안녕하세요? 😊 This is the second lesson of the Korean formal ending. In the last lesson, you learned about the statement form; ㅂ니다/습니다. I'll show you the question form with different tenses in this post!
1. Formal Question Form
ㅂ니까?/습니까?
You learned ㅂ니다/습니다 as a formal present tense ending for statements. When you ask formally, you'll need to use the question form of a formal ending. There are two forms; "ㅂ니까?" or "습니까?" It depends on the existence of the final consonant.
You'll be able to hear this form in the news, public speech, oratory, etc. You can also find this ending in court, military, court-based, or military-based shows. As you know, those are "official" and "formal" situations.
Pronunciation and tone
Watch out for the pronunciation! Even though we write it as "ㅂ니까?/습니까?" you must read it as [ㅁ니까] or [슴니까] with ㅁ. When the final consonant ㅂ meets ㄴ, it turns into ㅁ sound. This phenomenon is called nasalization.
Let's compare this question form and statement. They not only look slightly different but also have a different intonation. Try to listen and notice the intonation.
Statement | |
Question |
The tone of 습니다 ending generally falls at the end. However, when you ask with "습니까?" the tone rises at the end. The same thing happened in the informal ending. So you may get used to this by now! 🤗
Compare With Informal Ending
When you made a question in the informal present ending, you used the "아/어/여요" and the question mark. The counterpart of this in the formal question is "ㅂ니까? and 습니까?" Take a look at this chart. I'll add the statement form as well to compare.
Informal Ending | Formal Ending | |
Statement | 아/어/여요. | ㅂ니다/습니다. |
Question | 아/어/여요? | ㅂ니까?/습니까? |
Pay attention to... | Vowel | Final Consonant |
2. Present Tense Conjugation
"ㅂ니까?/습니까?" is the present tense question form. Depending on the context, you can express the simple present tense or progressive present tense.
Do you drink coffee? / Are you drinking coffee? | |
Are you drinking coffee now? |
Now, let's take a look at how to conjugate the words! The words, in here, mean verbs and adjectives! As I mentioned above, you have to pay attention the the final consonant! Always check the last syllable of the stem!
1) 받침 O: 습니까?
Take a look at the last syllable of the stem. Does it have the final consonant? Then, you'll attach "습니까?" to make a formal question!
Do you remember there were irregular verbs and adjectives? They ended with some special final consonants like ㄷ, ㅅ, ㅂ, or ㅎ. However, this rule is a bit special!
No matter what final consonant you see, you'll attach "습니까?" This means you don't have to worry about irregular conjugation with this formal question ending! Hooray!
읽다 | to read | |
앉다 | to sit | |
작다 | to be small | |
걷다 | to walk | |
줍다 | to pick | |
잇다 | to connect | |
있다 | to exist | |
좋다 | to be good |
받침 X: ㅂ니까?
If the stem ends with a vowel, in other words, if it doesn't have the final consonant, we'll add "ㅂ니까?" to it. The ㅂ goes under that syllable and will become the final consonant!
주다 | to give | |
공부하다 | to study | |
쓰다 | to write | |
빠르다 | to be fast | |
부르다 | to call | |
이다 | to be |
By the way, think about the stem of 하다 verbs—for example, 공부하다, 수영하다, 숙제하다, and so on. The stem parts are 공부하, 수영하, 숙제하. The last syllable stem of 하다 verbs is always 하. It doesn't have the final consonant. So, all 하다 verbs will fall into this rule.
ㄹ 받침: Drop ㄹ + ㅂ니까?
When the final consonant matters, ㄹ is our usual friend! If the final consonant is ㄹ, you must get rid of the ㄹ. Then add ㅂ in that spot. In other words, replace ㄹ with ㅂ and add 니까.
살다 | to live | |
풀다 | to solve | |
길다 | to be long |
Worksheet
Before you move on, let's practice more! Master this formal ending present tense form with this free, printable, PDF Korean practice worksheet!
