What 'honorifics' actually means in Korean
Korean changes verb endings depending on who you are talking to. This is not politeness in the English sense, where you add 'please' to be nicer — it is built into the grammar. Use the wrong level and you sound either rude or weirdly formal.
For a beginner, you only need to keep three levels straight.
Level 1 — Formal polite (합니다 style)
Used in news broadcasts, business presentations, military, and very formal first meetings. Sentences end in -ㅂ니다 / -습니다.
| 안녕하십니까? | Hello (very formal). Use with: clients, audiences, much older strangers. |
| 감사합니다. | Thank you. Always safe to use. |
Level 2 — Standard polite (해요 style)
The default for daily life. Use this with anyone you do not know well, and anyone older than you. Sentences end in -아요 / -어요 / -해요.
| 어디 가요? | Where are you going? Cafés, shops, coworkers. |
| 맛있어요. | It is delicious. Universal polite. |
Level 3 — Casual (반말, 해 style)
Only used with close friends your own age, younger family members, or children. Drop the 요 ending. Do not use this with strangers, even young ones — it sounds rude.
| 어디 가? | Where you going? Friends only. |
| 맛있어. | Tasty. Casual. |
Rule of thumb for travelers
When in doubt, always default to 해요 style. It is polite enough for any situation and informal enough that you will not sound like a robot. You can pick up the other two levels later as your ear gets sharper.