Korean speech levels

Very formally polite
Traditionally used when addressing a king, queen, or high official; now used only in historical dramas and religious text such as the Bible, the Koran, Buddhist scriptures, etc.
When the infix op / saop , jaop (옵; after a vowel / 사옵 , 자옵; after a consonant) or sap / jap (삽 / 잡) or sao / jao (사오 / 자오) is inserted, the politeness level also becomes very high. hanaida (하나이다) becomes haomnaida (하옵나이다; non-honorific present declarative very formally very polite), hasinaida (하시나이다) becomes hasiomnaida (하시옵나이다; honorific present declarative very formally very polite). The imperative form hasoseo (하소서) also becomes haopsoseo (하옵소서; non-honorific imperative very formally very polite) and hasiopsoseo (하시옵소서; honorific imperative very formally very polite).

Formally polite
This conversational style is generally called either the "formal" or the "formal polite". Another name for this is hapsyo-che or 합쇼체 This is a common style of speaking. A conversation with a stranger will generally start out in this style and gradually fade into more and more frequent haeyo-che. It is used

• between strangers at the start of a conversation
• among colleagues in more formal settings
• by TV announcers
• to customers
• in certain fixed expressions like 만나서 반갑습니다 mannaseo bangapseumnida "Pleased to meet you"

Casually polite
This speech style is called the "polite" style in English. Like the 해체 Hae-che, it exhibits no inflection for most expected forms. Unlike other speech styles, basic conjugations for the declarative, interrogative and imperative forms are identical, depending on intonation and context or other additional suffixes. Most Korean phrasebooks for foreigners follow this speech style due to its simplicity and proper politeness. Second person pronouns are generally omitted in the polite speech styles. (See Korean pronouns.) It is used:

• In Korean phrasebooks for foreigners.
• Between strangers, especially those older or of equal age.
• Between colleagues
• By younger speakers as a less old-fashioned alternative to the hao-che.
• By men and women in Seoul as a less formal alternative to the hasipsio-che.

Formally neither polite nor impolite
This conversational style is called the "semi-formal," "middle," "formal lateral," or "authoritarian" style in English. In Seoul, the 쇼 -syo ending is frequently pronounced 수 su. It is similar to the 하십시오체 Hasipsio-che, but does not lower oneself to show humility. It basically implies "My status is as high as you so I won't be humble, but I still respect your status and don't want to make you feel offended" so it's still supposed to be polite yet never willing to lower one's head to please the listener. (e.g. In the medieval times, if two kings from different countries have a meeting, they both would use this speech style. A king can use this speech style to his courtiers to show a minimum level of courtesy, and the courtiers will think the king is using a refined language.) It was originally a refined, poetic style that people resorted to in ambiguous social situations, but, due to its over-use by authority figures during Korea's period of dictatorship, it became associated with power and bureaucracy and gained a negative connotation. Consequently, the generation of Koreans who came of age after democratization conspicuously avoid using it. It is used:

• Occasionally among the older generation, by civil servants, police officers, middle management, middle-aged people, and other people of intermediate social rank who have temporary authority over what would normally be considered their superiors
• In historical dramas, where it gives the dialogue a more old-fashioned sound.
• In the spoken form of certain dialects, such as the Hamgyŏng dialect.

Neither formal nor casual, neither polite nor impolite
This conversational style is called the "familiar." It is intermediate in politeness between haeyo-che and hae-che. It is not used to address children, and is never used to address blood relatives. It is used only:

• By some older people when addressing younger people or especially in-laws in a friendly manner.
• Between adult male friends, occasionally.
• In novels

Formally impolite
This conversational style is generally called the "plain" style. In writing and quoting, the plain style is the equivalent of the third person. Any other written style would feel like a first person account (that is, anything else would seem to be told in the main character's own voice). It is used:

• To close friends or relatives of similar age, and by adults to children.
• In impersonal writing (books, newspapers, and magazines) and indirect quotations ("She said that...").
• In grammar books, to give examples.
• In some exclamations.

Casually impolite
This conversational style is called the "intimate" in English. Like the 해요체 Haeyo-che, it exhibits no inflection for most expected forms. Basic conjugations for the declarative, interrogative and imperative forms are identical, depending on intonation and context or other additional suffixes. It is used

• Between close friends and relatives.
• When talking to children.