Korean Language: Formal and Informal Language

Vocabulary

Formal and Informal Language

• Formal language (, jondaemal): used in writing, formal speeches, and when speaking to someone who is older or in a position of authority
• Informal language (, banmal): used with friends, family, and people of similar age or social status

Honorifics

• Honorific language (, johap-eui eoneo): used to show respect to the listener, subject, or topic
• Six levels of honorifics:
  1. Extremely polite (, jondaemal)
  2. Polite (, jondaemal)
  3. Formal polite (, jondaemal)
  4. Informal polite (, banmal)
  5. Intimate (, haengbok-eui eoneo)
  6. Blunt (, gaseum-eui eoneo)

Word Choice

• Formal and informal words:
  • Formal: (gamasida, to go) vs. Informal: (gada, to go)
  • Formal: (meokda, to eat) vs. Informal: (mokda, to eat)
• Words with different connotations:
  • (jip, home) - more formal
  • (tae, home) - more informal

Idiomatic Expressions

• Proverbs (, salm-eui haengbok):
  • (mok-eun jae-ui gwang-ye, "The mouth is the door to disaster")
  • (jip-eun jok-eul, "The house is the foundation")
• Idiomatic expressions (, eui-hwa):
  • (neomu meolli-ga isseoyo, "It's really far")
  • (joh-ah-ha-go sip-eo-yo, "I like it and miss it")

Sino-Korean Vocabulary

• Words borrowed from Chinese (, hanja):
  • (gyosu, teacher)
  • (hakgyo, school)
• Words with Chinese characters (, hanja):
  • (seon-mul, gift)
  • (jung-won, garden)

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