Korean Honorifics: A Clear Guide for Beginners (With Real Examples)

Look, I'm going to be straight with you. Korean honorifics are confusing as hell when you first encounter them. You're watching a Korean drama, trying to follow along, and suddenly the same person is speaking completely differently to their boss than they are to their friend. Or you try to practice with a language exchange partner and they politely correct you because you used the wrong speech level. Again.

Here's what most Korean learning apps get wrong: they either dump all seven speech levels on you at once (who needs that?), or they teach you excessively formal language that makes you sound like you're addressing royalty when you're just ordering coffee.

The truth is, Korean honorifics aren't just grammar rules to memorize. They're how Koreans navigate every single conversation based on age, social status, and relationship closeness. Miss the right honorific, and you might accidentally sound rude to someone's grandmother. Use too formal language with your friends, and you'll sound weird and distant.

So let's fix that. This guide will show you the Korean honorific titles, speech levels, and honorific verbs you actually need, with clear examples of when to use each one.

What Korean Honorifics Actually Are

Korean honorifics work across three dimensions at once: formality (is this a casual chat or a business meeting?), politeness (are you speaking to someone older or higher status?), and honorificity (are you talking about someone who deserves respect, even if your listener doesn't?).

That last part trips people up. You might be chatting casually with your friend using informal language, but when you mention their grandmother, you switch to honorific verbs and nouns for her—even though grandma isn't in the room.

The Korean language handles this through different mechanisms:

Speech levels - These are the verb endings that show respect to the person you're talking to. Different speech levels change how you end every sentence.

Honorific verbs - Special verb forms used when the subject of your sentence (the person doing the action) deserves respect.

Honorific titles - The suffixes and titles you use to address people directly, like 씨 (ssi) or 님 (nim).

Honorific nouns - Completely different words for common things when talking about respected people (like 진지 instead of 밥 for "meal").

Korean culture places serious importance on age and hierarchy. Even a one-year age difference is enough to warrant different speech levels. That's why Koreans often ask your age when you first meet—they're figuring out which speech level to use with you.

The Speech Levels You Actually Need

Technically, Korean has seven speech levels. In practice? You need to know three for everyday life in Korea, and maybe a fourth for reading.

해요체 (Haeyo-che) - Your Default Choice

This is informal polite—the most commonly used speech level in Korean conversations. It ends with -요 (yo) and works in almost any situation where you need to be polite: talking to strangers, colleagues, people older than you, basically anyone you're not super close with.

Examples:

This is what you should learn Korean grammar with first. It's versatile enough to keep you out of trouble while you're still figuring things out.

하십시오체 (Hasipsio-che) - Formal Polite

This is the formal polite style you hear on the news or in very formal situations. It's more respectful than 해요체 and ends with -ㅂ니다/-습니다 (mnida/seumnida).

Examples:

You'll use this when giving presentations, speaking to elderly people you don't know well, or in customer service situations. It's also the first thing taught in most Korean classes because the pattern is regular and easy to learn—but don't make the mistake of using it everywhere. You'll sound stiff and overly formal with friends or family.

해체 (Hae-che) - Informal/Casual

This is 반말 (banmal), the casual speech Koreans use with close friends, younger siblings, and kids. You just drop the -요 from 해요체.

Examples:

Important warning: Don't use 해체 with someone unless they've explicitly told you it's okay, you're the same age and have established that relationship, or you're clearly older/higher status. Using informal language inappropriately is one of the fastest ways to offend someone in Korea.

해라체 (Haera-che) - Plain Form

You'll see this in news articles, textbooks, and when quoting what someone said. It's the "plain" form. In our basic Korean grammar guide, we use this form for example sentences because it's the neutral way to present verbs.

You won't use it much in actual conversation unless you're writing formally or quoting someone.

Understanding Korean Honorifics: Subject vs. Addressee

Here's where it gets interesting. Speech levels are for the person you're talking to. Honorific verbs are for the person you're talking about.

Say you're chatting with your friend (so you use informal speech), but you're discussing what your friend's dad did yesterday. Even though you're speaking informally to your friend, when you mention the dad's actions, you use honorific verbs.

