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Speech Room · Unit 1

Formal style 1: -(스)ㅂ니다

Hoya practises a formal introduction

Hoya the tiger

This unit is part of the Speech Room Pass — opening soon.

Until then, you can find your level with the level test, or start at the beginning of Level 1.

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]
  • Irregular verbs are regular here — but ㄹ-stems change

The scene opens

  1. Sori

    호야 씨, 내일 오리엔테이션에서 발표해요. 자기소개 준비했어요?

    Hoya, you give a presentation at the orientation tomorrow. Have you prepared your self-introduction?

  2. Hoya

    네. 이렇게 할 거예요. 저는 호야예요. 한국어를 공부해요.

    Yes. I'll do it like this: I'm Hoya. I study Korean.

  3. Sori

    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. 1
    SceneA short scene with Sori, Hoya and the people around them, every line with its English
  2. 2
    Grammar4 patterns: why you need it now, the rule, a table and examples
  3. 3
    Sori’s tipsExceptions, reasons and easily confused pairs
  4. 4
    Hoya’s notebookLife in Korea, in Hoya’s own words
  5. 5
    Words29 words, which go into your spaced review
  6. 6
    PracticeFill the gap, build the sentence, pick the reply — and fix Hoya’s mistakes
  7. 7
    Review roomQuestions from this unit and earlier ones, each marked with where it comes from
  8. 8
    Read & writeA short reading with questions, and a writing task with a model answer
  9. 9
    Cheat sheetThe whole unit on one printable card