3. Past Tense Conjugation: Regular
Now, let's see how we can talk in the past tense. It is a bit more complicated than the present tense, so please pay attention carefully! 🤗
The past tense is realized with the tense word 았/었/였. This tense word is what we call a pre-final ending. You attach this tense word between the stem and the ending.
To decide 았 or 었, you have to pay attention to the stem's last vowel. You can think of the informal ending rule here.
1) ㅏ or ㅗ: 았습니까?
When the stem has ㅏ or ㅗ as a vowel, you need to add 았 to the stem. 았 has the final consonant. That means when you add a formal ending you always need to add 습니까. Let's see some more words.
살다 | to live | |
앉다 | to sit | |
있다 | to exist | |
작다 | to be small | |
가다 | to go |
2) 하다: 했습니까?
When using 하다 words, the pre-final 였 is required. Even though 하 has the vowel ㅏ, it is important to focus on the syllable "하" itself. Either verb or adjective, when the words end with 하다, you'll follow this rule number 2.
However, over time, 하였 shortened to 했. No matter what, it has the final consonant, we'll add 습니까 for the ending. Long story short, you can simply replace "하다" with "했습니까" to make a formal past tense question.
하다 | to do | |
공부하다 | to study | |
숙제하다 | to do homework | |
행복하다 | to be happy |
3) Others: 었습니까?
When the vowel is not ㅏ or ㅗ and if it is not 하다 word, you'll use the rule number 3! These other verbs and adjectives need "었" as the pre-final. Since this 었 has the final consonant, you'll add 습니까?
읽다 | to read | |
먹다 | to eat | |
마시다 | to drink | |
길다 | to be long | |
이다 | to be |
How was the regular rule? As long as you remember which vowels you have to pay attention to, it shouldn't be too difficult.
You may notice... In front of '습니까,' you will always need the past tense words 았/었/였. The words have the final consonant ㅆ... So, no matter which one you use, you always end it with 습니까, not ㅂ니까. With this fact, we can summarize the formal past tense ending like this.
Stem + 았/었/였 + 습니까?
Worksheet
Unlike the present tense, the past tense formal ending was a big grammar! But don't worry! Here is the worksheet for you! It includes the answer sheet, so please check your own work!
4. Past Tense Conjugation: Irregular
Alright. Now, let's take a look at the irregular ones. Unlike the present tense form, you have to study further for the past tense. This is because "았/었/였" requires the vowel as the key.
The main rules are still the same as the informal past-tense rules you've seen. However, as your Korean teacher, I'll guide you one by one here again. If you are familiar with it, please skim the reading and go to the worksheet section to solve the quiz!
1) ㄷ verbs: ㄷ → ㄹ+았/었습니까?
When a verb has the final consonant ㄷ and if it is an irregular word, you'll change that ㄷ to ㄹ. Then, you'll decide the 았/었/였 depending on the vowel. Finish up the sentence with the formal question ending 습니까 with a question mark.
듣다 | to listen | |
걷다 | to walk |
2) ㅅ words: Erase ㅅ + 았/었습니까?
When an adjective or a verb has the final consonant ㅅ and if it is an irregular word, you'll use this rule. First, you'll erase ㅅ. Then, please decide 았 or 었 depending on the vowel!
긋다 | to draw lines | |
낫다 | to heal/to be better |
3) ㅂ words: Erase ㅂ +왔/웠습니까?
When a verb or an adjective ends with the final consonant ㅂ, and if it is an irregular word, of course, please use this rule. As you know, ㅂ always has its own special form!
First, you'll get rid of ㅂ. Then, if a vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ, you'll add "왔" not "았". Other than that, you need "웠" not "었". They look similar, right? Pay extra attention to these special forms!
돕다 | to help | |
춥다 | to be cold |
4) ㅎ adjectives : Erase ㅎ + ㅣ+ㅆ습니까?
All irregular ㅎ are adjectives, well, except 좋다. It follows some special rules. I'll explain it with 노랗다 (to be yellow).
First, erase ㅎ. The stem becomes 노라. You'll add a vowel ㅣ, 노래. Then, add the final consonant ㅆ; 노랬. Now add 습니까.