The honorific marker is -시 (-si), which gets added to verb stems:

You can combine speech levels and honorific verbs. When talking to someone politely about their grandmother:

Notice you're using the polite speech level (해요체) AND the honorific verb form. That's how you show respect to both your listener and the subject you're talking about.

Common Korean Honorific Verbs You Need

Some verbs have completely different honorific forms instead of just adding -시. Learn these because they're commonly used in Korean conversations:

먹다 (to eat) → 드시다/잡수시다

자다 (to sleep) → 주무시다

있다 (to be/exist) → 계시다

주다 (to give) → 드리다

말하다 (to speak) → 말씀하시다

Critical rule: Never use honorific verbs when talking about yourself. That would be like praising yourself, which is considered arrogant. Koreans show respect by elevating others and lowering themselves in conversation.

Korean Honorific Titles: How to Address People

Korean title usage is where a lot of learners mess up. You can't just use someone's name alone like in English. You need something attached to it.

씨 (Ssi) - Mr./Ms.

This is the most common Korean honorific for someone at a relatively equal social standing. It's polite but not overly formal. Attach it to someone's full name or their first name only—never to their family name alone.

님 (Nim) - Respectful Title

This is more respectful than 씨 and used for people with special status, professional titles, or job titles. You'll see it attached to relationship terms and professions:

Unlike Japanese, Korean doesn't let you use titles alone. You can't just say 교수 (professor) by itself to address someone—that's rude. It has to be 교수님.

Family Titles Used as Honorifics

Koreans use family relationship terms even with non-relatives as informal honorifics. These show closeness while still acknowledging age hierarchy:

오빠 (oppa) - Older brother (used by females) This is what younger women call their older brothers, but also older male friends or romantic partners who are a bit older. You'll hear this constantly in Korean dramas.

언니 (eonni) - Older sister (used by females)
Same deal as oppa, but for older women.

형 (hyeong) - Older brother (used by males) What younger guys call their older male friends or brothers.

누나 (nuna) - Older sister (used by males) For older women, used by younger men.

You use these instead of the person's name, which can be confusing for English speakers. If your friend is older than you by even a year, you'd call them 언니 or 오빠, not their actual name.

귀하 (Gwi-ha) - Formal "Dear"

You'll see this in formal letters and official communications. It's like "Dear Mr. Smith" in English, very formal and mainly used in writing: 윤희철 귀하 (Dear Yoon Hee-chul).

Honorific Nouns in Korean

Some common words have completely different honorific forms when talking about respected people:

So instead of asking someone older "몇 살이에요?" (How old are you? - using the regular word for age), you'd ask "연세가 어떻게 되세요?" (What is your honorific age?).

When NOT to Use Korean Honorifics

This is just as important as knowing when to use them:

1. Don't use honorifics for yourself Never use 드시다 for your own eating or 계시다 for your own existence. That's like giving yourself a fancy title. Humble yourself, elevate others—that's the Korean way.

2. Don't mix wrong combinations
If you're using informal speech (반말) with a close friend, don't suddenly use honorific verbs for yourself. And don't use super formal speech (하십시오체) with casual honorific titles like 오빠. Learn to match the speech level to the situation.

3. Don't use informal language too soon Even if someone is your age, don't assume you can use 반말. Wait until they suggest it or you both agree. In formal situations, always start with polite speech levels (해요체 or higher) and let the other person set the tone.

4. Don't overuse formal speech with family Here's where it gets nuanced. Yes, you use honorific verbs when talking about your parents or grandparents to others. But when talking TO them directly? Most families use 해요체 (informal polite), not 하십시오체 (formal polite). Using excessively formal language with close family members can actually create emotional distance.

How Koreans Actually Use Honorifics (The Messy Reality)

Textbooks make Korean honorifics seem like a rigid system with clear rules. Real life? It's more fluid.

