{"id":79112,"date":"2018-12-13T01:24:25","date_gmt":"2018-12-13T06:24:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/korean-honorifics\/"},"modified":"2025-01-28T03:08:47","modified_gmt":"2025-01-28T08:08:47","slug":"korean-honorifics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/korean\/korean-honorifics\/","title":{"rendered":"Korean Honorifics: How to Address Everyone Correctly in Korea"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Honorifics are incredibly important in Korean culture for proper conversation and relationship-building. Forgetting to use them can be seen as very disrespectful, and it&#8217;s a mistake that tons of foreigners make in Korea, as indicated in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OS7juYscuBU&amp;ab_channel=FluentUKorean\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">our video lesson<\/a> below:<\/p>\n<p><lite-youtube videoid=\"OS7juYscuBU\"><\/lite-youtube><\/p>\n<p>While this might feel intimidating, don&#8217;t worry. Just study this list of the essential Korean honorific suffixes and other titles so you can thrive in your Korean conversations.<\/p>\n<p>[fluentu-toc]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<h2>Most Common Korean Honorifics<\/h2>\n<p>The first step to knowing which honorific to use is to <strong>know who you&#8217;re talking to<\/strong>. If you don&#8217;t know the person well, it&#8217;s best to use an honorific.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re not sure which honorific is best, it&#8217;s okay to ask what someone prefers.<\/p>\n<p>Note that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/korean\/korean-age\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">age is important<\/a> to Korean honorifics\u2014so don&#8217;t be surprised if a Korean person asks you how old you are. Also keep in mind that they may be thinking in terms of the &#8220;Korean age,&#8221; meaning following the lunar calendar.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some of the most common Korean honorifics you&#8217;ll need to know.<\/p>\n<h3>\uc528 <em>(shi)<\/em><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Meaning: <\/strong>Mr.\/Mrs.\/Miss<\/p>\n<p>When added to a name, this essentially means Mr.\/Mrs.\/Miss. It&#8217;s the most common and general honorific, and your go-to for someone who you&#8217;re unfamiliar with but is at a relatively equal social and conversational standing.<\/p>\n<p>This suffix should always be attached after the first name of the individual, and\u00a0<strong>not<\/strong>\u00a0their surname.<\/p>\n<p>For example, you could say:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\uae40\uc601\ucca0 <strong>\uc528<\/strong> <em>(Kim Young-chul shi<\/em>, or &#8220;Mr. Kim Young-chul&#8221;)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Or to be more casual, \uc601\ucca0 <strong>\uc528<\/strong> <em>(Young-chul shi<\/em>, or &#8220;Mr. Young-chul&#8221;)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>But you would <strong>not<\/strong> say \uae40 <strong>\uc528<\/strong> <em>(Kim shi)<\/em>. Attaching the suffix to the last name is seen as inappropriate or straight-up rude, so it&#8217;s best to avoid it altogether.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Example sentences<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\uc11c\uc900 <strong>\uc528<\/strong>, \ubb34\uc2a8 \uc74c\uc2dd\uc744 \uc88b\uc544\ud558\uc138\uc694? (Mr. Seok-jin, what food do you like?)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\uc9c0\uc548 <strong>\uc528<\/strong>, \ub098\uc774\uac00 \uc5b4\ub5bb\uac8c \ub418\uc138\uc694? (Mrs. Ji-an, how old are you?)<\/p>\n<h3>\ub2d8 \u00ad<em>(nim)<\/em><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Meaning: <\/strong>Mr.\/Mrs.\/Miss<\/p>\n<p>If you want to go the extra mile of respect, <strong>\ub2d8<\/strong> is the right honorific to use. This is a step above \uc528 and generally for those of a profession or notable skill or status, such as a \uc120\uc0dd<strong>\ub2d8<\/strong> <em>(seon-saeng-nim \u2014 <\/em>teacher) or a \ubaa9\uc0ac<strong>\ub2d8<\/strong> <em>(mok-sa-nim <\/em>\u2014 pastor).\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>You can use this after a full name or after a first name.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Example sentences:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\uc120\uc0dd<strong>\ub2d8<\/strong>, \uc800\ub294 \uc9c8\ubb38 \uc788\uc5b4\uc694 (Teacher, I have a question.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\uc0ac\uc7a5<strong>\ub2d8<\/strong>, \ud68c\uc758\uac00 \uc5b8\uc81c\uc608\uc694? (Boss, when is the meeting?)<\/p>\n<h3>\uc120\ubc30 <em>(sun-bae)<\/em><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Meaning: <\/strong>Senior<\/p>\n<p>This is for someone who is your senior in age or experience that you may encounter at the workplace or at school.