종결 어미Korean Sentence Endings — All 62
What a Korean sentence ends in, and therefore what it is: a statement, a question, an order, a suggestion — and at which speech level you are saying it.
62 sentence endings across every TOPIK level, easiest first.
1급 종결 어미TOPIK 1 — 8 sentence endings
-고
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending usually used when answering, omitting the question that should follow and finishing the…
-습니까
(formal, highly addressee-raising) A sentence-final ending used when the speaker asks the listener politely.
-습니다
(formal, highly addressee-raising) A sentence-final ending used to explain the present action, state, or fact politely.
-어
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to describe a certain fact, ask a question, give an order, or advise.
-으세요
(informal addressee-raising) A sentence-final ending used to describe, ask a question, order, and request.
-으십시오
(formal, highly addressee-raising) A sentence-final ending used to politely order or request the listener to do something.
-을까
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to indicate a question or assumption about something.
-읍시다
(formal, moderately addressee-raising) A sentence-final ending used to express an intention of doing a certain action together.
2급 종결 어미TOPIK 2 — 6 sentence endings
-네
(formal, highly addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used when talking about something that one just learned.
-는군
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to indicate that the speaker notices or is impressed by a newly learned fact.
-는데
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to admire something while anticipating the listener's response.
-을게
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used when the speaker promises or notifies the listener that he/she will do something.
-을래
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to indicate the speaker's intention to do something in the future, or to ask for the…
-지
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used when the speaker confirms and says something that the listener thought he/she already knew.
3급 종결 어미TOPIK 3 — 7 sentence endings
-거든
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending referring to the reason, cause, or basis for the preceding statement that the speaker thought…
-는구나
(formal, highly addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to imply a certain feeling in a newly learned fact.
-는다
(formal, highly addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to describe an event or fact of the present.
-니
(formal, highly addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending referring to a question.
-던데
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to admire something in the past while anticipating the listener's response.
-자
(formal, highly addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to indicate the suggestion to do a certain act together.
-잖아
(informal addressee-lowering) An expression used to check with or correct the listener on something about a certain situation.
4급 종결 어미TOPIK 4 — 11 sentence endings
-게
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to guess what the following statement would be like, if the preceding statement is such,…
-고
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending usually used when answering, omitting the question that should follow and finishing the…
-나
(formal, moderately addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending referring to a question.
-는다니
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used when asking again or admiring an unexpected fact in surprise.
-는다면서
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used when the speaker confirms and asks questions about a fact that he/she heard.
-다니
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to ask again or admire an unexpected fact in surprise.
-더군
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to convey a newly learned fact from a past personal experience, and indicate that the…
-더라
(formal, highly addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to convey in the present a fact the speaker realized anew from the speaker's…
-어라
(formal, highly addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to indicate a statement as a command.
-어야지
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to indicate the speaker's determination or will.
-을걸
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to indicate a guess or assumption.
5급 종결 어미TOPIK 5 — 10 sentence endings
-거라
(formal, highly addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used when ordering.
-고말고
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to emphasize one's agreement or affirmation to the other person's question or statement.
-네
(formal, highly addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used when talking about something that one just learned.
-는가
(formal, moderately addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending referring to a question about a fact of the present.
-는걸
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used when the speaker says a newly learned fact with admiration.
-다
(formal, highly addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used when describing a certain event, fact, state, etc.
-다니
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to ask again or admire an unexpected fact in surprise.
-더라고
(informal addressee-lowering) An expression used to refer to and convey in the present a fact the speaker learned through a past experience to the…
-데
(formal, moderately addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used when the speaker talks about something that he/she personally experienced.
-으려고
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to doubt a given situation and ask again about it.
6급 종결 어미TOPIK 6 — 20 sentence endings
-거들랑
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending referring to the reason, cause, or basis for the preceding statement that the speaker thought…
-게
(formal, moderately addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used when ordering a person who is younger or has close friendly ties with you.
-게
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to indicate the following content would obviously be realized if the preceding content…
-구려
(formal, moderately addressee-raising) A sentence-final ending used to indicate that the speaker is impressed by a newly realized fact.
-그려
A postpositional particle used when the speaker talks about what he/she says to the listener in a friendly manner.
-나
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used when asking or assuming something.
-네
(formal, moderately addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending referring to a simple description.
-는가
A sentence-final ending used when the speaker is asking himself/herself or assuming something.
-는구려
(formal, moderately addressee-raising) A sentence-final ending used to indicate that the speaker is impressed by a newly learned fact.
-는구만
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to indicate that the speaker notices or is impressed by a newly learned fact.
-는구먼
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to indicate that the speaker notices or is impressed by a newly learned fact.
-던
(formal, highly addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to ask about the listener's personal experience of the past in a friendly manner.
-던가
(formal, moderately addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to ask about a fact of the past.
-던가
A sentence-final ending used to ask oneself or assume about a fact of the past.
-라
(formal, highly addressee-lowering)(old-fashioned) A sentence-final ending used when explaining a certain fact.
-소
(formal, moderately addressee-raising) A sentence-final ending used to describe, ask a question, order, and request.
-으니
(formal, moderately addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to state a truth or obvious fact.
-으리라
(formal, highly addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used when the speaker guesses a certain situation.
-으리오
A sentence-final ending used to say as if asking again to emphasize that there is no possibility.
-으오
(formal, moderately addressee-raising) A sentence-final ending used to describe, ask a question, order, or request.
자주 묻는 질문Common questions
How many Korean sentence endings are there?
The dictionary grades 62 of them across the six TOPIK levels, 8 at 1급, 6 at 2급, 7 at 3급, 11 at 4급, 10 at 5급, 20 at 6급. That is the graded set, not the complete set — but a learner who knows these has met every one that appears on a TOPIK paper.
What is a sentence ending in Korean?
What a Korean sentence ends in, and therefore what it is: a statement, a question, an order, a suggestion — and at which speech level you are saying it.
Grammar definitions, usage notes and examples from the 국립국어원 한국어기초사전, used under CC BY-SA 2.0 KR.