Learn Hangul Grammer 05

🟩 Polite vs Casual Speech in Korean Verbs and Adjectives

1. Overview

Korean has a rich system of speech levels, and one of the most important distinctions is between polite (formal) and casual (informal) speech. Verbs and adjectives change their final endings depending on the level of respect and formality the speaker wishes to express.

Understanding how to conjugate verbs and adjectives in both polite and casual forms is essential for communicating naturally and respectfully in Korean.

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2. What’s the Difference?

✅ Polite Speech (존댓말)

• Shows respect and politeness.
• Used with strangers, elders, teachers, bosses, customers, etc.
• Common endings: -요, -ㅂ니다 / -습니다

✅ Casual Speech (반말)

• Used with close friends, family, or younger people.
• Friendly and relaxed tone.
• Common endings: -아/어, -다, -니?, -냐?

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3. Verb and Adjective Conjugation Examples

Type	Base Form	Casual	Polite (-요)	Formal Polite (-ㅂ니다)
Verb	가다 (to go)	가	가요	갑니다
Adjective	예쁘다 (to be pretty)	예뻐	예뻐요	예쁩니다

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4. Sentence Types

✔ Declarative (Statements)

Type	Verb (가다)	Adjective (예쁘다)
Casual	나 학교 가.	꽃이 예뻐.
Polite	저 학교 가요.	꽃이 예뻐요.
Formal	학교에 갑니다.	꽃이 예쁩니다.

✔ Interrogative (Questions)

Type	Verb (가다)	Adjective (예쁘다)
Casual	어디 가?	예뻐?
Polite	어디 가요?	예뻐요?
Formal	어디 갑니까?	예쁩니까?

✔ Imperative (Commands)

Note: Adjectives are rarely used in command forms.

Type	Verb (오다)
Casual	빨리 와.
Polite	빨리 오세요.
Formal	빨리 오십시오.

✔ Suggestive (Let’s...)

Type	Verb (가다)
Casual	같이 가자.
Polite	같이 가요.
Formal	같이 갑시다.

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5. Common Ending Summary

Function	Casual	Polite (-요)	Formal (-ㅂ니다)
Statement	-아/어	-아요/어요	-ㅂ니다
Question	-아/어?, -니?	-아요/어요?	-ㅂ니까?
Command	-아/어(라)	-세요	-십시오
Suggestion	-자	-아요/어요	-ㅂ시다