Formal Register in Honorific System in Korean.
Honorific system in Korean is largely divided into 주체높임법, "subject honorific" and 상대높임법 "relative honorific", and is related to 어미(verb ending and adjective ending).
주체높임법 is further divided into 직접 높임법 (honorific for directly respecting for a persons action in a sentence) and 간접높임법 (indirectly respecting the persons action).
Notes:
1. doer feels a bit awkward/clumsy to use here, it is better expressed as shown above.
2. The first time you introduce a foreign word, include the english in quotes or brackets, and from then on just use it normally.
ex. The early japanese states were called "han". Leaving the han was illegal punishable by death.
I dont have time to correct it all, and Toran has done a good job already ...
This is another really interesting article Amy :)
Corrections are in Red
Suggestions are in Blue
Formal Register in Honorific System in Korean.
The honorific system in Korean is largely divided into 주체높임법 and 상대높임법, and is related to 어미(verb ending and adjective ending). 주체높임법 is divided into 직접 높임법(honorific for showing a respect for a doer of a sentence) and 간접높임법(indirectly respecting the doer).
상대높임법 is how to say words to another person, considering hearer's their age, position, and place by using a certain 종결어미. 상대높임법 is divided into formal register and informal register. 주체 높임법 can belong to some honorific language in informal and formal register of 상대높임법, and is about how to respect another person with the ending –으시- by attaching –으시- to other verbs and adjectives.
In 상대높임법, (a verb or adjective ending that can come at the end of a sentence) are divided by formal register and informal register, and they each are again sub-divided into honorific and non-honorific, along with a neutral register for newspapers, diary, papers, or text in novels. Formal register comprises is comprised of 합쇼체, 하오체 in honorific language, and 하게체, 해라체 in non-honorific language.
종결어미(jongyeol-eomi, verb ending or adjective ending that comes at the end of a sentence) ㅂ니다 or ㅂ니까? is for 합쇼체.
E.g:
이것은 무엇입니까?(What is this?)
이것은 어제 도착한 샘플 부품입니다.(This is a sample component that arrived yesterday.)
합쇼체 is quite frequently used in an office and is good for an official situation, but, the drawback is it is likely that 합쇼체 sounds stand-offish demanding.
하오체 is usually used in historical drama, or on a warning label.
jongyeol-eomi -이오 is for 하오체,
E.g:
경고! 먹지 마시오. (WARNING! Not to be taken orally.)
중전, 건강은 어떠하시오?(중전(jungjeon, spouse of king (queen?)), how is your health?)
하게체 is a formal and non-honorific register for grown-ups who are younger than you, or for friends who are the same age as you but quite aged instead of too old for 해체 to treat the person with due formality. Personally, I’ve never used 하게체 and people don’t use 하게체 to me yet. I may use 하게체 from beginning in my forties.
-ㄴ가 can be used as a form of archaism without query in old poems is an archaic form without query that can be found in old poems, and is also used as an ending that comes at the end of a sentence in 하게체 to query.
자네 잘 지냈는가?(How have you been?)
어머님은 안녕하신가?(How is your mother?)
-게 in 하게체 is used for requesting making a request to someone with due formality when the listener is a grown-up or in lower position or rank than the speaker.
오는 길에 내 서류들을 가져와 주시게 (Please bring my documents on your way to this place.)
해라체 ends with -라 in sentences. I will use 해라체 if I get married to someone and give a birth to baby have children someday.
For example, “저녁 먹어라.“(”Let’s have a dinner.”) to my future son or daughter.
I didn't realize that were so many different forms to remember! It's very confusing!
A couple of suggestions, perhaps instead of referring to "sentences endings with/without query", you could just refer to entire sentences as "questions or non-questions." Also, to call someone a 'grown-up' is fine, but that expression is typically used by children when they talk about older people. Instead, say that they are an 'adult'.
If you have questions, ask any time :)
