Overview
Korean has a unique feature that many languages lack: entirely different words are used when talking about or to someone you respect. This goes beyond simply adding polite endings — certain common verbs, nouns, and particles are replaced with special honorific equivalents.
This system is called 존댓말 (jondaenmal, respectful speech) and using the correct honorific vocabulary is essential for polite Korean.
| Level | System | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Speech level | 해요체, 합니다체 | Verb endings change |
| Honorific vocabulary | 존댓말 어휘 | Entire words change |
| Subject honorific | ~(으)시 | Verb infix added |
All three systems work together. For example: 할머니께서 진지를 드세요 uses an honorific particle (께서), honorific noun (진지), and honorific verb (드시다).
Honorific Verbs
These special verbs replace common verbs when the subject is someone you respect.
Core Honorific Verb Pairs
| Plain verb | Meaning | Honorific verb | Honorific meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 먹다 | eat | 드시다 / 잡수시다 | eat (honorific) |
| 마시다 | drink | 드시다 | drink (honorific) |
| 자다 | sleep | 주무시다 | sleep (honorific) |
| 있다 | exist, be (at) | 계시다 | exist, be (at) (honorific) |
| 말하다 | speak | 말씀하시다 | speak (honorific) |
| 죽다 | die | 돌아가시다 | pass away (honorific) |
| 아프다 | be sick | 편찮으시다 | be unwell (honorific) |
| 주다 | give | 주시다 | give (honorific, giver is respected) |
| 나이 | age | 연세 | age (honorific) |
드시다 vs 잡수시다
Both mean "eat (honorific)" but differ in usage:
| Word | Level | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| 드시다 | Standard honorific | Most common, safe for all situations |
| 잡수시다 | Higher honorific | Used for grandparents, very elderly |
많이 드세요. (Please eat a lot.) — to parents, elders 많이 잡수세요. (Please eat a lot.) — to grandparents
Conjugation examples
| Verb | 해요체 | Past | Future |
|---|---|---|---|
| 드시다 | 드세요 | 드셨어요 | 드실 거예요 |
| 주무시다 | 주무세요 | 주무셨어요 | 주무실 거예요 |
| 계시다 | 계세요 | 계셨어요 | 계실 거예요 |
| 말씀하시다 | 말씀하세요 | 말씀하셨어요 | 말씀하실 거예요 |
| 돌아가시다 | 돌아가세요 | 돌아가셨어요 | — |
| 편찮으시다 | 편찮으세요 | 편찮으셨어요 | — |
Honorific Nouns
Some common nouns have honorific equivalents used when referring to a respected person's possessions, body parts, or actions.
| Plain noun | Meaning | Honorific noun | Honorific meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 밥 | rice, meal | 진지 | meal (honorific) |
| 집 | house | 댁 | home/residence (honorific) |
| 이름 | name | 성함 | name (honorific) |
| 나이 | age | 연세 | age (honorific) |
| 말 | words, speech | 말씀 | words (honorific) |
| 생일 | birthday | 생신 | birthday (honorific) |
| 사람 | person | 분 | person (honorific) |
| 아들 | son | 아드님 | son (honorific) |
| 딸 | daughter | 따님 | daughter (honorific) |
Example sentences
성함이 어떻게 되세요? (What is your name? — honorific) cf. 이름이 뭐예요? (What is your name? — polite but not honorific)
연세가 어떻게 되세요? (How old are you? — honorific) cf. 나이가 어떻게 되세요? (How old are you? — polite)
댁이 어디세요? (Where is your home? — honorific) cf. 집이 어디예요? (Where is your house? — polite)
생신 축하드립니다. (Happy birthday. — honorific) cf. 생일 축하해요. (Happy birthday. — polite)
Honorific Particles
Korean particles also change when the subject is a respected person.
Subject particle: 이/가 → 께서
| Plain | Honorific | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 선생님이 | 선생님께서 | 선생님께서 오셨어요. (The teacher came.) |
| 할머니가 | 할머니께서 | 할머니께서 주무세요. (Grandmother is sleeping.) |
Indirect object: 에게 → 께
| Plain | Honorific | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 선생님에게 | 선생님께 | 선생님께 드렸어요. (I gave it to the teacher.) |
| 부모님에게 | 부모님께 | 부모님께 전화했어요. (I called my parents.) |
The Subject Honorific Suffix ~(으)시
While not a vocabulary replacement, the suffix ~(으)시 is added to verb stems to show respect for the subject.