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This one can stand alone, so you can just call someone <strong>\uc120\ubc30\u00a0<\/strong>without having to attach a name.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It is also possible to use this with someone who is younger than you if they have more experience than you.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Example sentences:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\uc120\ubc30<\/strong>\ub2d8, \uc870\uc5b8 \uc880 \ud574\uc8fc\uc138\uc694 (Senior, please give me some advice)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\uc120\ubc30<\/strong>\ub2d8, \ud568\uaed8 \uc77c\ud558\uba74\uc11c \ub9ce\uc774 \ubc30\uc6b0\uace0 \uc788\uc5b4\uc694 (Senior, I am learning a lot from working together)<\/p>\n<h3>\ud6c4\ubc30 <em>(hu-bae)<\/em><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Meaning:<\/strong> Junior<\/p>\n<p>This is the alternative to <strong>\uc120\ubc30\u00a0<\/strong>as it is used for the person who is more junior in standing.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Once again, this can stand alone and can be used for someone older if they are less experienced.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Example sentences:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\ud6c4\ubc30<\/strong>\ub4e4, \uc624\ub298\uc740 \uace0\uc0dd \ub9ce\uc558\uc5b4\uc694 (Juniors, you worked hard today)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\ud6c4\ubc30<\/strong>\ub4e4, \ud56d\uc0c1 \ucd5c\uc120\uc744 \ub2e4\ud574\uc694 (Juniors, always do your best)<\/p>\n<h3>\uad70 <em>(goon)<\/em><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Meaning:<\/strong> Mr. (young man)<\/p>\n<p>This honorific is not as common as \uc528, but it basically means the same thing. This is used for young, unmarried males in a formal occasion.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>\uad70\u00a0<\/strong>can be attached after the first or last name. It is better to not use this one in everyday conversation as it can be seen as condescending since it may suggest submissiveness or certain gender roles.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Example sentences:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\ud558\uc900 <strong>\uad70<\/strong>, \uc624\ub298 \uc2dd\uc0ac \uc5b4\ub54c\uc694? (Ha-joon, shall we have a meal together today)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\uc9c0\ud638 <strong>\uad70<\/strong>, \uc624\ub298 \uc218\uace0 \ub9ce\uc558\uc5b4 (Ji-ho, you worked hard today)<\/p>\n<h3>\uc591 <em>(yang)<\/em><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Meaning: <\/strong>Miss (young woman)<\/p>\n<p>This is the same as <strong>\uad70<\/strong>, but for young and unmarried females.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Example sentences:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\ud558\ub9b0 <strong>\uc591<\/strong>, \ub108\uc758 \ub3c4\uc6c0\uc774 \ud544\uc694\ud574 (Ha-rin, I need your help)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\uc218\uc544 <strong>\uc591<\/strong>, \ub108\uc758 \uc758\uacac\uc5d0 \ub3d9\uc758\ud574\uc694 (Su-ah, I agree with your opinion.)<\/p>\n<h3><strong>\uadc0\ud558 <em>(gwi-ha)<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Meaning: <\/strong>Dear, to\/Formal pronoun for reader or listener<\/p>\n<p>This honorific is very formal and one you&#8217;ll likely see more often in writing than in conversation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\uadc0\ud558<\/strong> can translate to &#8220;dear&#8221;, so you&#8217;ll see it most often in formal letters or when a company is addressing a valuable client, often with the full name: \uc724\ud76c\ucca0 <strong>\uadc0\ud558<\/strong> <em>(Yoon Hee-chul-gwi-ha)<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Example sentences:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\uadc0\ud558<\/strong>\uc758 \uc758\uacac\uc744 \uc18c\uc911\ud788 \uc0dd\uac01\ud558\uace0 \uc788\uc2b5\ub2c8\ub2e4 (We value your opinion highly)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\uadc0\ud558<\/strong>\uc758 \uc9c0\uc6d0\uc5d0 \uac10\uc0ac\ub4dc\ub9bd\ub2c8\ub2e4 (We appreciate your support)<\/p>\n<h2>Common Korean Titles for Family<\/h2>\n<p>Korean culture has strong\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/asiasociety.org\/education\/confucianism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Confucian values<\/a>\u00a0that really place importance on respecting elders, especially within the family<\/p>\n<p>When it comes to siblings, younger Korean siblings refer to their elder siblings using special titles, often in place of their real names, while elder siblings in turn can call their younger siblings their given names.