A2 noun 2 min read

~습니까/ㅂ니까

A very formal way to ask a question in Korean.

-seumnikka/bnikka
Practice it

Explanation at your level:

This is a way to ask questions. You use it to be very polite. If you want to ask 'Are you eating?', you say '식사합니까?'. It is very formal.

When you are in a formal setting, like a meeting, use this ending. It shows you respect the person you are talking to. It is the polite version of asking a question.

This ending is part of the hapsyo-che formal style. It is used when the listener is a superior or in a public announcement. It is distinct from the haeyo-che (polite but less formal) style.

The usage of ~습니까/ㅂ니까 is strictly register-based. It signals a high degree of social distance. In professional environments, it is the standard for inquiries directed at clients or superiors.

Mastery of this suffix involves understanding the nuance of 'social distance'. It is often used in political or corporate rhetoric to establish authority while maintaining a facade of extreme deference to the audience.

Historically, this form represents the crystallization of the Korean honorific system. It is used in formal writing and oratory to maintain a rigid, respectful distance, reflecting the deep-seated cultural importance of hierarchy in linguistic expression.

Word in 30 Seconds

  • Formal polite question ending.
  • Used for superiors/public.
  • Consonant: 습니까.
  • Vowel: ㅂ니까.

When you are learning Korean, you will quickly notice that politeness is everything. The suffix ~습니까/ㅂ니까 is the ultimate way to show respect when asking a question. Think of it as the 'suit and tie' of Korean grammar endings.

You use ~습니까 when the verb stem ends in a consonant, and ~ㅂ니까 when it ends in a vowel. It is the interrogative version of the declarative ~습니다. Using this shows you are being very professional and careful with your language.

The history of this ending is deeply rooted in the Confucian values of Korean society, which emphasize hierarchy and respect. It evolved from older honorific systems that categorized speech levels based on the listener's status.

Historically, this formal register was essential for courtly life and scholarly discourse. Over centuries, it became the standard for public address. It is a linguistic artifact of a culture that values social harmony through clear, respectful communication boundaries.

You will hear this most often in news reports, formal presentations, or service industry interactions where the speaker wants to maintain a distance of extreme professional politeness. It is rarely used between friends or family members.

Common collocations include verbs like 하다 (to do) becoming 합니까? or 가다 (to go) becoming 갑니까?. Always match this ending with the formal honorific style throughout your sentence to avoid sounding mismatched.

While not an idiom itself, it appears in set phrases: 안녕하십니까? (How are you? - Formal), 알겠습니까? (Do you understand? - Firm/Formal), 무엇을 도와드릴까요? (How may I help you? - Note: uses a slightly different polite form but shares the formal intent).

Another common one is 어디로 가십니까? (Where are you going? - Formal inquiry). These phrases are staples in customer service training.

The rule is simple: if the verb stem ends in a vowel, attach ~ㅂ니까. If it ends in a consonant, use ~습니까. The pronunciation is slightly nasalized due to the 'm' sound.

IPA approximation: [sɯm.ni.kka] or [bim.ni.kka]. In standard Korean, the 'b' before 'n' is often pronounced as an 'm' sound, which is a common phonological assimilation rule in the language.

Fun Fact

Derived from the Hapsyo-che style used in royal courts.

Pronunciation Guide

UK sɯm.ni.kka

Sounds like a crisp, formal Korean question.

US sɯm.ni.kka

Consistent with standard Korean phonology.

Common Errors

  • Mispronouncing 'b' as 'p'
  • Ignoring nasalization
  • Incorrect rhythm

Rhymes With

입니까 합니까 갑니까 봅니까 먹습니까

Difficulty Rating

Reading 2/5

Easy to recognize

Writing 3/5

Requires conjugation

Speaking 3/5

Requires practice

Listening 2/5

Common in media

What to Learn Next

Prerequisites

입니다 합니다

Learn Next

~시~ 경어

Advanced

하오체 하게체

Grammar to Know

Hapsyo-che

합니다

Honorifics

계시다

Interrogative

무엇

Examples by Level

1

식사합니까?

Meal-do-question?

Formal question

2

갑니까?

Go-question?

Formal question

3

옵니까?

Come-question?

Formal question

4

합니까?

Do-question?

Formal question

5

봅니까?

See-question?

Formal question

6

읽습니까?

Read-question?

Formal question

7

먹습니까?

Eat-question?

Formal question

8

듣습니까?

Listen-question?

Formal question

1

어디에 갑니까?

2

누구를 만납니까?

3

무엇을 합니까?

4

언제 시작합니까?

5

왜 웃습니까?

6

이것을 압니까?

7

저것을 봅니까?

8

어떻게 생각합니까?

1

회의가 언제 끝납니까?

2

그 제안에 동의합니까?

3

내일 출근합니까?

4

어떤 영화를 좋아합니까?

5

이것이 사실입니까?

6

도움이 필요합니까?

7

준비가 다 되었습니까?

8

어디가 아픕니까?

1

귀하께서는 이 정책에 찬성하십니까?

2

저희의 제안을 검토하셨습니까?

3

성함이 어떻게 되십니까?

4

이러한 결정이 타당하다고 보십니까?

5

그 보고서를 확인하셨습니까?

6

언제 방문할 예정입니까?

7

어떤 조치를 취하시겠습니까?

8

결과에 만족하십니까?

1

본 안건에 대해 이의가 있으십니까?

2

귀하의 견해를 말씀해 주시겠습니까?

3

이러한 현상을 어떻게 분석하십니까?

4

어떠한 대책을 강구하고 계십니까?

5

성공 가능성이 높다고 보십니까?