Formation
| Stem ends in | Add | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Vowel | ~시 | 가 + 시 → 가시다 |
| Consonant | ~으시 | 읽 + 으시 → 읽으시다 |
Common conjugations
| Dictionary | + (으)시 | 해요체 | Past |
|---|---|---|---|
| 가다 (go) | 가시다 | 가세요 | 가셨어요 |
| 오다 (come) | 오시다 | 오세요 | 오셨어요 |
| 읽다 (read) | 읽으시다 | 읽으세요 | 읽으셨어요 |
| 좋다 (good) | 좋으시다 | 좋으세요 | 좋으셨어요 |
| 먹다 (eat) | — | 드세요 (use 드시다) | 드셨어요 |
| 자다 (sleep) | — | 주무세요 (use 주무시다) | 주무셨어요 |
Important: For verbs that have honorific replacements (먹다→드시다, 자다→주무시다), use the honorific verb. Don't say 먹으세요 when you can say 드세요.
Humble Vocabulary (Self-Lowering)
Korean also has humble (겸양어) forms used when the speaker lowers themselves relative to the listener.
| Plain | Humble | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| 주다 (give) | 드리다 | I give to you/elder |
| 묻다 (ask) | 여쭈다 / 여쭙다 | I ask you/elder |
| 보다 (see/meet) | 뵙다 | I meet you/elder |
| 데리다 (take someone) | 모시다 | I accompany/serve elder |
| 나 / 저 | 저 | I (humble) |
| 우리 | 저희 | we (humble) |
Example sentences
선생님께 선물을 드렸어요. (I gave a gift to the teacher.) cf. 친구에게 선물을 줬어요. (I gave a gift to my friend.)
처음 뵙겠습니다. (Nice to meet you. — lit. I will see you for the first time — humble)
하나 여쭤봐도 될까요? (May I ask you something? — humble)
할머니를 모시고 왔어요. (I came accompanying my grandmother. — humble)
Putting It All Together
A single sentence can combine all honorific systems:
할머니께서 진지를 드셨어요. halmeonikkeoseo jinjireul deusyeosseoyo. "Grandmother ate (a meal)."
Breakdown: - 할머니께서: Honorific subject particle (not 이/가) - 진지: Honorific noun for 밥 (meal) - 드셨어요: Honorific verb 드시다 (not 먹다) + past tense
Compare with the plain version:
친구가 밥을 먹었어요. (My friend ate.)
Quick Reference Chart
| Category | Plain | Honorific | Humble (self) |
|---|---|---|---|
| eat | 먹다 | 드시다 | — |
| sleep | 자다 | 주무시다 | — |
| exist/be at | 있다 | 계시다 | — |
| speak | 말하다 | 말씀하시다 | — |
| give | 주다 | 주시다 | 드리다 |
| see/meet | 보다 | — | 뵙다 |
| ask | 묻다 | — | 여쭙다 |
| I | 나 | — | 저 |
| house | 집 | 댁 | — |
| name | 이름 | 성함 | — |
| age | 나이 | 연세 | — |
| birthday | 생일 | 생신 | — |
| subject particle | 이/가 | 께서 | — |
| to (person) | 에게 | 께 | — |
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Correction | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 할머니가 먹었어요 | 할머니께서 드셨어요 | Use both honorific particle and verb |
| 선생님이 있어요 | 선생님께서 계세요 | 있다 → 계시다 for respected subjects |
| 사장님에게 줬어요 | 사장님께 드렸어요 | Use 께 (not 에게) + 드리다 (not 주다) |
| 성함이 뭐예요? | 성함이 어떻게 되세요? | Honorific nouns need honorific verb endings |
| 먹으세요 | 드세요 | Use the special honorific verb, not ~(으)시 |
Summary
- Korean has special replacement words for verbs (먹다→드시다, 자다→주무시다) and nouns (밥→진지, 집→댁) when talking about respected people.
- Honorific particles also change: 이/가 → 께서, 에게 → 께.
- The suffix ~(으)시 can be added to any verb to show respect, but when a special honorific verb exists, use that instead.
- Humble vocabulary (드리다, 뵙다, 여쭙다) lowers the speaker when addressing superiors.
- All systems work together: honorific particle + honorific noun + honorific verb.
- Mastering these distinctions is essential for sounding natural and respectful in Korean.