Formal -ㅂ니다/습니다 Endings in Korean

In Brief

To make a formal polite statement, remove -다 from the dictionary form and add -ㅂ니다 after a vowel or -습니다 after a consonant: 가다 → 갑니다, 먹다 → 먹습니다. A stem ending in ㄹ drops that ㄹ before -ㅂ니다: 살다 → 삽니다. This style is common in presentations, announcements, news reports, customer service, and other formal settings.

Overview

Korean sentence endings communicate not only tense and sentence type, but also the speaker's relationship to the listener and the tone of the situation. -ㅂ니다/습니다 belongs to 합쇼체, often called the formal polite or deferential speech style. Deferential simply means that the speaker presents the message in a formally respectful way to the listener.

This is an A1 pattern because it lets you handle introductions, workplace exchanges, public information, and fixed expressions such as 감사합니다 (“thank you”) very early. It attaches to both action verbs, such as 가다 (“to go”), and descriptive verbs, such as 좋다 (“to be good”). Korean descriptive verbs do work that English usually gives to adjectives, but they take sentence endings like verbs.

English can sound formal through word choice—compare “Thanks” with “Thank you very much”—but it does not normally change every verb according to a speech level. In Korean, choosing 갑니다 instead of 가요 makes the whole utterance sound more official, controlled, or ceremonious. It does not, by itself, show respect toward the person performing the action; that is a separate job handled by honorific forms such as -(으)시-.

How It Works

Step 1: Find the stem

The dictionary form of a Korean verb ends in -다. Remove -다 to find the stem (the part that endings attach to).

Dictionary form	Stem	Meaning
가다	가-	to go
먹다	먹-	to eat
하다	하-	to do
좋다	좋-	to be good
살다	살-	to live

Step 2: Check the final sound of the stem

The choice is based on whether the stem ends in a vowel or a final consonant (받침, the consonant at the bottom of a Hangul syllable block).

Stem type	Ending	Formation	Result
Ends in a vowel	-ㅂ니다	가 + ㅂ니다	갑니다
Ends in a consonant other than ㄹ	-습니다	먹 + 습니다	먹습니다
Ends in ㄹ	ㄹ drops, then -ㅂ니다	살 → 사 + ㅂ니다	삽니다

The ㅂ in -ㅂ니다 becomes the final consonant of the preceding syllable. It is therefore 갑니다, not 가ㅂ니다 and not 가습니다.

Vowel stems: -ㅂ니다

Dictionary form	Stem	Formal polite statement	Meaning
가다	가-	갑니다	go / am going
오다	오-	옵니다	come / am coming
보다	보-	봅니다	see / watch
배우다	배우-	배웁니다	learn
공부하다	공부하-	공부합니다	study

Unlike -아/어요, this ending does not cause contractions such as 하다 → 해요. With the formal ending, 하다 becomes 합니다.

Consonant stems: -습니다

Dictionary form	Stem	Formal polite statement	Meaning
먹다	먹-	먹습니다	eat / am eating
읽다	읽-	읽습니다	read
받다	받-	받습니다	receive
좋다	좋-	좋습니다	be good
있다	있-	있습니다	exist / have

The spelling of the stem normally remains visible even when pronunciation changes. For example, 읽습니다 keeps the written stem 읽-.

ㄹ-stems: drop ㄹ and add -ㅂ니다

A stem-final ㄹ is a special case. Remove ㄹ, then attach -ㅂ니다.

Dictionary form	Stem	Change	Result	Meaning
살다	살-	사- + ㅂ니다	삽니다	live
알다	알-	아- + ㅂ니다	압니다	know
만들다	만들-	만드- + ㅂ니다	만듭니다	make
팔다	팔-	파- + ㅂ니다	팝니다	sell
멀다	멀-	머- + ㅂ니다	멉니다	be far

Do not treat ㄹ like an ordinary consonant here: 살습니다 is incorrect.

Formal questions: -ㅂ니까/습니까?

Formal statements and formal questions have different endings. Use -ㅂ니까? after a vowel (and after dropping stem-final ㄹ), and -습니까? after another consonant.

Stem type	Statement	Question	Meaning of question
가- (vowel)	갑니다	갑니까?	Are you going? / Does it go?
먹- (consonant)	먹습니다	먹습니까?	Do you eat?
살- (ㄹ)	삽니다	삽니까?	Do you live?
하- (vowel)	합니다	합니까?	Do you do it?

Context supplies the subject because Korean often leaves out “I,” “you,” “he,” or “she” when it is already clear. This is why 갑니까? can have more than one natural English translation.

