Speech Room · Unit 1 · On the Level 1 path

Formal style 1: -(스)ㅂ니다

Hoya practises a formal introduction

This unit is part of the Level 1 Pass — opening soon.

Until then, you can find your level with the level test, or start at the beginning of Level 1. Leave your email below and we’ll tell you when it opens.

What you’ll learn

V/A-(스)ㅂ니다 · -(스)ㅂ니까?The formal ending 합니다체
N입니다 · N입니까? · N이/가 아닙니다Formal 이다 and 아니다
네, ~ㅂ니다 · 아니요, ~Asking and answering in formal speech
합니다체 vs 해요체When do you use 합니다체?

Sori’s tips in this unit

The fixed expressions you already met — now you can read them
Sounds: 합니다 is [함니다], 먹습니다 is [먹씀니다]
No stem changes before -습니다 — except ㄹ-stems

The scene opens

호야 씨, 내일 오리엔테이션에서 발표해요. 자기소개 준비했어요?

Hoya, you give a presentation at the orientation tomorrow. Have you prepared your self-introduction?
네, 준비했어요. “저는 호야예요. 한국어를 공부해요.”

Yes, I have. “I'm Hoya. I study Korean.”
좋아요. 그런데 발표에서는 합니다체를 써요. “저는 호야입니다. 한국어를 공부합니다.”

Good. But in a presentation we use the formal style, 합니다체. “I am Hoya. I study Korean.”

Inside the unit

1
SceneA short scene with Sori, Hoya and the people around them, every line with its English
2
Grammar4 patterns: why you need it now, the rule, a table and examples
3
Sori’s tipsExceptions, reasons and easily confused pairs
4
Hoya’s notebookLife in Korea, in Hoya’s own words
5
Words30 words, which go into your spaced review
6
PracticeFill the gap, build the sentence, pick the reply — and fix Hoya’s mistakes
7
Review roomQuestions from this unit and earlier ones, each marked with where it comes from
8
Read & writeA short reading with questions, and a writing task with a model answer
9
Cheat sheetThe whole unit on one printable card