Politeness levels: the basics

Why so many sentences end in 요, and when you will hear 습니다.

In Korean, the ending of the verb shows how polite you are being to the listener. The meaning of the sentence stays the same, but the ending changes with the situation.

Polite style ends in 요: 감사해요, 주세요, 어디예요? This is the everyday polite form used with strangers, shop staff, colleagues and anyone you are not close to. It is friendly and never rude, so it is the safest style for learners. Most sentences on this site use it.

Formal style ends in 습니다 or ㅂ니다: 감사합니다, 환영합니다. You hear it in announcements, the news, presentations, the military and customer service. Fixed greetings such as 감사합니다 and 죄송합니다 are very common in daily life too.

Casual style (반말) drops the 요: 고마워, 뭐 해? It is for close friends of the same age, younger people and children. Using it with a stranger or someone older can sound rude, so wait until a Korean friend suggests it.

A simple rule for beginners: if in doubt, end with 요.

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