Honorifics and politeness
Politeness expressions cover all the ways speakers show regard; honorification is the grammaticalised part. In Korean it appears in verb endings, particles and vocabulary.
Subject honorification
The subject is elevated with the pre-final ending -(eu)si-, the nominative particle kkeseo and special verbs (itta → gyesida, meokda → japsusida/deusida, jada → jumusida). Honouring objects, as in "keopi naosyeosseumnida" (your coffee has come), is considered incorrect.
Object honorification
The person affected is elevated mainly through vocabulary (juda → deurida, boda → boepda, mutda → yeojjupda) and the dative kke instead of ege.
Addressee honorification
- Formal: hasipsio (hamnida), hao, hage, haera (handa).
- Informal: haeyo, hae (banmal).
Modern speech mainly uses hamnida, haeyo and hae.
Apjonbeop and humility
Apjonbeop withholds honorifics for a subject when the listener ranks higher ("Grandfather, father has come"). The National Institute of Korean Language guide accepts it at home but advises against it at work. Humble forms (jeo, jeohui, malsseum deurida) also matter.
Teaching notes
Learners often attach -si- to objects or omit object-honorific verbs. Japanese keigo is similar, but it is relative: speakers lower in-group superiors when talking to outsiders.
References
- 국립국어원 (2011). 『표준 언어 예절』. 국립국어원.
- 남기심·고영근 (1993). 『표준국어문법론』(개정판). 탑출판사.
- Sohn, H.-M. (1999). The Korean Language. Cambridge University Press.
- Brown, L. (2011). Korean Honorifics and Politeness in Second Language Learning. John Benjamins.