Almost every learner meets Korean politeness as one ladder: 합니다 at the top, 해요 in the middle, 해 at the bottom. Pick a rung and stay on it.
That model is wrong, and it breaks the first time you talk to a friend about your teacher.
1 · The two dials
| Dial | Raises | Shown by |
|---|---|---|
| Listener | The person you are talking **to** | The sentence ending: 합니다 · 해요 · 해 |
| Subject | The person you are talking **about** | -(으)시- inside the verb, and honorific nouns |
| Korean | To whom | About whom |
|---|---|---|
| 선생님이 가셨습니다 | Someone senior | The teacher — raised |
| 선생님이 가셨어요 | A polite everyday listener | The teacher — raised |
| 선생님이 가셨어 | A close friend | The teacher — raised |
| 친구가 갔어 | A close friend | A friend — not raised |
2 · Why learners collapse them
Because in the commonest case they move together. When you speak politely to your teacher about your teacher, both dials are up and you never see the seam.
The seam only shows in two situations, and both are everyday: talking casually about someone senior, and talking politely about someone junior.
| Situation | Listener | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| Telling a friend that your boss left | Down (반말) | Up (-시-) |
| Telling your boss that a junior colleague left | Up (합니다체) | Down (no -시-) |
| Telling a friend that another friend left | Down | Down |
| Telling your boss that the director left | Up | Up |
3 · The safe default while you are learning
할머니가 주무세요
halmeoniga jumuseyoGrandmother is sleeping주무시다 is the honorific of 자다 — subject dial. 세요 — listener dial. Both up.할머니가 주무셔
halmeoniga jumusyeoGrandma is asleep (said to a sibling)Same subject dial, listener dial down. Not rude — just to a close listener.Two dials in one conversation
A
야, 부장님 아직 계셔?
ya, bujangnim ajik gyesyeo?Hey, is the department head still here?B
아니, 방금 나가셨어.
ani, banggeum nagasyeosseo.No, he just left.A
Say this conversation out loud알겠어. 고마워.
algesseo. gomawo.Got it. Thanks.Day 1 words
높임말
nopimmalhonorific speech반말
banmalcasual speech계시다
gyesidato be, to stay (honorific of 있다)주무시다
jumusidato sleep (honorific of 자다)부장님
bujangnimdepartment head말 놓다
mal notato drop into casual speechIn 가셨어요, which part raises the listener?
In 가셨어요, which part raises the person being talked about?
Before the quiz
- I can name the two dials and what each one raises.
- I can explain why 선생님이 가셨어 is correct.
- I can find the listener dial and the subject dial in one verb.
- I know the safe default is 해요체 with everyone.