Korean speech levels are carried almost entirely by the verb ending at the end of a sentence. Using the wrong level can sound either rude or stiff. This free tool scans your sentence endings and labels each one — formal 합쇼체, polite 해요체, casual 해체/반말, or plain 한다체 — so you can match your tone to the relationship.
How it works
The politeness of a Korean clause lives in its final verb suffix. The tool splits your text into sentences on . ? ! 。 and whitespace, trims trailing punctuation, and inspects the last syllables of each clause. It matches them, longest-first, against a table of canonical endings:
-습니다 / -ㅂ니다 / -습니까 → 합쇼체 (formal)
-요 / -어요 / -아요 → 해요체 (polite)
-ㄴ다 / -는다 / -다 → 한다체 (plain / written)
-아 / -어 / -해 / -지 → 해체 (casual / 반말)Honorific infixes such as -(으)시- are noted separately, since they raise the subject’s status independently of the listener-directed speech level.
The four Korean speech levels
합쇼체 — Formal polite (격식체)
The most deferential listener-directed level. Verb endings: -습니다, -ㅂ니다 (statements), -습니까, -ㅂ니까 (questions). Heard in company announcements, TV news, military, and the first meeting with a superior. Writing it feels stiff in casual correspondence but is mandatory in formal documents and presentations.
해요체 — Polite informal (비격식 존댓말)
The default polite level for daily conversation. Verb ending: -요 appended to the verb stem’s basic form. Used between adults who are not close friends, with teachers, shop staff, and anyone you treat politely without needing the full formality of 합쇼체. Friendly but still respectful.
한다체 — Plain / narrative (해라체)
No politeness marking — treats the listener as a neutral or absent audience. Used in novels, newspaper articles, academic writing, and diary entries. Can sound blunt or even rude in direct conversation with someone you do not know well.
해체 / 반말 — Casual (informal low)
The speech of close friends, family members, and those clearly younger than you. Endings like -아/어/해 with no 요. Using 반말 with a stranger or superior is a serious breach of etiquette in Korean culture.
The honorific infix -(으)시-
Independently of the listener-directed level, Korean can mark respect for the subject of the sentence with the infix -(으)시-. For example, 가십니다 (합쇼체 + 시) is “he/she/they go” with respect for the subject, while 갑니다 respects the listener but treats the subject neutrally. This distinction lets you use high formality for the listener while elevating a third person (e.g., a mentioned boss or elder).
Practical guidance
Use 합쇼체 for business, public speaking, and strangers; 해요체 for everyday polite conversation; 반말 only with close friends, family, or those clearly younger. Because intonation and context disambiguate many endings, treat the output as a quick guide rather than a definitive parse. Everything runs locally in your browser — nothing you type is sent to a server.