Politeness Levels in the Present Tense

Lesson Transcript

Hi, everyone! Welcome to the Ask K-Jin. My name is K-Jin. 안녕하세요, K-Jin입니다. (An-nyeong-ha-se-yo, ke-i-jin-im-ni-da.)

In this series, I'll answer your Korean questions. Today, I picked questions related to politeness levels in Korean.

This is most common question, actually. A lot of people ask me about the politeness levels in Korean because, well, not all the languages have this concept.

So before introducing some questions, let me explain politeness levels in Korean quickly.

So there are three big politeness levels. First, the most common thing is standard politeness level.

So what does it mean, standard politeness level?

So basically, do you remember how to say hello in Korean? Hello. 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo), you, right?

Some sentences ending with you, you are mostly categorized as this standard politeness level.

So basically, standard form is most common way to say some things.

And second, it's polite enough to use it to strangers or some people who are older than you.

So standard politeness level is the thing that you must learn first.

And there are other politeness levels, too. With this informal politeness level, you can talk to your close friends that you've been knowing for a long time and you are at a similar age.

And you can use this informal politeness level with your family members or really close people.

And the other one is formal, formal politeness level. So as you can guess, it's a formal level.

So you can use it in business situation at work, workplace, or when you talk to someone formally, maybe to your professors or you are having a presentation.

So for this, I will recommend you to study this first, standard politeness level.

And if you are young, if you are a student, informal politeness level will be very useful, especially when you talk with your Korean friends.

Formal politeness level is very important if you work in Korea, so you can use this formal level to your boss.

So how can you use this form? Let's look at these levels together.

Here's the first question from Hakim.

Thank you, Hakim. What is the standard polite ending?

아 (a), 어 (eo), 여 (yeo), 요 (yo).

Okay, so if you learn the present tense in Korean, maybe you are familiar with this, right?

So basically, to use this politeness level, usually you need some like tense that is present tense, present tense.

So polite present tense or formal present tense, informal present tense, but let's look at the polite present tense, standard polite present tense.

So this is the most important thing.

So if you are not familiar with this, please take a screenshot and study it, memorize it, because this is one of the most important grammar in Korean.

So let's look at the first one.

If the last vowel of the stem is ㅏ (a) or ㅗ (o), then you use stem plus ㅏ (a), ㅛ (yo).

It sounds hard, right? But actually it's not hard at all.

So let's look at some example.

살다 (salda). Do you know what this means?

This means to leave.

I live in Korea, you live in the States, you live in Spain.

So 살다 (salda), 살다 (salda), to leave.

So first, let's get the stem.

Let's get the stem. What is the stem?

It's very simple.

Korean verb and adjective always ends with 다 in the dictionary.

So in the dictionary form, it's 살다 (salda).

It's always ending with 다 (da), but I don't need 다 (da).

You only have 살 (sal). 살 (sal) is the stem.

Again, Korean verb and adjective always ends with 다 (da), 다 (da).

So remove 다 (da) and the left part is the stem.

So 살 (sal). 살 (sal).

Okay, so let's look at this.

The last vowel of the stem is ㅏ (a) or ㅗ (o).

What does it mean?

So let's look at the last vowel.

사 (sa), ㅏ (a), ㅏ (a).

Basically, it consists of these three parts, right?

This is ㅅ (s), ㅅ (s), ㅅ (s).

This is ㅏ (a), ㅏ (a), ㅏ (a).

This is ㄹ (l), ㄹ (l), ㄹ (l).

So all together, the pronunciation is 살 (sal).

So there is just one vowel here.

What is the last vowel?

Just one vowel, last vowel.

It's ㅏ (a) sound, right?

It does contain this ㅏ (a) sound, ㅏ (a) sound.

The last vowel of the stem is ㅏ (a) sound.

So you need to use ㅏ (a), ㅛ, ㅏ (a), ㅛ.

Okay, as in 살 (sal), ㅏ (a), ㅛ (yo).

That's it, it means I live.

So in Korean, you can never use the dictionary form.

Well, there are some cases,

but when we speak normally,

we don't use the dictionary form.

Dictionary form is used for something else,

but it's not a normal case.

So I'll just skip the explanation, but like this.

살아요 (sarayo) means I live, you live,

he lives, she lives, we live, they live.

So 살아요 (sarayo), 살아요 (sarayo).

There's no subject, so I don't know if it's I, you, they.

I have no idea, but 살아요 (sarayo) means I live, I live.

I have another example.

Let's use this, oops, 알아요 (arayo), 알아요 (arayo).

It means I know, I know,

because the original form is 알다 (alda), to know, to know

in a dictionary form.

