Hi! I've recently began studying Korean and I was wondering what does informal high/informal low and formal high/formal low mean? Thanks so much!!💗
Hey there! This is actually a really common question I’m getting. First, you need to understand the use of formality in order to use it. Formality Levels are also a little more complicated than just formal low/formal high and informal low/informal high. But for the sake of the ask itself and the fact that you just started, I will go over the basics.
I will say before we continue, that if you’re ever unsure what formality to use (unless it’s obvious), always add -요 to the end of your sentence.
Usually, when people refer to formal speech, they say 존댓말. -요 is a good way to make something formal if you’re unsure. Another common way you’ve probably heard 존댓말 is -ㅂ니다 / -습니다. This form of formality is more formal than just adding -요.
Examples:1. 가요 [from 가다 - to go] 2. 해요 해 [from 하다 - to do] 3. 갑니다 [from 가다 - to go] 4. 합니다 해 [from 하다 - to do]
WHEN TO USE 존댓말: ~ there is a hierarchy in Korea based on age and social status, so you would use 존댓말 if they are older than you or are higher up in terms of job title or seniority ~ it’s also important to note that if you are speaking in 존댓말 to someone, you should always use “저” (formal “I”) ~ it also might be considered rude if you use “너” to the person you’re speaking formally to. In this case, it’s better to attach -씨 to the end of their name (example: 희주 씨)
All this considered, you can be friends with someone older than you - and they might be okay with you speaking informally to them. In that case, you can ask, “반말해도 돼요?” - can I speak informally?
Again, like I said, there are more than 4 types of formality, but because you’re a beginner, I’ll only go over the basics - in the future, I can create a formality post for those interested.
The next formality you will hear and probably use is 반말. There is generally no sentence-ending when you use 반말.
Example:1. 가 [from 가다 - to go]2. 해 [from 하다 - to do]
WHEN TO USE 반말: ~ when you’re close with the listener, as in friends (family can also be added into this category as well as lovers / significant others). You can also use 반말 with people who are the same age as you or younger ~ when you use 반말, it’s common to use “나” (informal “I”)
IMPORTANT: if you use 반말 with someone who’s older and higher in seniority than you (and they haven’t explicitly said it’s okay to speak informally), it can come off as really rude. If you’re a foreigner, it can often be looked over because Koreans will generally have a good understanding that you’re still learning. But that is a general statement, not all Koreans are as forgiving (trust me, I’ve been there).
In terms of your question, the formality levels will go like this:
Informal Low: 가 // 해Informal High: 가요 // 해요Formal Low: 간다 // 한다* not as commonly used if you’re still learningFormal High: 갑니다 // 합니다
I really hope this helped and I answered your question! I would like to note, that even though -요 is considered Informal High, you can still use it in formal situations. In fact, it’s really common to use (like I said above) if you can’t gauge how old the person. [for conjugation, go here]
Happy Learning :)
~ SK101
