A few minor styles

For example, when speaking about a close friend to the friend’s student, one may choose to use or not use -시: 이 교수가교수님이 오늘 못 온다네요오신다네요. I heard that Professor Lee cannot come today. It is perhaps more common and appropriate for speakers to take the hearer’s position and to use -시 where the hearer would be required to use it. However, speaking from the hearer’s position is not always more appropriate. If, for example, the referent of the subject is the speaker’s professor but the hearer’s studentdaughter, the speaker should retain hisher own perspective and use -시. • You may not have to use -시 when talking to your parents especially your mother about themselves. The use of -시 in this case usually indicates conservatism. 엄마, 어디 가요? Mom, where are you going? However, when you are speaking to someone outside your immediate family, you should use -시 if the subject refers to your parents. 엄마 어디 가셨는데요. My mom went somewhere. • Romantic partners and extremely close friends generally do not use -시 for each other, regardless of age. • When age conflicts with social standing or occupational position, mutual use of -시 is expected. So, a social superior uses -시 for an older subordinate when the subject refers to himher, and a social subordinate uses it for a younger superior under those same circumstances. The more formal and hierarchical the work environment is, the more obligatory is use of -시 for a superior despite age differences. • -시 is not used in news broadcasts or in written material such as newspapers, magazines, books, and so on that are intended for a general audience see 2.6 and 9.1. 한국을 방문하고 있는 클린턴 대통령은 암스트롱에게 전화를 걸어 승리를 하한다고 전했다. 동양일보 President Clinton, who was visiting Korea, called Armstrong and congratulated him on his victory. Tong’yang Daily Press • In formulaic greetings such as 안녕하십니까 or 안녕하세요, -시 is used regardless of the age and social standing of the subject when a formal ending is called for. • -시 should also be used in cases where the referent of the subject is closely connected to a person who is worthy of honorification. How close is close? One’s age or health is undoubtedly close to the person, but what about one’s car, clothes, house, or book? When in doubt, use -시 if the hearer is the person in question or someone related to himher. 할머니께서 감기가 드셨어요. My grandmother has a cold. 장모님이 연세가 많으세요? Is your mother-in-law old? 손님, 신장이 어떻게 되세요?. Ma’amSir, what is your height? 아버님께서 부도가 나셨거든요. My father had his company pay cheque bounce. 교수님, 사무실이 넓으시네요. Professor, your office is big. 사장님, 모자가 잘 어울리십니다. Boss, your hat looks good on you. 사모님, 따님이 미인이세요. Ma’am, your daughter is a beauty. • These days, almost anything can trigger honorification in the speech of some people, especially service industry workers, provided it refers to something that is associated in some way with a guest or client. Some of the following examples involve over-honorification and may sound strange, but they are all actual quotes. 전화 오셨습니다. by a hotel front desk clerk Here is a phone call for you. 보험료가 비싸시다구요? in an advertisement You think the insurance premium is expensive? 사기 잉크가 떨어지셨다구요? in an advertisement So your copy machine cartridge ran out of ink? 저기 보이시는 저 건물입니다. by a security guard It’s that building that you see [that is seen] over there. 꼬들꼬들 볶음밥이 되실 수 있으시죠. in a TV cooking show It can turn into very dry fried rice. • People who are normally on 반말 terms may use -시 for each other to produce special effects such as amusement or sarcasm. For instance, mothers often say to their child in an amusingly affectionate way, 우리 아기가 또 배가 고프시구나 ‘My baby is hungry again’ 2.1.2 The subject honorific -시 and hearer-related sentence endings The following tables offer an integrated picture of the relationship between the subject-related honorific suffix -시 and hearer-related sentence endings. Statements with an honorific subject: in basic present tense 존댓말 Formal 반말 Casual 합니다 style 해요 style 해 style 한다하다 style 믿으십니다 믿으세요 믿으셔 믿으신다 친절하십니다 친절하세요 친절하셔 친절하시다 선생님이십니다 선생님이세요 선생님이셔 선생님이시다 NOTE: -으셔요 is old fashioned compared to -으세요. Questions with an honorific subject: in basic present tense 존댓말 Formal 반말 Casual 합니까 style 해요 style 해 style 하니 하냐 style 믿으십니까 믿으세요 믿으셔 믿으시니 친절하십니까 친절하세요 친절하셔 친절하시니 선생님이십니까 선생님이세요 선생님이셔 선생님이시니 NOTE : -으시니 alternates with -으시냐 믿으시냐, 친절하시냐, 선생님이시냐. In choosing the right style and verb form, a speaker must take into account hisher relationship both to the referent of the subject and to the hearer. For instance, if you ask a stranger whether she is Professor Kim, you must use 김교수님이십니까?김교수님이세요? – with both a formal sentence ending for the stranger who is the hearer and the honorific suffix -시 since that person is also the referent of the subject. On the other hand, if you are asking your younger sister whether someone is Professor Kim, you will say 김선생님이셔?김선생님이시니? – with a casual sentence ending for your sister, but the honorific suffix -시 for the professor. If you are speaking about your younger sister to a close friend, you will say 내 동생이야, with neither a formal ending nor the honorific suffix -시. On the other hand, if you are talking to your professor, you will use 제 동생이에요, with a formal ending for your professor, who is the hearer. But you will not use -시, since the referent of the subject is your younger sister. See 3.2.1 for 내 vs. 제. One should be especially careful when the hearer and the referent of the subject are identical and happen to be someone with whom one has to be formal. For example, when you say to your teacher, ‘You go first’ or ‘You look tired,’