<\/p>\n<p>The same titles can also be used for those who are not biologically related, but are still older than you and are okay with being addressed more familiarly:<\/p>\n<h3><strong>\uc624\ube60 <em>(op-pa)<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Meaning: <\/strong>Older brother (to a female)<\/p>\n<p>This title is used when a female is referring to her older brother or an older brother-like figure.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Example sentences:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\uc624\ube60<\/strong>, \ud53c\uace4\ud574\uc694? (Are you tired?)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\uac19\uc774 \uac00\uc694, <strong>\uc624\ube60<\/strong> (Let&#8217;s go together)<\/p>\n<h3><strong>\ud615 <em>(hyung)<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Meaning: <\/strong>Older brother (to a male)<\/p>\n<p>This is used by males when they are referring to an older brother or an older brother-like figure.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Example sentences:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\ud615<\/strong>, \uc624\ub79c\ub9cc\uc774\uc5d0\uc694! (It&#8217;s been a while!)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\uc9c0\uae08 \ubc14\ube60\uc694, <strong>\ud615<\/strong>? (Are you busy right now?)<\/p>\n<h3><strong>\ub204\ub098 <em>(nu-na)<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Meaning: <\/strong>Older sister (to a male)<\/p>\n<p>When a male is referring to an older sister or an older sister-like figure, he&#8217;ll use this title.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Example sentences:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\ub204\ub098<\/strong>, \uc5b4\ub514 \uac00\uc694? (Where are you going?)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\ub204\ub098<\/strong>, \uc798 \uc9c0\ub0c8\uc5b4\uc694? (How have you been?)<\/p>\n<h3><strong>\uc5b8\ub2c8 <em>(un-ni)<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Meaning:<\/strong> Older sister (to a female)<\/p>\n<p>When a female is referring to her\u00a0older sister or an older sister-like figure, she uses\u00a0<strong>\uc5b8\ub2c8<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Example sentences:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\uc5b8\ub2c8<\/strong>, \uc81c\uc77c \uc88b\uc544\ud558\ub294 \uc0c9\uae54\uc774 \ubb50\uc608\uc694? (What&#8217;s your favorite color?)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\uc5b8\ub2c8<\/strong>, \uc9c0\uae08 \ubb50 \ud558\uc138\uc694? (What are you doing right now?)<\/p>\n<h2>How to Use Honorifics in Korean<\/h2>\n<p>When deciding which honorific title to use for somebody, it&#8217;s important to consider what your relationship is. Are they a stranger? Are they much older than you? Do they have a particular role or position such as \uc120\uc0dd\ub2d8 (teacher)? These are all situations where you should use honorific terms.<\/p>\n<p>You may need to politely ask for someone&#8217;s name (\uc774\ub984\uc774 \uc5b4\ub5bb\uac8c \ub418\uc138\uc694?) if you plan on using suffixes such as \ub2d8 or \uc528.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s important to bear in mind that you should also use the appropriate speech politeness level along with the honorific. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/korean\/korean-verb-conjugation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read this guide to find out more about how to do this.<\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Honorific Verbs<\/h3>\n<p>Korean also has a number of different honorific verbs. These are more polite versions of the standard verb, and are used to show respect to older people, or people in a &#8220;higher&#8221; position than you. For example:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\ub9d0\ud558\ub2e4 (to speak) \u2192 <strong>\ub9d0\uc500\ud558\uc2dc\ub2e4 <\/strong>(honorific form of &#8220;to speak&#8221;)<\/li>\n<li>\uba39\ub2e4 (to eat) \u2192 <strong>\ub4dc\uc2dc\ub2e4 <\/strong>(honorific form of &#8220;to eat&#8221;)<\/li>\n<li>\uc8fc\ub2e4 (to give) \u2192 <strong>\ub4dc\ub9ac\ub2e4 <\/strong>(honorific form of &#8220;to give&#8221;)<\/li>\n<li>\uc788\ub2e4 (to be\/to exist) \u2192 <strong>\uacc4\uc2dc\ub2e4 <\/strong>(honorific form of &#8220;to be\/exist&#8221;)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Additionally, there is the honorific particle -\uc2dc or -\uc73c\uc2dc which can be added to standard verbs to make them more polite. The way they&#8217;re written and pronounced will change depending on which speech politeness level you are using (e.g. in the polite form, \uac00\uc2dc\ub2e4 becomes \uac00\uc138\uc694.)