-아요/어요 vs -ㅂ니다/습니다

Beginner · TOPIK I

Both are polite endings. -아요/어요 is the soft, everyday polite style; -ㅂ니다/습니다 is the formal style used in presentations, news, business and the military.

-아요/어요(informal addressee-raising) A sentence-final ending used to describe a certain fact, ask a question, give an order, or advise.-ㅂ니다/습니다(formal, highly addressee-raising) A sentence-final ending used to explain the present action, state, or fact politely.

Rules of thumb

For everyday polite talk with strangers, colleagues and older people, -아요/어요 is enough.
Speeches, reports, news, announcements, job interviews and formal greetings use -ㅂ니다/습니다.
-아요/어요 uses one form for statements, questions, commands and suggestions (only intonation changes); the formal style has separate forms: -ㅂ니까?, -(으)십시오, -(으)ㅂ시다.
Koreans often mix them: formal openings and closings with -습니다, the rest in -아요.

Example sentences

-ㅂ니다/습니다
Good day. My name is Kim Minsu.
-아요/어요
Where are you going now?
-ㅂ니다/습니다
Well then, let's begin the meeting.
-아요/어요
Let's have lunch together.
-ㅂ니다/습니다
The next station is City Hall.

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