Korean Politeness Levels
Family
Also common: Polite (haeyo-che) (-아요 / -어요)
Why
Most people speak banmal with parents and siblings. With grandparents — and in some families with parents too — people use haeyo plus honorific words like jinji (a respectful word for a meal).
Say it like this
- 엄마, 나 왔어!eomma, na wasseo! · Casual (banmal)Mom, I'm home!
- 할머니, 진지 드셨어요?halmeoni, jinji deusyeosseoyo? · Polite (haeyo-che)Grandma, have you eaten? (honorific)
- 아빠, 이따 전화할게.appa, itta jeonhwahalge. · Casual (banmal)Dad, I'll call you later.
Common mistake
Using plain 먹었어 with grandparents. For elders, swap in honorific words: 진지 for meal, 드시다 for eat.
Frequently asked questions
What speech level do you use with family in Korean?
With family, the default is casual (banmal), ending in -아 / -어. Polite (haeyo-che), ending in -아요 / -어요, is also common.
Why use casual (banmal) speech with family?
Most people speak banmal with parents and siblings. With grandparents — and in some families with parents too — people use haeyo plus honorific words like jinji (a respectful word for a meal).
What are some example sentences to use with family?
“엄마, 나 왔어!” (eomma, na wasseo): Mom, I'm home! “할머니, 진지 드셨어요?” (halmeoni, jinji deusyeosseoyo): Grandma, have you eaten? (honorific) “아빠, 이따 전화할게.” (appa, itta jeonhwahalge): Dad, I'll call you later.
What's a common mistake when speaking Korean to family?
Using plain 먹었어 with grandparents. For elders, swap in honorific words: 진지 for meal, 드시다 for eat.