Why Korean Honorifics Matter for TOPIK
Korean speech level system (경어법) is one of the most distinctive features of the Korean language. Unlike English, Korean has grammatically encoded levels of formality and respect that change verb endings, vocabulary choices, and even the vocabulary used to refer to other people. Understanding and correctly using Korean speech levels is essential for TOPIK II levels 4 through 6, where reading passages frequently use formal written register and writing tasks require formal academic Korean.
The Main Korean Speech Levels
Korean has six traditional speech levels, but modern Korean primarily uses four. Formal polite (합쇼체/하십시오체): -습니다/-ㅂ니다 endings. Used in news broadcasts, formal presentations, and official contexts. This is the speech level of most TOPIK listening passages and the required register for TOPIK writing tasks. Informal polite (해요체): -아요/-어요/-여요 endings. Used in everyday polite conversation. Heard in drama dialogues and everyday social speech. Plain/narrative form (해라체/-다 form): used in written narrative, academic texts, and literary writing. TOPIK essays use this form. Casual/intimate form (해체/반말): used between close friends and from adults to children. Appears in casual drama dialogues at TOPIK II.
Honorific Subject Markers and Vocabulary
When the subject of a sentence is a senior or respected person, Korean uses special honorific subject markers and vocabulary. The subject particle becomes 께서 instead of 이/가 for respected persons. Verbs use the honorific suffix -(으)시-: 선생님이 오십니다 (The teacher is coming [honorific]). Special honorific vocabulary replaces standard words: 있다 → 계시다 (to be/exist), 먹다 → 드시다 (to eat), 말하다 → 말씀하시다 (to speak), 집 → 댁 (home/house). These patterns appear in TOPIK II reading passages set in professional or institutional contexts.
Humble Speech (겸양어)
Humble speech is used to lower the speaker’s own actions when addressing or discussing a superior. Key humble vocabulary: 저 (humble form of 나, I), 드리다 (humble form of 주다, to give), 여쭤보다 (humble form of 묻다, to ask), 뵙다 (humble form of 보다, to see/meet). These patterns appear in formal written correspondence and professional communication contexts tested at TOPIK Level 4 and above.
Formal Written Korean for TOPIK Writing
TOPIK essay writing requires the formal written plain form (-다 endings). Key rules: sentences end in -다 (이다, 한다, 하다), not in -요 or -습니다; formal connectors are used (그러나, 또한, 따라서, 반면에, 특히); passive constructions (-아/어지다, -게 되다) appear frequently in academic writing; and the writer avoids first-person (나/저) in favour of impersonal constructions (～이/가 중요하다, ～을/를 알 수 있다). Practising writing in this formal register consistently before the exam is essential for achieving Level 5 or 6.
Ready to practise for your Korean exam? Take a full-length mock test at LanguageTest.in — AI-graded, timed, and structured exactly like the real TOPIK.
Ready to practice?