(screenshots from one of my favorite chats so far omg I think I love him help)
I’m not sure if anybody’s brought this up yet, BUT I’M HERE TO STRESS: I don’t think the english version conveys this feeling as compared to the korean version so let me just mention this
DEAR MYSTIC MESSENGER FANS:
707 USES HONORIFICS IN HIS SPEECH
I REPEAT, 707 USES HONORIFICS IN HIS SPEECH!!!!!!!!!!!!
HE IS A VERY POLITE MAN easygoing yes, but he’s still very polite. I’ve been going back and forth between the english version and the korean version of the script and I couldn’t help but feel the scripts give off different feelings so I’m just putting this out here. Before I got to play the game myself it never occurred to me that 707 would be using honorifics..;; I’m pretty sure there are plenty who still don’t know!!
In case you didn’t know, 707 is as polite to the MC as yoosung is. There are several degrees of politeness in speech in the korean language. The language 707 uses is a pretty polite one. Let me list how the all the guys sound like actually, to compare how it’s like!
Jaehee uses formal polite language. It usually ends with -입니다, 습니다 Which is the language that you usually use for workplaces, presentations, or formal meetings. I think this may change as you progress in the game when you become friendly with her. It gives a stern, well-mannered and strict feeling.
Yoosung’s way of speech is cute, and polite-casual. It usually ends with -요. This style is found when little kids talk to a teacher, or when younger people talk to someone who are older than them, or when you don’t know about someone as well and want to be polite. Just being friendly, respectful, and polite in general. Koreans use this way of speech in default, and you will find most koreans talking this way when they are chatting online. When you start learning korean, using this way of speech is a safe bet.
707 also goes by -요 FOR the MC only. He doesn’t do that with everyone else in the chat because obviously he’s already pretty close with all of the other members except her. I think the fact that he’s using -요 could mean a few different things: 1.It shows that he’s showing respect to you, the person he’s talking to. -요 is a honorific after all and when you use that, you’re putting yourself below the person you’re talking to and treating them higher. 2. It could, also imply, that he’s distancing himself from you. Because when you’re using -요, you’re not really putting yourself on the same ground with the person you’re talking to. Yoosung is supposed to be the younger brother type of character but I don’t think he’s been designed that way- he’s probably supposed to be older or at least around the same age with the MC. When someone your age, or older is using honorifics to you, it usually means either that they’re a really polite person at heart or that they don’t feel like revealing themselves to you. That is, to advance further into the relationship. (but when intimate couples talk this way it gives off a totally different vibe, it feels like they’re treating other very preciously. I am assuming 707 still talks this way after you get into his route so if he keeps doing that it means he cares. alot.)
While I’m at it, I guess I’ll add how ZEN and Jumin sounds like: The top three (Jaehee, Yoosung and 707) use 존댓말(honorifics). Zen and Jumin use 반말(this translates into “low form” but it doesn’t necessarily mean that they treat you lowly, they just treat you in the same level as them when they talk like how you do with english).
If Yoosung is polite casual, ZEN is casual polite. He sounds like a very kind older brother, with more life experiences than you have. His lines usually go with -어,아,야.. You talk that way when you talk with a friend you’ve grown friendly with, or when you talk with someone who’s younger, in a friendly way. He’s a bit narcissistic, but when you talk with him you could feel that he means well. The way that he speaks is pretty sweet and warm, actually.
Jumin sounds like.. a gentleman? He treats you like a lady. I was srsly surprised when he referred to the MC by the word “그대”. I never thought I’d be referred as that my entire life… uh… I think the closest word’d be something like “Thy” in terms of feeling, you use that word when you refer to someone in a play or something. Or in love song lyrics sometimes. I feel it shows his personality well. Overall, his way of speech is the most posh??(like -군,-지…) but he speaks pretty casual when he talks with the other members..
In short, Jaehee>>>Yoosung>>707>>>>>>ZEN>>Jumin in terms of politeness of speech.
Well, yeah ;v; I thought this was important. I don’t think there is a good way to translate these ways of speech into english, but it really shows their personalities well… I thought since there are so many people here that enjoy the game it’d be nice to share these things//
+oh forgot to mention this but Unknown is just plain 반말 :D not formal at all, could be kinda rude to talk that way with a person you’ve just met actually but it’s not like he cares :) :) probably.
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