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Honorific Vocabulary (높임말 어휘)

Quick Reference

Special nouns for respected persons:

  • 밥 → 진지 (meal)
  • 나이 → 연세 (age)
  • 집 → 댁 (house)
  • 이름 → 성함 (name)
  • 말 → 말씀 (words)
  • 생일 → 생신 (birthday)

Detailed Explanation

What is Honorific Vocabulary?

Korean has special vocabulary items used exclusively when referring to respected persons or their possessions. Using these words is essential for proper respectful speech.

Key principle: Regular nouns for yourself/peers, special nouns for respected persons.

Why Special Vocabulary Matters

Using plain vocabulary for respected persons can sound: - Disrespectful - Childish - Socially inappropriate

Example: - Wrong: 할아버지 이름이 뭐예요? ❌ (What's grandfather's name?) - Right: 할아버지 성함이 어떻게 되세요? ✓ (What is grandfather's name?)

Essential Honorific Nouns

Basic Needs and Daily Life

Plain Honorific Category Usage
밥 진지 meal food for respected person
말 말씀 words/speech what respected person says
나이 연세 age age of respected person
집 댁 house home of respected person
이름 성함 name name of respected person
생일 생신 birthday birthday of respected person

Body and Health

Plain Honorific Category Usage
이 치아 teeth More formal/respectful
병 병환 illness illness of respected person
몸 - body Use regular + honorific grammar

Note: Not all body parts have honorific equivalents. Use regular nouns with honorific grammar instead.

Family Relations

Plain Honorific Category
아들 아드님 son
딸 따님 daughter
아내 부인 wife
남편 남편분 husband

Note: When referring to YOUR OWN family to outsiders, use plain forms to be humble.

Detailed Usage

진지 (Meal)

Plain: 밥 (rice, meal) Honorific: 진지

When to use: - Referring to a respected person's meal - Asking if elder has eaten - Offering food to respected person

Examples:

  1. 진지 드셨어요? (Have you eaten? - to elder)

  2. 할머니, 진지 드세요. (Grandmother, please eat.)

  3. 진지 잡수셨어요? (Have you eaten? - very respectful, old-fashioned)

  4. 진지 맛있게 드세요. (Please enjoy your meal. - to elder)

Don't use for yourself: - Wrong: 저는 진지 먹었어요. ❌ - Right: 저는 밥 먹었어요. ✓

말씀 (Words/Speech)

Plain: 말 Honorific: 말씀

When to use: - What a respected person says - Asking respected person to speak - Referring to respected person's words

Examples:

  1. 선생님 말씀을 잘 들으세요. (Listen carefully to what the teacher says.)

  2. 할아버지께서 말씀하셨어요. (Grandfather said/spoke.)

  3. 한 말씀만 여쭤봐도 될까요? (May I ask you one thing?)

  4. 사장님의 말씀대로 하겠습니다. (I will do as the CEO says.)

Combined with humble forms: - 말씀드리다 (to speak - humble) - 말씀하시다 (to speak - honorific)

연세 (Age)

Plain: 나이 Honorific: 연세

When to use: - Asking elder's age - Referring to respected person's age - Formal contexts

Examples:

  1. 연세가 어떻게 되세요? (How old are you? - very respectful)

  2. 할아버지 연세가 많으세요. (Grandfather is very old/advanced in age.)

  3. 연세에 비해 건강하세요. (You're healthy for your age.)

Cultural note: Koreans are generally open about age, but asking an elder's age requires proper honorific language.

댁 (House/Home)

Plain: 집 Honorific: 댁

When to use: - Respected person's house - Formal address - Polite reference

Examples:

  1. 댁이 어디세요? (Where is your house? - respectful)

  2. 할머니 댁에 갔어요. (I went to grandmother's house.)

  3. 사장님 댁으로 보내 드릴까요? (Shall I send it to your home?)

  4. 선생님 댁에서 파티가 있어요. (There's a party at the teacher's house.)

Also used as polite second-person: - 댁에서는 어떻게 생각하세요? (What do you think? - very formal/old-fashioned)

성함 (Name)

Plain: 이름 Honorific: 성함

When to use: - Asking respected person's name - Referring to respected person's name - Formal situations (registration, reception)

Examples:

  1. 성함이 어떻게 되세요? (What is your name? - very respectful)

  2. 성함을 여쭤봐도 될까요? (May I ask your name?)

  3. 고객님 성함을 말씀해 주세요. (Please tell me your name, customer.)

