📖 Words B1 ✓ Native Reviewed

반말

banmal

informal speech / banmal (casual speech level)

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What it means

반말 is the informal, casual speech level in Korean — used among close friends, with younger people, or in intimate relationships. The opposite of 존댓말 (formal/polite speech). Understanding this distinction is crucial.

References Naver Korean Dictionary ↗ 국립국어원 표준국어대사전 ↗
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