# Posted: 2 Nov 2006 22:58 KST - Edited by: jcs
... Re-Sideview ...
If you are coming from English where there is just slang and proper English, understanding Korean which has not just formal and informal speech, but many kinds of speech levels, can be confusing.
Correct usage of these rules demands a knowledge of the culture and its importances... age, education, job position, money, etc.... In the west, you've just gotta be polite. In Korea, you have to follow the rules of politeness, it's a bit harder.
For ways of an example, the following are decreasing in politeness:
1. 가십시오. please please go
2. 가세요. please go
3. 가요. go
4. 가 go ahead and go or get out of here
You can read Aaaalll about politeness levels on the wikipedia entry on korean speech levels, so I won't do the cut-and-paste-korean-style-of-a-whole-article-you-could-just-link-to thingie. Instead, I'll give you the ezcorean rundown.
The 3 general types are 반말 and 존대말 and really 존대말. 반말 is non-formal, and 존대말 (jone day mahl) means formal speech. Or, 반말 can be translated as informal speech, and 존대말 can be translated as repectful speaking
polite Speech 존대말
There are two kinds of polite speech: 어/아요 and ㅂ니다 forms. The latter is more formal, and is used in the military, for example, where there is a strict heirarchy. 요 is added for everybody except your friends, and it can take a long time to make friends with your co-workers. Adding the 요 does a good job, it's enough formality to use the "요 impolite formal" in daily life. They are polite, after all. Just not extremely polite. They are used generally more widely than the ㅂ니다 endings.
A. ㅂ니다 and ㅂ니까 are very, very formal. These are used in job interviews, talking to your boss or upper co-worker, and military settings. It indicates 100% obedience and following. It's easy to overruse because it's in the Korean tourist guides. That's because explaining #1 and #2 above is too difficult for people who know absolutely no verbs, they can't remember how to use those forms properly.
B. 어/아 요 ... to speak plainly and not overly formerly yet be polite
네, 선생님. 공부할게요. yes, teacher, I will study
Informal speech 반말
There is 어/아 (plain form). for close friends and gangster-type activity. If you are a foreigner, people understand that and accept this from you more than they do from Korean. So, for native English speakers, it's often over-used, because it's very comfortable.
맞을래? do you want a knuckle sandwich?
Note that there is also just using the plain dictionary-form of the verb. This is not really in the politeness levels. In this form, there is no change from the dictionary form. This is because when you are talking to yourself, or writing in your dairy, "honor" levels makes no sense anymore because you're not talking to anybody; you're talking to the air or yourself, but no respect-level is required for that.
오늘의 diary today's diary
-----------------
날짜: 12월 3일 07년
날씨: 춥다
really 존대말
Use this when you are speaking to , for example, your school principle if you work for a school, a much older relative, or you work for Hyundai department store and you are talking to customers.
examples:
어서 어십시오.
사모님 (instead of 아줌마)
Any further study, please refer to your local PH.D korean specialist. For ordinary conversation, that is enough to know about 존대말 and 반말.
material on 존대말 and 반말 in Korean (untranslated)
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