Again, 알 (al), 알 (al) is a stem, so you just put 아요 (ayo),

because this 알 (al), this 알 (al) contains of ㅏ (a) sound, right?

ㅏ (a), ㅏ (a), 알 (al), 알 (al), 알 (al).

This ㅏ (a) sound, ㅏ (a) sound.

So you need to use 아요 (ayo), 아요 (ayo), 아요 (ayo).

Let's look at the second one.

If the last vowel of the stem is not ㅏ(a) or ㅗ (o),

then you use 어요 (eoyo).

What does it mean?

It's very simple.

You have this word, 먹다 (meokda), 얌 (yam), 얌 (yam), 얌 (yam), to eat.

먹다 (meokda), 먹다 (meokda).

Okay, so it's 먹다 (meokda).

So what is a stem?

Stem is simple.

Always just remove 다 (da), 다 (da).

And now you have 먹 (meok), 먹 (meok) is a stem.

Let's break down.

먹 (meok) is consists of this, this three part.

And ㅁ (m), ㅁ(m), ㅁ(m) is M sound, kind of M.

It's ㅓ (eo), ㅓ (eo) sound.

It's, it's kind of K sound.

It's not exactly K sound, but well, in English,

I cannot describe it.

So I tried to find the most similar sound,

which is kind of like ㄱ (g), ㄱ (g).

So it's 먹 (meok), 먹 (meok), 먹 (meok), 먹 (meok).

By the way, it's not 먹 (meok), it's 먹 (meok), 먹 (meok), 먹 (meok).

So yes, what is the last vowel?

Well, actually, there's just one vowel, which ㅓ (eo) sound.

Oh, this is not ㅏ (a) or ㅗ (o).

It's not ㅏ (a) or ㅗ (o).

So you need to use 어요 (eoyo), as in 먹어요 (meogeoyo).

It means I eat, I eat.

So this is polite.

So you can use it.

Some other people, I eat yogurt for my breakfast every day.

Like that.

How about this?

울어요 (ureoyo), 울어요 (ureoyo).

Why did I use 어요 (eoyo), 어요 (eoyo) here?

어요 (eoyo), because let's look at the stem.

Basically, the original form,

the dictionary form was 울다 (ulda) to cry, to cry.

What's the stem?

It's 울 (ul), 울 (ul), 울 (ul), 울 (ul), 울 (ul), 울 (ul).

So it consists of these three parts.

It includes ㅜ (u) sound, right?

ㅜ (u), it's not ㅏ (a), it's not ㅗ (o), it's ㅜ (u), ㅜ (u), ㅜ (u).

So I'm using 어요 (eoyo), 어요 (eoyo), 어요 (eoyo).

Okay, now let's look at the third one.

It's very simple, it's very simple.

So if the verb or adjective ends in 하다 (hada), 하다 (hada), then it's simple.

Replace 하다 (hada) with 해요 (haeyo), 하다 (hada) with 해요 (haeyo).

For example, 공부해 (gongbuhae), I was about to give you the answer, but 하다 (hada).

공부하다 (gongbuhada), it means to study, to study.

Now replace 하다 (hada) with 해요 (haeyo), it means I study,

they study, we study, he or she studies.

So 공부해요 (gongbuhaeyo), 공부해요 (gongbuhaeyo).

How about this, 행복하다 (haengbokhada), 행복하다 (haengbokhada).

Replace 하다 (hada) with 해요 (haeyo), it means I'm happy, you are happy,

they are happy, we are happy, she's happy, he's happy.

So 행복해요 (haengbokhaeyo), 행복해요 (haengbokhaeyo).

So it's polite, so you can use it.

Mostly safely, not all the time actually, but mostly safely.

So when you learn Korean,

start from this standard politeness level,

this 유 (yu) form when you learn it.

Okay, please remember this.

Here's the second question from Rosa.

Thank you Rosa.

What is the informal ending?

아 (a), 어 (eo), 여 (yeo).

Okay, now let's look at this chart

for informal present tense.

So I think now you're familiar with this, right?

Yes, basically the rules are exactly same

between the standard politeness level

and this informal politeness level.

There's just no 여 (yeo) at the end,

just remove 여 (yeo) at the end.

So it's very simple.

Let's look at some examples together.

Okay, first we have this 보다 (boda), 보다 (boda),

meaning to see, to watch, to look.

So, hmm, what is the stem here?

Stem is simple, it's only 보 (bo), right?

So remove 다 (da), because 다 (da) is not part of stem.

보 (bo), 보 (bo), 보 (bo), consists of 도 (do), 오 (o).

Ah, it contains the 오 (o) sound, right?

오 (o), 오 (o), 오 (o), this 오 (o) sound here, okay?