The copula: 입니다 and 아닙니다

The copula is the form that links a noun to its description—the role of “am/is/are” in “I am a student.” Korean 이다 becomes 입니다 in this style and attaches directly to the noun. Its negative counterpart 아니다 becomes 아닙니다.

Pattern	Korean	English
noun + 입니다	저는 학생입니다.	I am a student.
noun + 입니까?	의사입니까?	Are you a doctor?
noun + 이/가 아닙니다	학생이 아닙니다.	I am not a student.

Write 학생입니다 without a space between the noun and 입니다. With 아니다, the noun is normally marked by 이/가: 학생이 아닙니다, 의사가 아닙니다.

Negatives, past forms, and other material before the ending

The speech-level ending usually comes at the very end. Negation, tense, or honorific material appears before it.

Function	Formation	Example	Meaning
Short negation	안 + verb	안 갑니다.	I do not go.
Inability	못 + verb	못 먹습니다.	I cannot eat.
Long negation	stem + -지 않습니다	가지 않습니다.	I do not go.
Past	stem + -았/었- + 습니다	갔습니다.	went
Speaker intention / formal future	stem + -겠- + 습니다	하겠습니다.	I will do it.
Subject honorific	stem + -(으)시- + ㅂ니다	가십니다.	goes (honoring the subject)

For now, the beginner rule is simple: build the verb information first, then put the formal ending last.

Examples in Context

Korean	English	Note
저는 매일 한국어를 공부합니다.	I study Korean every day.	Vowel stem 공부하-
아침 여덟 시에 출발합니다.	We leave at eight in the morning.	Subject understood from context
여기에서 표를 팝니다.	They sell tickets here.	ㄹ drops: 팔다 → 팝니다
이 식당은 문을 일찍 닫습니다.	This restaurant closes early.	Consonant stem 닫-
저는 고기를 먹지 않습니다.	I do not eat meat.	Formal long-form negative
회의가 곧 시작됩니다.	The meeting will begin shortly.	Announcement-like style
무엇을 찾습니까?	What are you looking for?	Formal question
서울에 삽니까?	Do you live in Seoul?	ㄹ-stem question
네, 서울에 삽니다.	Yes, I live in Seoul.	Matching formal answer
이것은 제 여권입니다.	This is my passport.	Noun + 입니다
저는 의사가 아닙니다.	I am not a doctor.	Negative copula
어제 부산에 갔습니다.	I went to Busan yesterday.	Past formal form
잠시 후에 도착하겠습니다.	I will arrive shortly.	-겠- signals intention here
선생님께서 지금 오십니다.	The teacher is coming now.	-(으)시- honors the subject
도와주셔서 감사합니다.	Thank you for helping me.	Fixed, widely used formal expression
처음 뵙겠습니다. 반갑습니다.	It is a pleasure to meet you.	Conventional formal introduction

Common Mistakes

Using -습니다 after every consonant, including ㄹ

• Wrong: 서울에 살습니다.
• Right: 서울에 삽니다.
• Why: Stem-final ㄹ drops before -ㅂ니다. Use 살다 → 삽니다, 알다 → 압니다, and 만들다 → 만듭니다.

Adding the ending to the dictionary form

• Wrong: 가다ㅂ니다 or 가답니다 (when you mean a plain formal statement)
• Right: 갑니다.
• Why: First remove dictionary -다, leaving 가-, and then add -ㅂ니다. Note that -답니다 does exist in other, later grammar patterns, but it is not the basic formal ending taught here.

Using the statement ending as a question

• Wrong: 어디 갑니다? in careful formal speech
• Right: 어디 갑니까?
• Why: The standard formal interrogative (question) ending is -ㅂ니까/습니까?. Rising intonation alone is characteristic of other speech styles and can occur conversationally, but beginners should keep the formal statement–question distinction clear.

Assuming formal polite means subject-honorific

• Wrong: 할아버지가 갑니다. when you need to honor Grandfather as the subject
• Right: 할아버지께서 가십니다.
• Why: -ㅂ니다/습니다 is politeness toward the listener. -(으)시- honors the subject. Formal situations often require both, but they are separate choices.

Mixing speech levels without a reason

• Wrong: 안녕하세요. 저는 민수입니다. 어디 가요? in a tightly formal introduction or interview
• Right: 안녕하십니까? 저는 민수입니다. 어디 갑니까?
• Why: Switching from formal -ㅂ니다 to everyday polite -아요/어요 can make the tone uneven. Native speakers do shift styles in real conversation, but keep one style while you are learning or when the setting clearly calls for consistency.