  4. 할아버지 성함은 김철수입니다. (Grandfather's name is Kim Chul-su.)

생신 (Birthday)

Plain: 생일 Honorific: 생신

When to use: - Respected person's birthday - Especially parents, grandparents - Formal celebrations

Examples:

  1. 할머니 생신이 언제세요? (When is grandmother's birthday?)

  2. 어머니 생신 선물을 샀어요. (I bought a birthday gift for mother.)

  3. 생신 축하드립니다. (Happy birthday - to respected person.)

  4. 내일이 아버지 생신이에요. (Tomorrow is father's birthday.)

Additional Honorific Words

Actions and States

Plain Honorific Meaning
죽다 돌아가시다 to die (pass away)
자다 주무시다 to sleep
먹다/마시다 드시다 to eat/drink
있다 계시다 to exist/be
아프다 편찮으시다 to be sick

Objects and Possessions

Plain Honorific Meaning
선물 - gift (no special form, use honorific grammar)
물건 - thing (no special form)
의견 - opinion (no special form)

Note: Most objects don't have special honorific forms. Use regular nouns with honorific particles and grammar.

Pronouns and Titles

Respectful Titles

Context Title Usage
Teacher 선생님 teacher, sir/ma'am
Professor 교수님 professor
Doctor 의사 선생님 doctor
CEO 사장님 company president
Manager 부장님, 과장님 department/section head
Customer 고객님, 손님 customer, guest

Second Person (You)

Avoid direct "you" pronouns with respected persons. Use:

  1. Name/Title + 님

  2. 선생님, 이거 보셨어요? (Teacher, did you see this?)

  3. Titles alone

  4. 사장님, 회의 시작할까요? (Shall we start the meeting?)

  5. 께서 (subject particle)

  6. When asking: 고객님께서 찾으시는 게 뭐예요?

Usage Guidelines

When to Use Honorific Vocabulary

Always use: 1. Parents, grandparents 2. Teachers, professors 3. Customers (service industry) 4. Elderly strangers 5. In-laws (older) 6. Boss, superiors

Context-dependent: 1. Aunts/uncles (family culture) 2. Older siblings (formality level) 3. Senior colleagues (workplace culture)

When NOT to Use

Don't use for: 1. Yourself (be humble) 2. Your family when talking to outsiders (be humble) 3. Friends and peers 4. Children 5. Younger siblings

Humbling Your Own Family

When talking to outsiders about your own family, use plain terms:

To outsider about your father: - Wrong: 저희 아버지 성함은... ❌ - Right: 저희 아버지 이름은... ✓

To outsider about your mother: - Wrong: 어머니 생신이... ❌ - Right: 어머니 생일이... ✓

But when speaking TO your parents: - Right: 아버지 생신 축하드려요! ✓

Common Phrases

Asking Age Respectfully

  1. 연세가 어떻게 되세요? (How old are you? - formal)

  2. 올해 연세가 어떻게 되십니까? (How old are you this year? - very formal)

Asking Name Respectfully

  1. 성함이 어떻게 되세요? (What is your name? - formal)

  2. 성함을 여쭤봐도 될까요? (May I ask your name?)

  1. 진지 드셨어요? (Have you eaten?)

  2. 진지 많이 드세요. (Please eat a lot.)

Birthday Celebrations

  1. 생신 축하드립니다. (Happy birthday - to elder)

  2. 생신 선물이에요. (This is a birthday gift.)

Practice

Choose the appropriate word (plain or honorific):

  1. 할머니 _이 언제세요? (생일/생신)

  2. 선생님의 _을 잘 들으세요. (말/말씀)

  3. 사장님 _이 어디세요? (집/댁)

  4. 교수님 _이 어떻게 되세요? (이름/성함)

  5. 할아버지, _ 드셨어요? (밥/진지)

Translate using appropriate honorific vocabulary:

  1. What is your age? (to elderly person)

  2. Grandfather, please eat. (meal)

  3. I listened to what the teacher said. (words)

  4. When is mother's birthday? (speaking to family)

  5. May I ask your name? (to respected stranger)

Show Answers 1. 생신 2. 말씀 3. 댁 4. 성함 5. 진지 6. 연세가 어떻게 되세요? 7. 할아버지, 진지 드세요. 8. 선생님 말씀을 들었어요. / 선생님의 말씀을 잘 들었습니다. 9. 어머니 생신이 언제세요? (to family) / 어머니 생일이 언제예요? (to outsiders about your mother) 10. 성함이 어떻게 되세요? / 성함을 여쭤봐도 될까요?