Since it contains the 오 (o) sound,

오 (o) sound, the last vowel is 오 (o) sound,

I'm going to use 아 (a), as in 보와 (bowah).

For example, my friend is asking,

Hey, K-jin, what are you doing?

I can say, oh, I'm watching a movie now.

영화 (yeonghwa), 보와 (bowah), 영화 (yeonghwa), 보와 (bowah).

영화 (yeonghwa) is movie, 보와 (bowah) means I watch,

I'm watching movie, 영화 (yeonghwa), 보와 (bowah).

And this can be shortened as 영화 (yeonghwa), 보와 (bowah).

보와 (bowah), 보와 (bowah) is the original form,

but when you pronounce it quickly,

it becomes like 보와 (bowah), right?

보와 (bowah), 보와 (bowah), 보와 (bowah), 보와 (bowah).

So it can be shortened as this.

So if you want to say it politely,

as we just learned, you can put 요 (yo) at the end, 요 (yo).

영화 봐요 (yeonghwa bwayo), 영화 봐요 (yeonghwa bwayo) or 영화 봐요 (yeonghwa bwayo).

Which one is more common?

Definitely the shortened form is more common.

Either 영화 봐 (yeonghwa bwa) or 영화 봐요 (yeonghwa bwayo).

웃다 (utda), 웃다 (utda), 하하 (haha), 하하 (haha).

To laugh is 웃다 (utda), 웃다 (utda).

What is the stem?

Now you're professional, you're expert, right?

웃 (ut) is the stem.

다 (da) is not part of it, so remove it.

웃 (ut), 웃 (ut).

It consists of 웃 (ut), 웃 (ut), 웃 (ut).

어 (eo), what is the stem here?

Stem is 우 (u) sound, right?

우 (u), 우 (u), 우 (u), 어 (eo).

It's not 아 (a), it's not 오 (o).

So I need to use 어 (eo) here.

So 웃어 (uteo), 웃어 (uteo).

So 웃어 (uteo) means I laugh, you laugh.

웃어 (uteo), 웃어 (uteo).

I'm talking with my friends now,

so I'm using this 짠 (jjan), 웃어 (uteo), this informal ending.

But if I want to speak with another person,

maybe my neighbor, neighbor,

but I don't have to be too formal to my neighbor, right?

So it's informal, but still I need to be polite

because we are not friends

and maybe the neighbors are much older than me,

so I can put you at the end.

What does your mom said about your scores from school?

I just say, 아, 웃어요 (a, useoyo).

She laughs.

Okay, now let's look at the last one.

Last one is simple, right?

So if the verbal adjective ends in 하다 (hada),

for example, 운동하다 (undonghada),

to exercise, 운동하다 (undonghada), 운동하다 (undonghada).

Replace 하다 (hada) with 해 (hae), that's it.

운동해 (undonghae).

So my friends are asking me,

or my family member is asking me,

my brother is asking me,

Hey, Keiji, what do you do at 2 p.m. on Sunday?

Something like that.

So I said, oh, I usually exercise, I exercise.

It's 운동해 (undonghae), 운동해 (undonghae).

I don't have to be too polite to my brother,

so I'm just using this informal present tense.

운동해 (undonghae), I exercise.

So this is very simple.

Simple, I would say.

If you're familiar with polite present tense,

so if you know the polite present tense,

this will be super simple.

It's almost the same.

Just remove 요 (yo) at the end.

Here's the last question from Jennifer.

Thank you, Jennifer.

What is the formal ending, 습니다 (seumnida)?

Here's the chart for formal present tense, formal ending.

It's simpler than the previous one, so good.

Okay, so let's look at some example.

I have this word for you, 오다 (oda).

So you come to school, so come to some place.

So 오다 (oda), 오다 (oda), to come.

So 오다 (oda), 오다 (oda), what is the stem?

Now you are very good at this, right, son?

It's 오 (o), 오 (o), 오 (o).

So 오 (o), oh, it consists of this sound.

오 (o), 오 (o), 오 (o).

It ends with vowel sound, right?

If the stem ends in a vowel sound, vowel,

then you use,

plus, 비웁니다 (biwumnida).

So, do you see this?

And actually, these two sounds can be combined, combined.

As in, 옵니다 (omnida), 옵니다 (omnida).

So for example, you can say,

snow comes, rain comes.

I know in English, you have a verb,

like to snow, to rain.

But in Korean, we don't have to snow or to rain.

We say rain comes, rain comes, or snow comes.

So you can say,

눈이 옵니다 (nuni omnida), or 비가 옵니다 (biga omnida).

눈 (nun), snow, 이 (i), particle, 옵니다 (omnida) means come.