6

이 사안을 어떻게 해결하시겠습니까?

7

어떤 경로로 정보를 습득하셨습니까?

8

본인의 입장을 명확히 하시겠습니까?

1

본 조항이 헌법에 위배된다고 판단하십니까?

2

어떠한 철학적 근거로 이 주장을 펼치십니까?

3

역사적 맥락에서 이를 어떻게 해석하십니까?

4

귀하의 전문 지식을 바탕으로 설명해 주시겠습니까?

5

이러한 담론이 사회에 미칠 영향은 무엇이라고 보십니까?

6

본인의 연구가 학계에 기여할 바를 말씀해 주시겠습니까?

7

이러한 복잡한 사안을 어떻게 조율하시겠습니까?

8

귀하께서는 이 변화를 어떻게 수용하십니까?

Common Collocations

안녕하십니까
알겠습니까
동의합니까
시작합니까
끝납니까
도와드릴까요
생각합니까
필요합니까
확인합니까
방문합니까

Idioms & Expressions

"안녕하십니까"

Hello/How are you

안녕하십니까, 손님.

formal

"알겠습니까"

Do you understand

제 말 알겠습니까?

formal

"무엇을 도와드릴까요"

How can I help you

무엇을 도와드릴까요?

formal

"그렇습니까"

Is that so

아, 그렇습니까?

formal

"어떻게 생각하십니까"

What do you think

이 계획에 대해 어떻게 생각하십니까?

formal

"준비되셨습니까"

Are you ready

모두 준비되셨습니까?

formal

Easily Confused

~습니까/ㅂ니까 vs ~아요/어요

Both are polite

~습니까 is more formal

가요 vs 갑니까

~습니까/ㅂ니까 vs ~니

Both are questions

~니 is casual

가니 vs 갑니까

~습니까/ㅂ니까 vs ~죠

Both are polite

~죠 seeks agreement

가죠 vs 갑니까

~습니까/ㅂ니까 vs ~시나요

Both are formal

~시나요 is softer

가시나요 vs 갑니까

Sentence Patterns

A1

Subject + Object + Verb-습니까?

식사를 하십니까?

A2

Time + Subject + Verb-습니까?

내일 오십니까?

B1

Reason + Verb-습니까?

왜 안 하십니까?

B2

Adverb + Verb-습니까?

정말 그렇게 생각하십니까?

C1

Honorific + Verb-습니까?

성함이 어떻게 되십니까?

Word Family

Nouns

말씀 speech/words

Verbs

하다 to do

Related

~습니다 declarative counterpart

How to Use It

frequency

High in professional settings

Formality Scale

Most formal Polite Casual Slang

Common Mistakes

Using with friends → Use ~아/어
It sounds too cold and distant.
Mixing formal/casual → Keep sentence formal
Mixing registers is grammatically jarring.
Wrong stem ending → Use ~ㅂ니까 for vowels
Grammar rule violation.
Overusing in daily life → Use only in formal settings
Sounds robotic in casual settings.
Forgetting honorifics → Use honorific verbs
Must match the formal tone.

Tips

💡

Professionalism

Always use this in interviews.

💡

The Consonant Rule

Consonant = 습니까.

💡

The Vowel Rule

Vowel = ㅂ니까.

🌍

Hierarchy

Respect the status.

💡

Nasalization

Soften the 'b' to 'm'.

💡

Avoid Casual

Don't mix with casual.

💡

News Anchor Style

Watch K-News to hear it.

💡

Flashcards

Use verb stems.

💡

The 'Suit' Trick

Suit = Formal.

🌍

Service Industry

Clerks use this.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of a 'Suit' (S) for 'S-umnikka' (Formal).

Visual Association

A news anchor in a suit.

Word Web

Politeness Formal Honorifics Korean Grammar

Challenge

Try to address a teacher using this ending.

Word Origin

Korean

Original meaning: Formal interrogative marker

Cultural Context

Can sound aggressive if used with family.

No direct equivalent; English uses tone or 'Do you...?'

Used in almost every K-Drama news scene

Practice in Real Life

Real-World Contexts

At work

  • 회의 시작합니까?
  • 동의하십니까?
  • 확인하셨습니까?

In a shop

  • 도와드릴까요?
  • 이것을 찾으십니까?
  • 결제하시겠습니까?

At school

  • 질문 있습니까?
  • 이해하셨습니까?
  • 과제 제출합니까?

News/Media

  • 어떻게 보십니까?
  • 그렇습니까?
  • 사실입니까?

Conversation Starters

"안녕하십니까, 오늘 날씨가 어떻습니까?"

"이 계획에 동의하십니까?"

"어떤 영화를 좋아하십니까?"

"지금 바쁘십니까?"

"무엇을 도와드릴까요?"

Journal Prompts

Write a formal question to a boss.

Describe a situation where you used formal Korean.

Contrast formal and casual questions.

Why is politeness important in Korean?

Frequently Asked Questions

8 questions

No, it is too formal.

After a vowel.

After a consonant.

Only if used with friends.

Yes, in formal reports.

Yes, ~었습니까?

Yes, ~겠습니까?

It shows respect.

Test Yourself

fill blank A1

식사 ___?

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 합니까

Formal ending needed.

multiple choice A2

Which is formal?

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 갑니까?

The formal interrogative is ~습니까/ㅂ니까.

true false B1

Is ~습니까 used with friends?

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: False

It is too formal for friends.

match pairs B1

Word

Meaning

All matched!

Correct conjugation.

sentence order B2

Tap words below to build the sentence
Correct! Not quite. Correct answer:

Proper word order.

Score: /5

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