KSL Formality (존댓말 있나요?)

Hey guys! To make this blog one sentence, yes. 반말 style signs tend to be more short and curt while 존댓말 signs are done more fully. There’s also your body language indicating politeness vs more casual closeness. And of course the infamous “you”. In 존댓말 you put your hand out, palm facing up, with finger outstretched while in 반말 you just point at the person. (seen at 1:02 in the above video).

Throughout this blog I will refer to time stamps of the below video for example of formal vs informal speaking through sign language and give brief descriptions of what is happening. I will also add another video at the end of another youtuber saying the same kinds of things except her video has English captioning. Keep in mind that I am not native and still working on my listening skills, so if I made a mistake just let me know. I understand the gist more than I do every single word (and I understand the signs more than the spoken *cries*)

From 0:18 to 0:33 he is talking about how the honorific words themselves don’t exist in sign language. (such as 댁 instead of 집. by the way, the 에 particle he is signing is 장소. 에 and 에서 are signed as 장소 meaning location)

0:53-1:05 demonstrating how to say thanks if one of his kids were to give him candy “사탕 줬어? 오 고마워 You’re giving it to me? oh, thanks!”

1:07-1:28 here he talks about how if his teacher were to give him a gift, the sign he uses is the exact same, but his body (language) is different.

1:28-1:54 When speaking to someone under you (like his kid) he can speak easily and make eye contact, but when talking to someone higher than you it’s like how dare you bother them (감히 -> impudently/how dare you)

1:55-1:59 asking a child their age: 너 나이 몇 살이니? “how old are you?”

1:59-2:22 talking about how the formal word for 나이 (연세) doesn’t exist. From 2:16 to 2:17 you see him do the sign that other videos translated as “몇 실입니까?” (he says 몇 살이니 but he is talking about the phrase as a whole “when asking, how old are you, to a grandfather”.

2:29-2:41 “할아버지.. 죄송하지만.. 혹시혹시.. 나이 알려주시면 좋을 것 같은데.. sir… excuse me… but perhaps… I think it’d be good if you could share your age…” (I couldn’t understand the spoken after 주시 so I asked a native for the rest lol)

And then after that, he recaps saying that 존댓말 doesn’t exist but if you speak easily and comfortably it’s like 반말.

START AT 2:50 TO SEE HER EXPLANATION OF HOW IT DIFFERS

For my video listed first, I basically combined what I learned from both of their videos lol

HOPE THIS WAS HELPFUL!

~Shelbi