It sounds complicated, right? Just add one at a time; the vowel ㅣ, the final consonant ㅆ, and 습니까.
노랗다 | to be yellow | |
뿌옇다 | to be foggy |
5) ㅡ words: Erase ㅡ + 았/었습니까?
This time, you have to pay attention to the vowel ㅡ. It is called the irregular ㅡ rule. If you want to access the detailed explanation, please click here to read my other lesson.
When the stem ends with the vowel "ㅡ," you'll get rid of it first. To decide ㅏor ㅓ, you'll use the closest vowel from the end.
For the word, 쓰다 if you erase ㅡ from the stem, only the consonant ㅆ is left. There is no vowel. No vowel means it is not ㅏ or ㅗ. When it is not ㅏ or ㅗ, you use the rule number 3 "other rule." That is why you have to add ㅓ.
To make it as a past tense, we'll add the final consonant ㅆ. Then, of course, 습니까? because we just made the final consonant.
쓰다 | to write, to be bitter | |
크다 | to be big |
It is a big grammar, right? You can bookmark this lesson for now and get some rest. Then, come back and continue the rest of the lesson!
6) 르 words: Erase ㅡ + ㄹ + 았/었습니까?
The irregular 르 is a variation of ㅡ conjugation. Just like ㅡ, you'll erase the vowel ㅡ first. Then, you have to check the last vowel; the closest vowel from the last syllable.
For example, the last vowel of 부ㄹ is ㅜ. It is not ㅏ or ㅗ, so you'll need 었. Since ㄹ doesn't have any vowel, it will just fit into 었 and become 렀.
So far is the same method with ㅡ conjugation. However, for 르 words, you'll need one more ㄹ in front of 르. That is why 부 becomes 불. With this process, 부르다 becomes 불렀습니까.
부르다 | to call out | |
빠르다 | to be fast |
Worksheet
Oh my god! It was a big grammar, wasn't it? Let's solve some quizzes to understand better and hopefully master these irregular rules!
4. Future Tense Conjugation
Pre-final 겠
You have to attach the pre-final word 겠 to make things into the future tense. So, instead of 았/었/였 for the past, you will attach 겠 to the same spot! That means you will always attach the "습니까" version to 겠, not 'ㅂ니다' because 겠 has the final consonant.
The good news is you don't have to worry about difficult conjugation. 겠 only has the one form. You don't have to be stressed out like the past tense! 😂 You don't have to worry about the irregular ones either!
The reason why 겠 is called "future" tense is that it is asking your guess or intention about the future. So, if you ask "걷겠습니까?" it asks the intention like "Will you walk?"
The "guessing" meaning is more obvious when it is worked with an adjective. For example, "작겠습니까?" is asking the guess/thinking "Do you think it is small?" or "Do you think it will be small?"
Stem+겠+습니까?
가다 | to go | |
읽다 | to read | |
하다 | to do | |
돕다 | to help | |
있다 | to exist |
V(으)ㄹ 것이다 Ending
Another way to talk about the future is by using the ending (으)ㄹ 것이다. Like 겠, (으)ㄹ 것이다 is supposed to show the guess and prediction. So, broadly, it is called the future tense ending.
To change the (으)ㄹ part, you'll see the final consonant of the word. If you are not used to this and need a detailed explanation, please read my post about: the (으)ㄹ 것이다 lesson. I'll focus on explaining 것이다 part here.
So, tell me. What is the stem of 것이다? Yes, it is always in front of 다, so "것이" is the stem. What we have to focus on is always the last syllable, in this case, "이".
이 doesn't have the final consonant. That means we have to attach the "ㅂ니까?" form to make the formal question ending. So, you'll say "(으)ㄹ 것입니까?" to ask the listener's intention or prediction.
Stem+(으)ㄹ 것입니까?
가다 | to go | |
읽다 | to read | |
하다 | to do | |
돕다 | to help | |
있다 | to stay | |
쓰다 | to write |
Worksheet
겠 is pretty simple. So, I'll provide you with the (으)ㄹ 것이다 version.
