today you will mostly hear them in historical dramas and from some older people. So learn to recognize them, but focus your energy on the three living styles.

하십시오체: -(스)ㅂ니다, -(스)ㅂ니까?, -(으)십시오

The most formal polite style. Used in news, announcements, speeches, business meetings, the military and with customers.

Vowel stem: + -ㅂ니다 / -ㅂ니까 (가다 → 갑니다, 갑니까?).
Consonant stem: + -습니다 / -습니까 (먹다 → 먹습니다, 먹습니까?).
ㄹ stem: drop ㄹ, then -ㅂ니다 (살다 → 삽니다, 만들다 → 만듭니다).
Command: -(으)십시오 (기다리십시오, 앉으십시오).
Often mixed with 해요체 in the same conversation: formal at the start and end, softer in the middle.

잠시 후 열차가 도착합니다. jamsi hu yeolchaga dochakamnida.
The train will arrive shortly.
처음 뵙겠습니다. 김민수입니다. cheoeum boepgetseumnida. gimminsuimnida.
Nice to meet you. I am Kim Minsu.
질문 있으십니까? jilmun isseusimnikka?
Do you have any questions?
안전선 밖으로 물러서 주십시오. anjeonseon bakkeuro mulleoseo jusipsio.
Please step back behind the safety line.

해요체: stem + -아요/어요

The everyday polite style. Safe with almost anyone you are not close to: shop staff, coworkers, neighbors, strangers.

Same ending for statements, questions, commands and suggestions; your intonation shows the difference.
Add -(으)시- for respected people: 가세요, 드세요.
When you are not sure which level to use, choose 해요체.

어디 가요? eodi gayo?
Where are you going?
같이 가요. gachi gayo.
Let’s go together.
여기 앉으세요. yeogi anjeuseyo.
Please sit here.

해체 (반말): 해요체 without 요

Casual speech for close friends of the same age, younger family members and children.

Drop 요: 가요 → 가, 먹어요 → 먹어, 좋아요 → 좋아.
After a noun: 이에요/예요 → 이야/야 (학생이야, 친구야).
Yes/no: 네 → 응/어, 아니요 → 아니.
Using 반말 with a stranger, an older person or a boss is usually rude. Switch only when the other person suggests it, for example: 우리 말 편하게 할까요?

밥 먹었어? bap meogeosseo?
Did you eat?
응, 너는? eung, neoneun?
Yeah, how about you?
이거 내 동생이야. igeo nae dongsaengiya.
This is my younger sibling.

해라체: -ㄴ다/-는다/-다, -니?/-냐?, -아라/어라, -자

The plain style. In speech, used to children or very close younger people. In writing, it is the standard style of books, newspapers, essays and diaries.

Statement: verb vowel stem + -ㄴ다 (간다), consonant stem + -는다 (먹는다), adjective + -다 (좋다), noun + -(이)다 (학생이다).
Question: -니? or -냐? (가니?, 먹냐?).
Command: -아라/어라 (가라, 먹어라). Suggestion: -자 (가자).
In speech, 해라체 to an adult who is not close can sound very rude.
Exam essays in TOPIK II are written in this style.

오늘은 날씨가 맑다. oneureun nalssiga makda.
The weather is clear today. (diary or written style)
얘들아, 밥 먹어라! yaedeura, bap meogeora!
Kids, come and eat!
우리 내일 같이 가자. uri naeil gachi gaja.
Let’s go together tomorrow.

하오체 and 하게체 today

하오체 (-오, -소, -(으)시오) once was used between adults of similar status. Today it sounds old-fashioned in speech, but you still see it on signs and notices: 미시오 (push), 당기시오 (pull), 들어가지 마시오 (do not enter). The suggestion ending -(으)ㅂ시다 (갑시다) also comes from this level. It is common when speaking to a group, but saying 갑시다 directly to one older person can sound a little like an order, so 가시죠 or 같이 가세요 is safer.

하게체 (-네, -나/-는가, -게, -세) was used by an older person toward an adult who is younger or lower in status but still deserves some respect, for example a father-in-law speaking to his son-in-law, or an old professor to a former student. 자네 (you) belongs to this style: 자네 왔나? You may hear it from some older people and in dramas, but learners do not need to use it.

Same message, different listeners

회의를 시작하겠습니다. hoeuireul sijakagetseumnida.
We will now begin the meeting. 하십시오체: to a room of colleagues, formally.
이제 회의 시작할게요. ije hoeui sijakalgeyo.
Let’s start the meeting now. 해요체: a friendly team meeting.
이제 시작하자. ije sijakaja.
Let’s start now. 해라체 suggestion: to close friends or a younger sibling.
들어가지 마시오. deureogaji masio.
Do not enter. 하오체: on a sign, not in conversation.
자네도 같이 가세. janedo gachi gase.
You should come along with us too. 하게체: an older man to a younger adult; old-fashioned.

Moving from polite to casual

A지은 씨, 우리 동갑이죠? 말 편하게 할까요?   jieun ssi, uri donggabijyo? mal pyeonhage halkkayo?Jieun, we’re the same age, right? Shall we talk casually?
B네, 좋아요! 그럼 이제 반말 할게요.   ne, joayo! geureom ije banmal halgeyo.Yes, good idea! Then I’ll speak casually from now on.
A그래, 지은아. 이번 주말에 뭐 해?   geurae, jieuna. ibeon jumare mwo hae?Okay, Jieun. What are you doing this weekend?
B아직 몰라. 같이 영화 볼래?   ajik molla. gachi yeonghwa bollae?I don’t know yet. Want to see a movie together?
A좋아! 토요일에 보자.   joa! toyoire boja.Sure! Let’s see it on Saturday.

Check quiz

Q1. Which speech level do TV news anchors mainly use?
Q2. You meet your new neighbor, who looks about your parents’ age. Which is best?
Q3. Where are you most likely to see 당기시오 (pull)?
Q4. Which style do people usually use when writing a diary or an essay?
Q5. What is the 반말 form of 학생이에요?
Q6. When is it usually fine to start using 반말 with a new friend?

Professor Hangyeol

Remember this simple rule: when in doubt, use 해요체; in formal moments, use -습니다; and wait for an invitation before 반말. Koreans will notice your care, and that care is the true heart of respectful speech.

Key points

Six levels: 하십시오체, 하오체, 하게체, 해라체, 해요체, 해체.
Living styles today: 하십시오체 (formal), 해요체 (everyday polite), 해체/반말 (close friends).
해라체 (-다) is the standard style of writing, including TOPIK essays.
하오체 survives on signs (미시오, 당기시오); 하게체 is old-fashioned.
When unsure, use 해요체. Use 반말 only after the other person agrees.

Recommended official free resources

Korean Language Teaching & Learning Center — National Institute of Korean Language
Everyone’s Korean (모두의 한국어) — Ministry of Education

See your 1-year course progress →