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\uac00\ub2e4 (to go) \u2192 <strong>\uac00\uc2dc\ub2e4<\/strong> (honorific form of &#8220;to go&#8221;)<\/li>\n<li>\uc624\ub2e4 (to come) \u2192 <strong>\uc624\uc2dc\ub2e4<\/strong> (honorific form of &#8220;to come&#8221;)<\/li>\n<li>\ud558\ub2e4 (to do) \u2192 <strong>\ud558\uc2dc\ub2e4<\/strong> (honorific form of &#8220;to do&#8221;)<\/li>\n<li>\ubaa8\ub974\ub2e4 (to not know) \u2192 <strong>\ubaa8\ub974\uc2dc\ub2e4<\/strong> (honorific form of &#8220;to not know&#8221;)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Honorific Pronouns<\/h3>\n<p>There is a range of different pronouns you can use for yourself and others in Korean, but it&#8217;s important to note that not all pronouns can be used in polite or formal situations.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\ub098 (casual &#8220;I&#8221;) \u2192 <strong>\uc800<\/strong> (formal &#8220;I&#8221;)<\/li>\n<li>\uc6b0\ub9ac (casual &#8220;our&#8221;) \u2192 <strong>\uc800\ud76c<\/strong> (formal &#8220;our&#8221;)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The casual term for &#8220;you&#8221; in Korean is <strong>\ub108<\/strong>, but for polite and formal settings, you will generally just use the person&#8217;s name with the appropriate suffix, or their title.<\/p>\n<h3>Honorific Nouns<\/h3>\n<p>In Korean, there are also different honorific nouns that are used when talking about objects in relation to someone in a higher position than you. You generally use these terms whether you&#8217;re talking to, or about, the person.<\/p>\n<p>For example:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\uc9d1 (house) \u2192 <strong>\ub301<\/strong> (honorific for &#8220;house&#8221;)<\/li>\n<li>\uc0ac\ub78c (person) \u2192 <strong>\ubd84<\/strong> (honorific for &#8220;person&#8221;)<\/li>\n<li>\ub098\uc774 (age) \u2192 <strong>\uc5f0\uc138<\/strong> (honorific for &#8220;age&#8221;)<\/li>\n<li>\uc774\ub984 (name) \u2192 <strong>\uc131\ud568<\/strong> (honorific for &#8220;name&#8221;)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>More Honorific Titles in Korean<\/h2>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-311010\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-311010\">\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Korean Honorific Title<Strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><strong>English Translation<strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/v1-51bcb8a9215f018176aa3428f3a955a6-neural-Seoyeon.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\">\uad50\uc218\ub2d8        <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Professor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/v1-aa2010eecd58f31692e8471486eafa24-neural-Seoyeon.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\">\ubd80\uc7a5\ub2d8        <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Manager<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/v1-2fcb21fd063d630df9f68996087e1948-neural-Seoyeon.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\">\ud68c\uc7a5\ub2d8        <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Chairman<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/v1-099648666d95a1ba8c62b234527508cf-neural-Seoyeon.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\">\uc774\uc0ac\ub2d8        <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Director<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/v1-9d68f73c67684907cde581438e33c697-neural-Seoyeon.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\">\uc0ac\uc7a5\ub2d8        <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">CEO\/President<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/v1-be87ca120298a98cded939e9e8e30a4a-neural-Seoyeon.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\">\uc0ac\ubaa8\ub2d8        <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Mrs.\/Madam<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-8\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/v1-3819210d06a3fa6d83a005389bcd6c66-neural-Seoyeon.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\">\ubd80\ubaa8\ub2d8        <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Parents<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-9\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/v1-49ca50ddd20b090dc2f006fc54beb0c5-neural-Seoyeon.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\">\ud68c\uc6d0\ub2d8        <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Member<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-10\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/v1-d91b53df310c95f6c1880aa8c72cad45-neural-Seoyeon.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\">\uace0\uac1d\ub2d8        <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Customer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-11\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/v1-69c29ebcf096ebfbeecc8dcae234ecd1-neural-Seoyeon.