-ㅂ/습니다
Formal Polite Ending
-ㅂ/습니다 is a formal polite sentence ending. It's used in formal situations like news broadcasts, presentations, public announcements, and the military.
How It Works
The -ㅂ/습니다 ending is used to show a high level of respect and formality to the listener. It's primarily used in writing and formal speech. While you will hear it often, it's less common in casual, everyday conversations where the -요 ending is preferred.
To use it, you first need to find the verb or adjective stem by dropping the -다 from the dictionary form.
Rules for Statements (-ㅂ니다 / -습니다):
- If the stem ends in a vowel, you add -ㅂ니다.
가다 (to go) → 가 + ㅂ니다 → 갑니다. - If the stem ends in a consonant, you add -습니다.
먹다 (to eat) → 먹 + 습니다 → 먹습니다.
Special Rule for ㄹ:
- If the stem ends in the consonant ㄹ, you drop the ㄹ and add -ㅂ니다.
살다 (to live) → 사 + ㅂ니다 → 삽니다.
Rules for Questions (-ㅂ니까? / -습니까?):
The same rules apply for forming questions.
- Vowel stem: + -ㅂ니까? (e.g., 갑니까?)
- Consonant stem: + -습니까? (e.g., 먹습니까?)
- ㄹ stem: Drop ㄹ + -ㅂ니까? (e.g., 삽니까?)
This ending can be attached to both action verbs and descriptive verbs (adjectives).
Examples (5)
- 저는 학교에 갑니다.
I go to school.
Word by Word: I school to go (formal).
- 학생이 밥을 먹습니다.
The student eats a meal.
Word by Word: Student meal eats (formal).
- 이 영화는 재미있습니다.
This movie is interesting.
Word by Word: This movie interesting is (formal).
- 저는 서울에 삽니다.
I live in Seoul.
Word by Word: I Seoul in live (formal).
The verb stem is 살-. Since it ends in ㄹ, the ㄹ is dropped and -ㅂ니다 is added.
- 지금 무엇을 합니까?
What are you doing now?
Word by Word: Now what do (formal question)?
Common Mistakes
Using -습니다 with a vowel stem.
Not Quite가습니다.Better갑니다.The stem of 가다 is 가-, which ends in a vowel. Therefore, you must add -ㅂ니다, not -습니다.
Forgetting to drop the ㄹ from stems ending in ㄹ.
Not Quite알습니다.Better압니다.For verb stems that end in ㄹ, like 알다 (to know), you must drop the ㄹ before adding -ㅂ니다.
Using this formal ending in a casual situation with friends.
Different Meaning친구야, 밥 먹습니까?Better친구야, 밥 먹어?-ㅂ/습니다 is too formal for close friends. It can create distance or sound sarcastic. Use informal endings like -아/어 with friends.
Learn This First
To use this formal ending, you need to understand how verbs conjugate.
Related Patterns
- -요Politeness Marker
Both are polite endings. -ㅂ/습니다 is used in formal situations (e.g., news, presentations), while -요 is the standard polite ending for everyday conversations.
- Verb stems
This pattern attaches directly to the verb or adjective stem. Understanding how to find the stem is the first step to conjugating correctly.
- 이다To Be
The formal polite form of 이다 (to be) is 입니다 for statements and 입니까? for questions. It follows the same level of formality.
- Question formation
The question form of this pattern is -ㅂ니까?/-습니까?. This is the standard way to ask questions in formal Korean.
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.