-요

The -요 ending is one of the most important concepts in Korean. It signals politeness and respect towards the listener and is used to end statements, questions, and commands in a style known as 해요체 (the '-yo' style).

Levels of Politeness
Korean speech has several politeness levels. -요 fits into the 'standard' or 'informal polite' level. It's the perfect balance for everyday situations.

• Formal Polite: Uses -ㅂ/습니다. Found in news broadcasts, presentations, and the military. It's very respectful but can sound stiff in casual conversations.
• Informal Polite (Standard): Uses -요. This is your go-to for most daily interactions with people you don't know well, or who are older or senior to you.
• Informal Casual: Uses endings like -아/어. Used only with close friends of the same age or younger, and family. Using this with a stranger is considered rude.

How It Works
-요 attaches to the end of a conjugated verb or adjective. The actual form of the word before -요 changes based on the verb/adjective stem. For example, 가다 (to go) becomes 가요, and 먹다 (to eat) becomes 먹어요.

This lesson explains the concept and purpose of -요. To learn the specific rules for how to change verbs and adjectives to attach -요, you must study basic verb conjugation, particularly the -아/어 ending, which forms the base for -요.