Korean has words for "you" — but it doesn't lean on one all-purpose "you" the way English does. Instead, it bakes respect and social distance straight into sentence endings, building a whole staircase of politeness. Here's the entire staircase, one step at a time, plus the part nobody tells beginners: three are for everyday speaking, one is essential for reading, and the rest are mostly for recognition.

Is the setting formal (a broadcast, a report, a stranger) or relaxed (a chat, a café, a friend)? Formal endings sound crisp and official; informal ones sound warmer and more conversational.

Are you raising the listener above yourself (politeness) or speaking down/level (intimacy, authority)? This is what separates "please go, sir" from "go."

Seven levels look terrifying — until you learn that everyday speaking leans on just three of them. The other four you'll mostly recognize rather than speak: kings in historical dramas, professors addressing students, signs on a subway door. The one exception is 해라체, which is everywhere in writing — so you'll be reading it constantly even as a beginner.

So don't memorize all seven as active speaking skills. Master these three and you can handle the vast majority of real conversations confidently and politely:

The most exalted, most archaic level. It's how a subject addressed a king. No one speaks this in daily life — but you'll hear ~소서 and ~나이다 the moment a palace drama comes on. It has no everyday 'let's…' form, so don't go hunting for one. File it under 'understand, don't use.'

Crisp, respectful, official. This is the polished '~ㅂ니다 / ~습니다' you hear when an announcement comes over the speaker. Sounds a touch stiff between friends, but flawless when you want to show maximum respect. Learners usually call it 합니다체.

Once a polite way to address an equal without bowing too low. Today it sounds noticeably old-fashioned in speech, but survives in writing and signage. Recognize the ~오 / ~소 ending; you won't need to produce it.

Affectionate but authoritative — used by an older speaker toward a younger adult they're close to. It's polite without being deferential. Increasingly rare and tied to older generations, so most learners will only ever hear it.

The neutral plain style of written Korean — ~ㄴ다 / ~다 (so 가다 becomes 간다). Spoken aloud, it's blunt: a command to a child (가라!) or among very tight friends. You absolutely read this every day, even as a beginner, because it's the default for print.

The single most useful level for a learner. Add ~요 and you're polite, warm, and appropriate with almost anyone. Casual enough for daily chat, respectful enough for a stranger. If you learn one level first, learn this one.

Drop the ~요 and you have 반말. It's the language of closeness — and using it too early reads as rude. The golden rule: wait until the other person offers it (말 놓자), then it becomes a warm sign of friendship.