ěë
! ě ě§ëě´ě? I hope everyone is doing okay during this time. I have come back with a post all about Korean honorifics because, well, letâs be honest, theyâre really important when youâre learning Korean. Not only are they a part of the language, but a part of the culture as well. Alright, letâs jump right in! ę°ě!
First of all: What even is an honorific? An honorific, in short, is a syllable(s) in Korean You attach to the end of a personâs name to show them respect. In English, the equivalent is ÂŤÂ sir  or ÂŤÂ maâam .
Second: When will I ever use an honorific? All. The. Time. Literally, every single day. I use them when talking with my teachers or even my friends. Why? Because honorifics can show one of two things: respect or endearment.
But SĂ f, I thought honorifics were only for people older than you
Thatâs sort of correct. You use honorifics like ÂŤÂ Mr/Ms/Mrs  when talking to someone in your workplace/school, just like you use ÂŤÂ dear/honey  when talking to someone you adore. Honorifics arenât just for people older than you, and they arenât just for strangers.
With all that being said, letâs start talking about formal honorifics (because yes, there are also informal ones)!
This is the most obvious one for most learners. Youâll hear this used practically everywhere. When added to a name, it means ÂŤÂ Mr/Mrs/Miss . Itâs a very common honorific. Itâs a go-to for anyone who is at an equal social standing as you, even if you donât know them. Youâll add ě¨ to then end of someoneâs first name.
Example: ě´ëݏë ě¨ (Ms. Lee Mi-rae)
Or more casual: 미ë ě¨ (Ms. Mi-rae)
Note that you shouldnât attach it to someoneâs surname (as in ě´ ě¨) because this is seen as rude, disrespectful, and inappropriate.
I wasnât very sure about adding these ones into the post just because they arenât super common anymore and they are more used by the older generations, but, itâs good to include these because you should stray away from them.
ęľ° is used as a term for a younger, unmarried male, and ě is used for a younger, unmarried female. You would typically hear these at formal events like weddings.
The difference between ęľ°/ě and ě¨ is that you can attach ęľ°/ě either after a personâs first name or surname. It isnât seen as rude if you attach ęľ°/ě after the surname, unlike ě¨.
Note that these are used by older generations and that the younger generations now see these as condescending and the listener will think you want them to be submissive and assume to gender roles. These two are a no-no so itâs best to stay away from them.
Going to be honest, this one is one of my favourite honorifics (donât ask why because I even donât know). So, if you wanna go the extra mile with respect, definitely use ë. ë is used when talking to someone with a profession or skill/status in something. ë is also a step up from ě¨.
Examples: ě ěë (teacher), 몊ěŹë (pastor)
í and ëë are used if you are a male and you are speaking to someone you are close to taht is older than you. í if the older person is a male, and ëë if the older person is a female
Examples: ě! íě! ěŹę¸°ěě! (Ah! Hyung-ah! Over here!) ëëë ě ë
ě ě댏íě´ě. (*Nuna* cooked dinner.
ě¤ëš and ě¸ë are used if you are a female and you are speaking to someone you are close to that is older than you. ě¤ëš if thĂŠ the other person is a male, and ě¸ë if the other person is a female.
Examples: ě¤ëš ě ě´ë ę˛ ëěęš? (*Oppa* why did this happen?) ě¸ë, ěźííęł ę° ęą°ěě? (*Eonnie* are you going to go shopping?)
Thatâs it for todayâs lesson! I hope everyone found these super useful! If anyone ever needs some practice with reading and understanding Korean, you can send in an ask or send me a message! I get back to people as fast as I can. Thank you everyone! Iâll see you in the next post! ěë
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