Honorifics
Korean expressions and words about Honorifics, with examples and translations. Learn Korean with LearnK.
Honorifics
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성함이 어떻게 되세요? — The Most Polite Way to Ask Someone's Name in Korea
If you live in Korea, there's a sentence you're bound to hear sooner or later. At the hospital reception desk, at the bank after you've pulled a number, on the
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여쭤보다 (yeojjweoboda) — Not Quite '물어보다', but the Warmth of Honorific Speech
When you're learning Korean, there's a wall you're bound to hit: the moment when the meaning stays exactly the same, but you have to swap out the whole word dep
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When Saying Goodbye, It Matters Who's Leaving — 안녕히 가세요 vs 안녕히 계세요
When you watch Korean dramas, have you ever noticed that in a parting scene the two people say goodbye with different words? One person says **안녕히 가세요 (annyeong
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힘내세요 — The One Phrase for Someone Who's Worn Out: Everything About '힘내'
A friend who pulled an all-nighter before an exam. A coworker whose shoulders are slumped after failing an interview. A family member lying in a hospital bed, s
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축하해 / 축하합니다 — The One Phrase for Sharing a Happy Moment
When you watch Korean dramas, there's a phrase the characters exchange with bright smiles whenever exam results come out or wedding news is shared. It's **축하해 (
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잘 자 vs 안녕히 주무세요 — The Temperature of Korean Honorifics Hidden in a Goodnight
At the end of the day, right before heading to bed, Koreans don't just part ways. They always say one little phrase — either "잘 자" or "안녕히 주무세요." A greeting tha
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Learn Korean Greetings with One Phrase — "잘 지냈어?" and the Temperature Difference Between Casual and Polite Speech
When you run into a friend you haven't seen in ages, reconnect with someone after a few months, or gather with relatives during the holidays, the very first wor
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'뭐 해?' vs. '뭐 하세요?' — How Korean Greetings Change Depending on Who You're Talking To
When you suddenly text a friend on KakaoTalk, how do you usually start? Korean people very often ask **뭐 해? (mwo hae?)** even before saying "안녕 (annyeong)." Lit
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"다녀오겠습니다" and "다녀왔습니다" — The Everyday Greetings That Pass Through a Korean Front Door
If you watch enough Korean dramas, you'll notice a phrase people call out cheerfully every morning while slipping on their shoes at the front door. The kid head
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'고마워' vs. '고맙습니다': When and How Do They Differ?
When you learn Korean, there's a word you memorize first — and one you'll end up using more than any other for the rest of your life. That word is "고마워" and "고맙
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Just a Moment: The All-Purpose Phrase for Politely Stopping Someone
When you watch Korean dramas or variety shows, there's a phrase that shows up without fail whenever someone is about to rush off, or when you want to pause what
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조심히 가세요 (josimhi gaseyo) — The Send-Off Koreans Always Say When Parting
When a friend gets up to leave after eating dinner at your place, when you part late at night and each walk off toward your own subway station, when a driver ca
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오랜만이야 vs 오랜만이에요 — A Word That Carries the Joy of Seeing Someone Again
The moment you step off the subway and lock eyes with an old friend you haven't seen in years, the moment you walk through your relatives' front door on a holid
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실례합니다 (sillyehamnida): The Most Polite Way to Approach a Stranger
You want to ask for directions, but the person in front of you looks busy. You need to squeeze through the crowd to get off a packed subway. You open a meeting
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"사랑해" vs. "사랑합니다": How a Single Syllable Changes the Distance Between Hearts
It's the climax of the drama. Two people stand face to face in the pouring rain. The lead, in a trembling voice, lets out just three syllables: **사랑해 (saranghae
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미안해 vs 죄송합니다: A Complete Guide to the Two Faces of Korean Apologies
When you watch Korean dramas, you'll often see the main character say **미안해 (mianhae)** with tears welling up in their eyes, or an office worker bow at a 90-deg
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반말 (banmal): The Fine Line Between Friendly and Rude
If you watch Korean dramas, you'll notice this scene comes up again and again. Two people who've just met are speaking to each other in polite, formal language,
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The Backbone of Korean Politeness: Mastering '존댓말 (jondaenmal)'
When you watch Korean dramas, this kind of scene comes up all the time. A new employee ends every sentence with polite endings like "-습니다 (-seumnida)" or "-요 (-
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말 놓다 (mal nota) — The Signal That Says 'You Can Speak Casually With Me Now'
When you watch Korean dramas, you'll often see two people speaking to each other in polite language until, at some moment, one of them says: "우리 이제 **말 놓을까요? (m
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선배 (seonbae): A Key to Understanding Korean Society — Courtesy Toward "Those Who Walked the Path First"
When you watch K-dramas, there's one word that keeps popping up at schools, companies, and clubs. It's that scene where a junior bows their head slightly and ca
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후배 (hubae): Someone Who Started After You — A Key Word in Korea's Senior-Junior Culture
When you watch Korean dramas, there's a word that always comes up whenever a company's new employee or a school's new student appears. It's **후배 (hubae)**. The
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A Warm Greeting at the End of the Day: 수고하셨습니다 (sugohasyeotseumnida)
When you watch Korean dramas, there's a phrase coworkers exchange once the workday is done. You'll hear it when a meeting wraps up, when filming finishes, and e