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\">\uc5ec\uc0ac\ub2d8        <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Madam\/Wife<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-12\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/v1-9b88f65f914f9a71f4f588ceccde9941-neural-Seoyeon.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\">\uc2e0\ubd80\ub2d8        <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Priest<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-13\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/v1-d278e4f51cffe15ca42748d32ac8de4e-neural-Seoyeon.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\">\ubaa9\uc0ac\ub2d8        <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Pastor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-14\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/v1-48b1090ae5172074f484b88c941fdb6a-neural-Seoyeon.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\">\uac10\ub3c5\ub2d8        <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Director\/Supervisor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-15\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/v1-d2baa49f3d53abdcc7d2e56f88c64f1a-neural-Seoyeon.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\">\ub300\ud45c\ub2d8        <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Representative<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-16\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/v1-96b5f0024da1d08b6f3e3e6bbefcc205-neural-Seoyeon.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\">\uc18c\uc7a5\ub2d8        <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Chief\/Curator<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-17\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/v1-a5bb6d1af868da8511da4367ad7bd3a0-neural-Seoyeon.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\">\uc190\ub2d8        <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Guest<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-311010 from cache -->\n<h2>Why Do Koreans Use Honorifics?<\/h2>\n<p>Having and demonstrating respect for position is extremely important in Korean culture and one of the best ways to do this is by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/korean\/please-in-korean\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">using the correct words<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In order to demonstrate verbal respect in Korean, we use honorifics to show politeness and understanding of social positions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Improperly using an honorific can be perceived as disrespectful or amusing.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You need to be aware of who you\u2019re talking to (particularly their age and status) so that you may demonstrate the proper amount of respect.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>They can be tricky to master, so if you&#8217;re still confused about when all the above terms are used, watching authentic Korean media, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/korean\/korean-drama\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">like K-dramas,<\/a> will help you get a better sense of how these fit into actual conversations. You could also use a virtual immersion program.<\/p>\n<p>The language learning program <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/korean\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FluentU<\/a> has short videos with dual-language subtitles, which will make it easier to spot these honorifics as they come up. <span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><p><strong>FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<p>You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/fluentu-learn-language-videos\/id917892175\">the iOS app<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.fluentflix.fluentu&amp;hl=en&amp;gl=US\">Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n<p><i><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a><\/i>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/korean\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\r\n  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/NativeAd-Korean.jpg\" alt=\"FluentU Ad\" \/>\r\n  <p style=\"text-align: center\">\r\n    <button class=\"btn-blue\" style=\"border: none;font-size: 18px;text-align: center;padding: 0.75rem 1.5rem;cursor: pointer\">\r\n      Try FluentU for FREE!\r\n    <\/button>\r\n  <\/p>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p>By seeing Korean used by native speakers, you&#8217;ll understand how honorifics are really used in different contexts.