초급 · Beginner

1강. 언제 쓰는지부터: -ㅂ/습니다 와 -ㅂ/습니까?

격식 -ㅂ/습니다 · 7분

Throughout Stages 1 through 5, you learned 해요체 (*-아/어요*). It is warm, natural, and standard for everyday conversation.

Now, meet 합쇼체 (격식체 / Formal Register): -ㅂ니다 / -습니다.

Is 격식체 "more polite" than 해요체?
Not at all! They are not higher or lower in politeness. They belong to completely different settings:

- 격식체 (Formal Register): Used in public, official, impersonal settings — TV news, presentations, job interviews, the military, airport and subway announcements, and business meetings.
- 해요체 (Informal Polite): Used in daily, personal settings — talking with coworkers, restaurant staff, friends, and casual polite chats.

How to Conjugate -ㅂ/습니다 (Statements) & -ㅂ/습니까? (Questions)

The rule is completely determined by whether the stem ends in a vowel or a consonant (batchim):

- Stem without batchim → -ㅂ니다 / -ㅂ니까? *(가다 → 갑니다 / 갑니까?)*
- Stem with batchim → -습니다 / -습니까? *(먹다 → 먹습니다 / 먹습니까?)*
- ㄹ irregular → drop ㄹ and add -ㅂ니다 *(살다 → 삽니다, 만들다 → 만듭니다)*
- Noun + 이에요/예요 → -(이)ㅂ니다 *(학생입니다, 의사입니다)*
No batchim가다 (to go) · 갑니다 · 갑니까? · Goes / Does [one] go?
No batchim하다 (to do) · 합니다 · 합니까? · Does / Does [one] do?
With batchim먹다 (to eat) · 먹습니다 · 먹습니까? · Eats / Does [one] eat?
With batchim좋다 (good) · 좋습니다 · 좋습니까? · Good / Is it good?
ㄹ irregular살다 (to live) · 삽니다 · 삽니까? · Lives / Does [one] live?
Noun학생 (student) · 학생입니다 · 학생입니까? · Am/is student / Is [one] a student?
Pronunciation Tip: -ㅂ니다 sounds like [ㅁ니다]!

When ㅂ comes directly before ㄴ, it nasalizes into an [m] sound. That’s why 갑니다 is pronounced as [감니다], and 합니다 is pronounced as [함니다]!
처음 뵙겠습니다. 만나서 반갑습니다.Nice to meet you for the first time. (Formal interview / meeting)
지금 뉴스를 시작하겠습니다.We will now begin the news broadcast.
질문이 있습니까?Do you have any questions? (Formal presentation Q&A)

연습 · Practice

이 레슨에는 풀어 보는 문제가 9개 있습니다. 앱에서 하나씩 맞히며 넘어갑니다.
9 exercises come with this lesson — open it to work through them.

이 레슨 열기Open this lesson in the app
다음 레슨 →2강. -(으)십시오 와 해요체 ↔ 격식체 전환
치즈감자 · 문법 표현 전체 · 블로그 · 개인정보
한국어를 배우는 사람을 위한 단어장과 연습 · Learn Korean with CheesePotato
낱말 뜻풀이 출처: 국립국어원 한국어기초사전 · CC BY-SA 2.0 KR