How Do Korean Honorifics Work? The Two Questions That Decide Everything
Korean honorifics feel intimidating, but they reduce to two questions you ask before every sentence. This guide walks the two-question test, shows the mechanical choices it triggers, and gives you drill sentences to practice.
Korean honorifics look like a maze when you first meet them, but they actually reduce to two questions you ask before opening your mouth. Once you internalize the two questions, the grammar choices follow automatically. It's a deterministic system, not a vibe.
The two questions
Before every sentence, ask:
- Who am I talking TO? Is this person older / higher-status / a stranger I owe politeness? Or a close peer I can relax with?
- Who am I talking ABOUT? Is the subject of the sentence someone I should elevate (a teacher, a parent, a client), or a peer / myself?
Question 1 decides the — the verb ending. Question 2 decides whether you use the (the -(으)시- infix, or a special honorific form).