Koreans constantly adjust their speech levels mid-conversation based on:

You'll also notice a new "semi-honorific" style emerging where people mix honorific and non-honorific markers in the same sentence. This is especially common with younger Koreans who want to show respect without sounding stuffy or old-fashioned.

The middle speech levels (하오체 and 하게체) have basically disappeared from modern Korean conversations. Most Koreans now use just 해요체, 하십시오체, and 해체 in their daily lives. The formal speech you see in news broadcasts and historical dramas? That's mostly for show.

Mastering Korean Honorifics Through Real Content

Here's the problem with how most apps teach Korean honorifics: they give you grammar rules and artificial example sentences, but then you try to watch a Korean drama or have a real conversation and everything sounds different.

That's because honorifics aren't just about memorizing patterns—they're about understanding context. When does someone switch from formal to informal? Why did that character just use 반말 with their boss? (Answer: Probably they're super close or something dramatic just happened.)

You need exposure to how real Korean people actually use these honorifics in natural situations. Not textbook dialogues where everyone speaks like they're reading from a script.

This is exactly why learning Korean verbs through real content beats drilling grammar tables. When you see honorific verbs used in actual Korean shows, YouTube videos, or real conversations, your brain picks up not just the form, but the feel of when to use it.

The immersion approach works because you're learning honorifics the same way Korean kids do—by hearing them used thousands of times in context until the patterns become automatic. You start to develop an intuition for when 해요체 feels right versus when you need to switch to 하십시오체.

Common Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

Using the same speech level with everyone This makes you sound like a robot. Adjust based on who you're talking to. Your Korean friend? 해요체 or even 반말 if you're close. Your friend's mom? Definitely 하십시오체 or at least 해요체 with lots of honorific verbs.

Forgetting the honorific marker -시 when needed If you're talking about someone who deserves respect (even if your listener doesn't), use the honorific verb forms. "아버지가 오늘 집에 와요" is wrong—it should be "아버지께서 오늘 집에 오세요" (Father is coming home today).

Overusing formal speech Using 하십시오체 in every situation makes you sound like a news anchor at a birthday party. Most everyday situations call for 해요체, not the super formal style. Save formal speech for formal situations.

Using honorifics for yourself Never say 저는 드셨어요 (I ate - with honorific verb). That's basically giving yourself a fancy title. Always use regular verbs for your own actions: 저는 먹었어요.

Your Game Plan for Learning Korean Honorifics

Don't try to master all seven speech levels at once. That's overwhelming and unnecessary.

Start with 해요체 for everything polite. Master this one speech level plus the basic honorific marker -시, and you can navigate most Korean conversations without offending anyone. You'll sound polite and respectful even if you're not perfect.

Next, learn the high-frequency honorific verbs (드시다, 계시다, 주무시다, 드리다, 말씀하시다). These five cover most situations where you need special honorific forms.

Then add 반말 (해체) for when you've established that relationship with someone. Listen carefully to when Koreans start using it with you—that's your signal it's okay to use it back.

Finally, get comfortable with 하십시오체 for the situations that genuinely require it: formal presentations, talking to elderly people you don't know, customer service interactions.

The key is massive exposure to real Korean. You need to hear these speech levels and honorific verbs used in natural contexts hundreds of times before they become automatic. That's not something you can get from grammar drills alone.

Want to actually master Korean honorifics instead of just memorizing rules? Migaku helps you learn from real Korean content—the shows, YouTube videos, and media you're already interested in. The browser extension lets you look up words and phrases instantly while you're watching, so when you see someone switch from formal to informal speech in a Korean drama, you can understand exactly what's happening and why.

Every sentence you encounter gets added to your spaced repetition system automatically, which means you'll review Korean honorific verbs and speech patterns until they become second nature. You're not just studying grammar rules—you're learning how actual Korean people use honorifics in real conversations.

The mobile app lets you review your flashcards anywhere, so you can practice Korean honorifics during your commute or lunch break. And because everything's based on content you chose, you're learning the vocabulary and expressions that actually matter to you, not random textbook sentences about eating bread.

Migaku has a 10-day free trial if you want to check it out and see how learning from real content compares to traditional grammar drills.