So 눈이 옵니다 (nuni omnida) means snow comes.

And 비 (bi), 비 (bi), 비 (bi) means rain.

And 가 (ga), particle, 옵니다 (omnida) means come.

So 비가 옵니다 (biga omnida) means rain comes, it rains, it snows.

So maybe you can talk with your colleagues,

or your professors, your bosses, managers,

or someone who is of higher social status than you.

Or even if they're not very, very high position,

some people use this 니다 (nida) ending,

니다 (nida) ending, just to be polite.

This 니다 (nida) ending is more commonly used by men.

So I personally use your form more often,

because it sounds more friendly.

But I know there are some guys

who are really, really formal and polite.

They use 니다 (nida) form whenever they talk with some people

who are of higher social status or older than them.

So 눈이 옵니다 (nuni omnida), oh it snows, look at the window.

눈이 옵니다 (nuni omnida), it snows, or 비가 옵니다 (biga omnida), it rains.

And let's look at the second example.

짠 (jjan), so now I have the same example, 웃다 (utda).

Same example, 웃다 (utda).

웃다 (utda), 웃다 (utda).

So now I want to say someone laughs, or someone is laughing.

How can you use this ending?

It's simple, it's 웃습니다 (utseumnida).

It's because 웃다 (utda) is the original form,

but the stem is 웃 (ut), 웃 (ut), 우 (u), 우 (u), 우 (u), 짠 (jjan), like this.

It ends with a consonant.

If it ends with a vowel sound, like 우 (u),

then I need to use ㅂ (beup), ㅂ (beup) here.

But it ends with consonant, like this,

so you need to use ㅃ, 씁니다, 씁니다, 웃습니다.

Let's try another example that we learned.

Do you remember 먹다 (meokda), 얌 (yam), 얌 (yam)?

So get the stem, 먹 (meok), and just put 씁니다 (sseumnida), simple, right?

So please look if it ends with a vowel or consonant,

if there is any 받침 (batchim), the final consonant, or not.

And last one is kind of exception.

The stem ends in consonant, ㄹ (l), ㄹ (l).

For example, do you remember this example?

살다 (salda), 살다 (salda), and your boss is asking you,

so where do you live, where do you live?

So imagine you're living in 서울 (seoul), 서울 (seoul),

then you can answer this.

서울에 (seoul-e) 삽니다 (samnida).

How does it become 삽니다 (samnida), 삽니다 (samnida), right?

So basically, originally, 살다 (salda), 살다 (salda).

So what's the stem?

Stem is 사 (sa), 아 (a), 아 (a).

Yes, but this ㄹ (l) is an exception.

So if stem ends with consonant ㄹ (l),

just remove ㄹ (l), ㄹ (l), then it's only 사 (sa), right?

사 (sa).

살 (sal) becomes 사 (sa), 사 (sa).

살 (sal) becomes 사 (sa).

So 사 (sa) becomes 짠니다 (jjamnida), 삽니다 (samnida).

So this 사 (sa) and ㅂ (b) are combined

because once you take out ㄹ (l) sound,

it becomes 사 (sa), which ends in a vowel sound, right?

It ends with vowel, so you need to use this ㅂ니다 (bnida), ㅂ니다 (bnida).

So if stem ends with ㄹ (l),

always replace ㄹ (l) with ㅂ니다 (bnida).

Let's look at another example because it's an exception.

Remember 울다 (ulda), cry.

So now stem is, now you just need to replace ㄹ (l) with ㅂ니다 (bnida).

ㅂ (b), right?

Just ㅂ (b), replace it as in ㄴ니다 (nnida), ㄴ니다 (nnida).

Or do you know this word?

만들다 (mandeulda) meaning you make.

You can make pizza, you can make anything.

만들다 (mandeulda).

What is the stem?

만들 (mandeul), 만들 (mandeul).

And replace the last ㄹ (l) with ㅂ (b)

as in 만듭니다 (mandeumnida), 만듭니다 (mandeumnida).

There was ㄹ (l) at the end, right?

Just replace it with ㅂ (b) at the end

and put니다 (nida), 만듭니다 (mandeumnida), I make, I make.

So for example, you went to some presentation

or some meeting and the client is asking you,

so what do you make, what do you make in your company?

So you can say, we make some tools.

만듭니다 (mandeumnida), 만듭니다 (mandeumnida), we make.

Okay, so these are also important.

Also important, so you will need to memorize it.

First remember the ㅛ (yo) form and next study this.

That's it for this lesson.

Today I answered three questions

about politeness levels in Korean.

다음 시간에 봐요! (Daeum sigan-e bwayo!)

Comments

Hide