합니다체 · 해요체

RuleThe sentence-final ending sets politeness toward the listener: plain (ga) < haeyo style (gayo) < hamnida style (gamnida).

Curiosity

Do you say the same "I go" to a friend, to an elder, and in a presentation? In Korean the end of the sentence changes with who is listening.

Intuition

If subject honorification (-si-) raises the subject inside the sentence, addressee honorification raises the listener in front of you. The final ending is the dial that sets the level of politeness.

Visualization

The same verb gada splits into three heights by listener: ga (plain) → gayo (haeyo) → gamnida (hamnida).

Honorificaddressee honorification

가gaplain (friends, juniors)

Essence

The haeyo style (-ayo/-eoyo) is the soft, all-purpose polite form and the default of daily conversation; the hamnida style (-mnida/-seumnida) is formal and public (presentations, news, the military). Plain speech is only for friends or those below you. Addressee honorification is independent of subject honorification (-si-), so both can stack in one verb (gasimnida).

Examples

저는 학교에 갑니다.

I go to school. (formal)

저는 학교에 가요.

I go to school. (everyday polite)

지금 어디에 가요?

Where are you going now? (polite)

Mini-quiz

In a formal presentation, which is the most formal ending (for the verb gada)?