Formal Ending -ㅂ니다/습니다 in Korean

Overview

The formal polite speech level (합쇼체, hapsyo-che) uses the endings -ㅂ니다 and -습니다, making it the most formal everyday speech level in Korean at the CEFR A1 level. This level is used in news broadcasts, business presentations, military speech, formal ceremonies, and when addressing strangers respectfully.

The conjugation is simpler than the polite ending because there is no vowel harmony to worry about: vowel stems take -ㅂ니다, and consonant stems take -습니다. Questions replace -다 with -까: -ㅂ니까/습니까.

While the polite -아/어요 level is the most versatile, the formal level is essential for professional settings and carries an air of authority and respect. Many set phrases like 감사합니다 (thank you) and 안녕하십니까 (how do you do) use this level.

How It Works

Conjugation Rules

Stem type	Statement	Question
Vowel stem	stem + ㅂ니다	stem + ㅂ니까?
Consonant stem	stem + 습니다	stem + 습니까?

Dictionary	Stem	Formal statement	Formal question
가다	가-	갑니다	갑니까?
먹다	먹-	먹습니다	먹습니까?
하다	하-	합니다	합니까?
있다	있-	있습니다	있습니까?
좋다	좋-	좋습니다	좋습니까?

ㄹ-stem Special Rule

For stems ending in ㄹ, the ㄹ is dropped before -ㅂ니다:

Dictionary	Stem	Formal
살다	살-	삽니다 (not 살ㅂ니다)
알다	알-	압니다
만들다	만들-	만듭니다

Examples in Context

Korean	Romanization	English	Note
가다 → 갑니다	gam-ni-da	go (formal)	vowel stem
먹다 → 먹습니다	meok-seum-ni-da	eat (formal)	consonant stem
감사합니다	gam-sa-ham-ni-da	thank you	set phrase
반갑습니다	ban-gap-seum-ni-da	nice to meet you	set phrase
알겠습니다	al-get-seum-ni-da	understood	set phrase
잘 먹겠습니다	jal meok-get-seum-ni-da	(before eating, formal)	set phrase
어디에 갑니까?	eo-di-e gam-ni-kka	Where are you going?	formal question
이것은 뭡니까?	i-geo-seun mwom-ni-kka	What is this?	formal question
좋습니다	jot-seum-ni-da	good / that's fine	formal agreement
시작하겠습니다	si-ja-ka-get-seum-ni-da	I will begin	formal announcement

Common Mistakes

Adding -습니다 to vowel stems

• Wrong: 가습니다
• Right: 갑니다
• Why: Vowel stems take -ㅂ니다 (the ㅂ attaches to the final vowel syllable). Consonant stems take -습니다.

Forgetting the ㄹ-drop rule

• Wrong: 살습니다
• Right: 삽니다
• Why: ㄹ-ending stems drop the ㄹ before ㅂ. This is a regular rule for ㄹ stems across multiple conjugations.

Mixing formal and polite levels in one conversation

• Wrong: 감사합니다. 잘 있어요.
• Right: 감사합니다. 안녕히 계십시오. (all formal) or 감사해요. 잘 있어요. (all polite)
• Why: While some mixing is natural, consistently switching between levels in one exchange sounds awkward. Pick one level and maintain it.

Usage Notes

The formal level sounds professional and somewhat distant. It is the default in news broadcasts, where anchors exclusively use -습니다/ㅂ니다. In everyday life, Koreans use it with strangers in service contexts, in presentations, and in the military. Many people mix formal greetings (감사합니다) with otherwise polite (-요) speech, which is socially acceptable.

Practice Tips

• Memorize the common set phrases in formal level: 감사합니다, 반갑습니다, 죄송합니다, 안녕하십니까. These are used constantly.
• Practice converting polite (-아/어요) sentences to formal (-ㅂ니다/습니다) and back. This builds flexibility between the two levels.
• Watch Korean news clips and notice how every sentence ends in -습니다 or -ㅂ니다.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Verb Stems — understanding stems is needed for formal conjugation
• Next steps: Let's -(으)ㅂ시다 / -자 — the formal propositive form for "let's"