5. Honorific Conjugation
You need to attach the honorific word (으)시 to make a politer sentence or show respect to the subject of the sentence. If you are not familiar with honorific grammar, please study with this post first; Honorific grammar (으)시 and honorific words.
The formal ending is supposed to be the most polite ending. So it goes along with this honorific marker (으)시 and other honorific words.
(으)시 comes right after the stem. It even comes before the tense words (았 or 겠). I'll show you how to conjugate with two examples.
읽다 to read
The stem is 읽. It has the final consonant, so add the honorific word 으시 to it. → 읽으시
1. Present: 읽으시 → No final consonant. +ㅂ니까 → 읽으십니까?
2. Past: 읽으시 → The vowel is 'ㅣ' We need to add 었. → 읽으시+었 → 시+었 shortenes to 셨. → 읽으셨 → 읽으셨습니까?
3. Future: 읽으시 → No conjugation need for 겠. → 읽으시겠 → 읽으시겠습니까?
읽다 | Without (으)시 | With (으)시 |
Present | ||
Past | ||
Future |
가다 to go
The stem is 가. It doesn't have the final consonant. Attach 시. → 가시
1. Present: 가시 → No final consonant, add ㅂ니까? → 가십니까?
2. Past: 가시 → The vowel is 'ㅣ', attach 었. → 가시었 → 시 and 었 become 셨. → 가셨 → 가셨습니까?
3. Future: 가시 → 가시겠 → Add 습니까 because the last syllable 겠 has the final consonant. → 가시겠습니까?
가다 | Without (으)시 | With (으)시 |
Present | ||
Past | ||
Future |
It sounds complicated, right? However, thanks to the fact (으)시 always comes before the tense word, we can extract the main pattern!
For the present tense, you will attach the ending after 시. It doesn't have the final consonant, so you'll always attach ㅂ니까 to it.
Present Tense: Stem+십니까?
For the past tense, you'll attach the tense marker after 시. Since 시 has the vowel ㅣ, you'll need to use the regular rule number 3; adding 었. When 시 and 었 meet, they tend to stick together and become 셨.
Past Tense: Stem+셨습니까?
For the future tense, you'll simply attach 겠 after 시. Since 겠 doesn't require any conjugation, it is pretty simple!
Future Tense: Stem+시겠습니까?
Worksheet
Let's practice the honorific version―formal ending question forms! Please take your time and try to write the answers using a pencil.
6. Examples
Here, I'll show you some examples using the formal questions. I'll also provide you with the same meaning informal ones as well. Each expression has a link to the related lesson. If you want to learn the details, please click the meanings of the expressions.
1
안녕하세요?
안녕하십니까?
With "안녕하십니까?" you can introduce yourself in a very polite way. "안녕하세요." came from the adjective "안녕하다" (to be in the piece), so you can say "안녕하십니까?" to say hello very politely.
2
어떻게 지내세요?
어떻게 지내십니까?
To ask "How are you?" you will use 지내다 (to spend time). You may notice that examples 1 and 2 have "시" in the middle of the sentences. That 시 is from (으)시 which is the honorific word. Since the formal form is the polite one, (으)시 comes with it often to make very polite sentences.
3
이게 뭐예요?
이것이 무엇입니까?
이게 is more commonly used in daily conversations. The original form is "이것이." Since formal endings are (obviously) formal, you may want to use the original forms rather than daily conversation forms. You can say "이게 무엇입니까?" as well... It's not a strict rule or anything. You just sound more formal with the 이것이.
4
오늘이 무슨 요일입니까?
오늘이 무슨 요일이에요?
요일 means a day. If you want to know how to answer these questions or the names of days, please click the meaning to go to the related lesson.
5
저 좀 도와 주시겠습니까?
저 좀 도와 주시겠어요?
You can ask for help by using these expressions. 좀 is a filler word. It makes the ask or request a little more politer.
7. Wrap-up: Korean Formal Ending
Today, you learned how to ask using the formal ending. Let's review the important facts.
Since it was a big grammar, I provided you worksheets under each section. Please utilize them to master the Korean formal ending! Next lesson, you'll learn about the third formal ending form; the command ending.
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