haru Korean › Grammar › Level 1A › -습니다/-습니까
-습니다/-습니까 — the formal style — the news, speeches and announcements
The formal style — the news, speeches and announcements. Korean grammar for beginner learners — Level 1A, lesson 11: 덥지만 여름이 좋아요 (It's hot, but I love summer — describing with adjectives).
What it means
-습니다 and -ㅂ니다 are the formal style. They mean the same as -아요/어요, but you hear them in the news, in speeches and announcements, and when someone talks to a group. You met this style in Lesson 3: 학생입니다, 학생입니까? Take 다 off: after a 받침 add 습니다 (맑습니다, 먹습니다); after a vowel add ㅂ니다 (옵니다, 비쌉니다, 따뜻합니다). A stem that ends in ㄹ drops the ㄹ and takes ㅂ니다: 멀다 → 멉니다, 불다 → 붑니다. For a question, use 습니까? or ㅂ니까?: 춥습니까?, 옵니까? Because 습 starts with a consonant, ㅂ words keep their ㅂ: 덥습니다, 춥습니다. For the past, add 습니다 after -았/었-: 더웠습니다, 왔습니다. With friends and classmates, keep using -아요/어요.
Forms
| Pattern | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -습니다 | 받침 O | 맑다 + 습니다 → 맑습니다 |
| -ㅂ니다 | 받침 X | 오다 + ㅂ니다 → 옵니다 |
| ㄹ → -ㅂ니다 | ㄹ 받침 — the ㄹ drops | 멀다 → 멉니다 |
Key points
- -습니다 after a 받침, -ㅂ니다 after a vowel: 맑습니다 · 춥습니다 · 옵니다 · 따뜻합니다
- Questions end in 까?: 춥습니까? · 비가 옵니까? — a ㄹ 받침 drops: 멀다 → 멉니다 · 불다 → 붑니다
Examples
- 맑다 → 맑습니다 · 춥다 → 춥습니다 · 먹다 → 먹습니다
- 오다 → 옵니다 · 비싸다 → 비쌉니다 · 따뜻하다 → 따뜻합니다
- 멀다 → 멉니다 · 불다 → 붑니다
- 춥습니까? — 네, 춥습니다.
- 학생입니다. · 학생입니까?
Where university textbooks teach it
This point also appears in: Seoul National University Korean 1A, lesson 7; Yonsei University Korean 1-1, lesson 3; Ewha Womans University Korean 1-1, lesson 3; Sogang University Korean 2B, lesson 8; Hongik University Korean 1B, lesson 12; Hanyang University Korean 1-1, lesson 1.
Also in this lesson
- A-아요/어요 · N이/가 A — describing words — the weather is nice
- ㅂ 불규칙 — ㅂ words — 덥다 becomes 더워요
- A/V-지만 — …, but … — two ideas in one sentence