Separating 입니다 from its noun

• Wrong: 학생 입니다.
• Right: 학생입니다.
• Why: 입니다 attaches directly to the noun in standard spacing.

Usage Notes

Formal does not always mean “more polite” in every situation

-ㅂ니다/습니다 is strongly associated with official, public, professional, and ceremonial communication. You hear it in presentations, broadcasts, transport announcements, military-style reporting, interviews, customer-facing scripts, and prepared introductions. It sounds clear and accountable, which is why a speaker may use it when reporting facts or promising action: 확인하겠습니다 (“I will check”).

However, strangers do not automatically require this style. Everyday -아/어요 is also polite and often sounds warmer and more natural in ordinary conversation. A shop employee may use formal endings as part of a service style, while customers may reply in -아/어요. Think of the choice as a register decision—the level of language suited to a situation—not as a mechanical stranger-versus-friend rule.

Keep the whole sentence socially appropriate

A formal ending cannot make blunt vocabulary or an unsuitable pronoun respectful. Korean commonly omits “you” or uses a title such as 선생님, 사장님, or a person's role instead of 당신. Saying 당신은 어디 갑니까? may sound confrontational or unnatural in many face-to-face contexts, despite the formal ending. Often 어디 가십니까? is enough.

Pronunciation differs from the spelling

The sequence ㅂㄴ is normally pronounced with nasal assimilation, so the ㅂ sounds like ㅁ before ㄴ. Thus 갑니다 is pronounced approximately [감니다], and 합니다 approximately [함니다]. In -습니다, the written ㅂ is likewise heard as ㅁ, while ㅅ is often tense in pronunciation; 먹습니다 is commonly pronounced [먹씀니다]. Keep the standard spelling even though connected speech changes the sounds.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

You do not need to master all of the following at A1, but these points explain forms you will soon encounter.

Speech level and honorifics form separate layers

Korean can encode several social choices in one verb. In 오십니다, 오- carries the meaning “come,” -시- honors the person coming, and -ㅂ니다 addresses the listener formally. This layering explains why formal-polite speech is not automatically honorific toward everyone mentioned.

Plain meaning	Formal to listener	Formal + honors subject
가다 (to go)	갑니다	가십니다
먹다 (to eat)	먹습니다	먹으십니다
읽다 (to read)	읽습니다	읽으십니다

Some respected subjects also call for special honorific vocabulary. For example, 먹으십니다 is grammatically possible, but 드십니다 may be preferred when respectfully saying that someone eats.

-겠습니다 can do more than mark future time

In service and professional language, -겠습니다 often expresses the speaker's intention, willingness, or formal commitment rather than a neutral prediction. 확인하겠습니다 is naturally “I’ll check,” and 잘 부탁드리겠습니다 is a conventional expression of polite goodwill. Its meaning depends on context, so it should not be treated as a simple one-to-one replacement for English “will.”

Formal written prose is not always 합쇼체

News presenters often speak in -ㅂ니다/습니다, but newspaper articles, reports, encyclopedia entries, and academic prose commonly use -다 style instead. Both can feel formal in English translation, yet they serve different discourse roles: 합쇼체 explicitly addresses an audience deferentially, while -다 style presents information in a detached written voice.

The related proposal ending -(으)ㅂ시다

The form -(으)ㅂ시다 means “let’s”: 갑시다 (“let’s go”), 먹읍시다 (“let’s eat”). It resembles -ㅂ니다/습니다 in spelling but has a different function. It proposes joint action rather than making a statement, and its social use deserves separate study.

Practice Tips

1. Sort verbs by stem ending. Make three short lists—vowel, consonant, and ㄹ—and convert five verbs from each list: 가다 → 갑니다, 먹다 → 먹습니다, 살다 → 삽니다. Saying the stem aloud before adding the ending helps prevent 가습니다 and 살습니다.
2. Practice statement-and-question pairs. Turn each statement into a question and answer it: 갑니다 → 갑니까? → 네, 갑니다. This builds the crucial contrast between -ㅂ니다/습니다 and -ㅂ니까/습니까.
3. Listen by setting, not just by word. Compare a Korean news clip, transport announcement, or company presentation with a casual interview. Mark every final -ㅂ니다, -습니다, -ㅂ니까, and -습니까, and notice when speakers switch to the warmer -아/어요 style.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Verb Stems — learn how to remove dictionary -다 and identify vowel, consonant, and ㄹ stems.
• Next step: Let's -(으)ㅂ시다 / -자 — use the related proposal form to suggest doing something together.