If you are studying formal Korean writing, this lesson is the one to keep. You will learn how -습니다 / Sino-Korean works in real conversation, when to use it, and the mistakes English speakers make first. This is a Korean advanced grammar guide with examples, romanization, and a five-minute speaking drill.
By the end you should be able to hear -습니다 / Sino-Korean in dramas and K-talk, then reuse it in your own sentences. Read once. Say the examples out loud. Then drill the same lines on Practice.
What -습니다 / Sino-Korean means
Formal Korean writing is not just swapping 요 for 습니다. You also switch vocabulary: 사람→사람들/이들, 그래서→따라서, 좋은 점→장점. TOPIK II writing scores this register as much as grammar accuracy.
How to form it
- Sentence end: -습니다 / -습니까? / -입니다
- Connectives: 따라서, 또한, 그러나, 즉, 예를 들어
- Sino-Korean pairs: 시작하다→개시하다 (rare), 좋다→긍정하다, 늘다→증가하다
- Avoid chat: ㅋㅋ, 좀, 진짜, 완전, trailing 데요
-습니다 / Sino-Korean examples
Use these formal Korean writing example sentences as a speaking list. Korean first, then pronunciation, then English.
| Korean | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 환경 보호는 개인의 실천에서 시작됩니다. | hwangyeong bohoneun gaeinui silcheoneseo sijakdoemnida. | Environmental protection begins with individual practice. |
| 따라서 정부는 정책을 강화할 필요가 있습니다. | ttaraseo jeongbuneun jeongchaegeul ganghwahal pillyoga itseumnida. | Therefore the government needs to strengthen policy. |
| 이 문제의 원인은 다양합니다. | i munjeui wonineun dayanghamnida. | The causes of this problem are diverse. |
| 장점과 단점을 비교하면 다음과 같습니다. | jangjeomgwa danjeomeul bigohamyeon daeumgwa gatseumnida. | Comparing pros and cons, the following is true. |
| 결론적으로 교육 투자가 우선되어야 합니다. | gyeollonjeogeuro gyoyuk tujaga useondoeeoya hamnida. | In conclusion, investment in education should come first. |
| 본 자료는 2024년 통계를 바탕으로 작성되었습니다. | bon jaryoneun icheon-isipsa nyeon tonggyereul batangeuro jakseongdoeeotseumnida. | This material was written based on 2024 statistics. |
When to use it
- TOPIK II 쓰기 51–54.
- Work emails to a wide audience.
- Presentations and reports.
Common mistakes
These are the traps English speakers hit when they translate word-for-word. Fix the pattern, not just the vocabulary.
Watch-out
❌ 습니다 with ㅋㅋ and 근데
✅ Pick one register
근데 → 그런데/그러나. 진짜 → 매우/상당히.
Watch-out
❌ 사람 every time
✅ 이들, 시민, 학습자, 소비자
Specific Sino-Korean nouns look like exam Korean.
Watch-out
❌ I think 같아요 in every sentence
✅ 생각됩니다 / 판단됩니다 / 것으로 보입니다
같아요 is fine once. Not five times.
Mini dialogue
Read it twice. Second time, cover the English.
| Speaker | Korean | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 이거 보고서에 이렇게 써도 돼요? ‘이게 진짜 중요해요.’ | igeo bogoseoe ireoke sseodo dwaeyo? ige jinjja jungyohaeyo. | Can I write this in the report? “This is really important.” |
| B | ‘이 점은 매우 중요합니다’로 바꾸세요. 그리고 이유를 한 문장 더 쓰세요. | i jeomeun maeu jungyohamnida-ro bakkuseyo. geurigo iyureul han munjang deo sseuseyo. | Change it to “This point is very important.” Then add one reason sentence. |
| A | 알겠습니다. 수정하겠습니다. | algetseumnida. sujeonghagetseumnida. | Understood. I’ll revise it. |
Don’t mix these up
요 is conversation. 습니다 is formal speech and writing. Sino-Korean is the vocabulary layer on top. You can say 습니다 with easy words; the essay still needs 장점, 필요, 증가.
Five-minute Korean speaking practice
Korean speaking practice beats extra grammar notes. Do this once today, then again tomorrow without looking.
- Read each example slowly, Korean only.
- Say it at natural speed. Record yourself if you can.
- Cover the Korean and rebuild the sentence from English.
- Swap in your own details: your job, your city, your weekend.
Starter lines for today:
- 먼저 문제점을 살펴보겠습니다.
- 또한 비용이 증가하고 있습니다.
- 이상으로 발표를 마치겠습니다.
Lesson summary
- Pattern: -습니다 / Sino-Korean
- Search topic: formal Korean writing
- Formal writing = 습니다 endings + Sino-Korean nouns + essay connectors. Chat words stay in chat.
- Say it out loud on Practice, then come back to Guides if a particle still feels sticky.
Homework
- Rewrite a casual paragraph (5 sentences) into 습니다 + two Sino-Korean swaps.
- Memorize connectors: 따라서, 또한, 그러나, 예를 들어, 결론적으로.
- Write one TOPIK-style 200자 paragraph on phones in class.
formal Korean writing: quick answers
Do I need 습니다 in every TOPIK task?
The graph/letter tasks vary. The long essay expects formal written Korean.
한자?
You do not write hanja. You write the Sino-Korean words in Hangul: 증가, 감소, 원인, 결과.
Keep going
Want a path, not a single grammar point? Open Learn or browse the rest of this series in Korean advanced.