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Honorifics are definitely important and something you&#8217;ll encounter in Korean every day. However, it can take a long time to grasp them confidently, so don&#8217;t worry about getting it all right from the get-go.<\/p>\n<p>With enough practice, you&#8217;ll know Korean honorifics like the back of your hand and be able to dish them out to whoever, whenever, like a true native. Good luck!<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><h2>And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n<p>\r\nIf you enjoyed this post, you're already halfway to having the time of your life <strong><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> learning Korean with FluentU<\/a><\/strong>!\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nFluentU makes it possible to learn with K-pop videos, funny commercials, entertaining web series and more. Just a quick look will give you an idea of <a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the variety of FluentU videos on offer<\/a>:\r\n<\/p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2028\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Korean-5.jpg\" alt=\"learn-korean-with-videos\" width=\"307\" height=\"546\" \/><\/a>\r\n<p>\r\nFluentU really takes the grunt work out of learning languages, leaving you with nothing but engaging, effective and efficient learning. It's already hand-picked the best videos for you (which are organized by level and topic), so all you have to do is simply choose any video that strikes your fancy to get started.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nEach word in the <strong>interactive captions<\/strong> comes with a definition, audio, image, example sentences and more.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2034\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Korean-2.jpg\" alt=\"learn-korean-with-subtitled-video-clips\" width=\"307\" height=\"546\" \/><\/a>\r\n<p>\r\nAccess a complete interactive transcript of every video under the <strong>Dialogue<\/strong> tab, and easily review words and phrases from the video under <strong>Vocab<\/strong>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2029\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Korean-6.jpg\" alt=\"practice-korean-with-adaptive-quizzes\" width=\"307\" height=\"546\" \/><\/a>\r\n<p>\r\nYou can use FluentU\u2019s unique <strong>Quiz Mode<\/strong> to learn the vocabulary and phrases from the video through fun questions.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2030\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Korean-7.png\" alt=\"practice-korean-with-customized-quizzes\" width=\"307\" height=\"546\" \/><\/a>\r\n<p>\r\nFluentU keeps track of what you're learning, and tells you exactly when it's time for review, giving you a <strong>100% personalized experience<\/strong>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nReview sessions use video context to help embed the words in your memory.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nStart using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. <a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a>\r\n<\/p> <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Honorifics are incredibly important in Korean culture for proper conversation and relationship-building. Forgetting to use them can be seen as very disrespectful, and it&#8217;s a mistake that tons of foreigners&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":413,"featured_media":79113,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"Korean Honorifics: How to Address Everyone Correctly in Korea | FluentU Korean Blog","description":"Korean honorifics and titles are an important part of expressing your respect to those you're talking to\u2014a big deal in Korea. This guide will give you the most common honorifics and everything you need to know about using them correctly, as well as information about honorific nouns, verbs and more."},"footnotes":""},"categories":[441,451],"tags":[],"coauthors":[185],"class_list":["post-79112","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-korean","category-korean-grammar-lessons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79112","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/413"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79112"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79112\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":248757,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79112\/revisions\/248757"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/79113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79112"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79112"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79112"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=79112"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}