Speech Levels · 말체

(Update: This article was last updated on 29 May 2005 to include the McCune-Reischauer spellings of Korean words.)

One of the most distinguishing characteristics of Korean is its speech levels (malch'e; 말체; —體), which reflect varying levels of formality and politeness between a speaker and writer and his or her addressee, based on the relationship and difference in age or social standing between them. Speech levels are one of the first things that second-language users must learn, since it is always necessary when speaking to use a speech level appropriate to the situation at hand.

In total, there are seven speech levels, of which three are widely used in speech and a fourth in writing, with the remaining three being used less frequently. There are five formal speech levels (kyôksikch'e; 격식체; 格式體) and two informal speech levels (pigyôksikch'e; 비격식체; 非格式體). Speech levels are applied to a sentence through the use of word endings (ômi; 어미; 語尾), which modify verbs, adjectives, and the copulative particle ida (이다; "be"). Each speech level is named for the basic (non-honorific) imperative form of the verb hada (하다; "do") in that speech level.

Of the seven levels, the three most widely used in speech are:

• The formal and polite hapsyoch'e (합쇼체; pronounced "hapshoch'e"), whose indicative ending is -(sû)mnida (-습니다 or -ㅂ니다);


• The informal but polite haeyoch'e (해요체), whose regular indicative ending is -ayo (-아요) or -ôyo (-어요); and


• The informal and intimate haech'e (해체), whose regular indicative ending is -a (-아) or -ô (-어).

The haeyoch'e speech level can safely be used by second-language speakers in conversation with people of similar or higher age or social standing, and even with people younger than oneself. It is commonly used by and between young people in Seoul. (It is, however, desirable to learn more speech levels—the hapsyoch'e in particular—as you advance in your studies, since it may sound strange to Koreans to hear someone always speak in the haeyoch'e speech level.)

The more formal hapsyoch'e can be used when addressing people of higher age or social standing. It is not inappropriate to use hapsyoch'e when addressing someone of similar age to oneself—especially a stranger—but it may come across in some situations as being too formal. The hapsyoch'e is frequently used used when addressing one's teacher or boss, in television programs when addressing viewers, and in general formal use.

The haech'e speech level should only be used with one's own family members or intimate friends, or to or between children. A second-language speaker of Korean should never use the haech'e speech level until such time as he or she is sure that his or her listener will not be offended. It is a grave insult to use the haech'e speech level in an inappropriate situation, and arguments between Koreans sometimes occur because of it. Such use may be inadvertent—such as when the speaker incorrectly gauges his or her relationship to the listener—or deliberate, if the speaker particularly wishes to insult the listener.

A fourth speech level is the haerach'e (해라체), whose indicative ending is -ta (-다). It is the lowest of the five formal speech levels, and is used extensively in writing. In particular, it is used when addressing an audience of more than one person, such as in books, magazines, and newspapers—hence the use of the ending -ta for verbs and adjectives in dictionaries. It is used in these situations because the writer is addressing a wide variety of readers of mixed age and social standing, and thus it would be inappropriate to use a more formal or polite speech level. The haerach'e is also used in indirect speech, when reporting in one's own words what someone else said or wrote.

The remaining three speech levels are less widely used than the first four. They include:

• The extremely formal and polite hasosôch'e (하소서체), whose indicative ending is -naida (-나이다);


• The formal and polite haoch'e (하오체), whose indicative ending is -(s)o (-소 or -오); and


• The formal hagech'e (하게체), whose indicative ending is -ne (-네).

The hagech'e speech level is sometimes used by adults when politely addressing people close to them of equal or lower age or social standing. The haoch'e is sometimes used by middle-aged or older people when addressing others of similar or higher age or social standing. Its honorific imperative ending -(û)sio (-(으)시오; pronounced "-(û)shio") sometimes appears on documents—forms and test papers, for example—and signs.

Finally, the hasosôch'e is the most formal and polite of the seven speech levels, and is not used in everyday speech. It is used when praying, or when writing a letter to someone of much higher age or social position. It was also used in speech during the Chosôn (Joseon) Dynasty (1392-1910) when addressing someone of very high social standing, hence its frequent use in historical television dramas (taehwa dûrama; 대화 드라마) when characters address members of the royal family.

In the days and weeks to come, I'll examine some of these speech levels in greater detail. To me, the most interesting speech level is the one that is the least practical for foreigners to know: the hasosôch'e; nevertheless, I'll try to focus more on the most widely used speech levels.