How do language features such as formality and honorifics affect the use of a given language in everyday conversation?
By: Devin Lohner
Course: Semantics (LING3430)
Advisor: Professor Zygmunt Frajzyngier
LURA 2021
In Korean, honorifics and different levels of formality have a great impact on the choices speakers make in everyday conversation. My project explores the usage of the Korean future presumptive verb marker “-겠다” (-getda) and the considerations speakers make in order to choose to use this marker during speech. Please note that while “-겠다” (-getda) is called “future presumptive,” it does not mark future tense. To determine the use and meaning of “-겠다” (-getda), I will compare it to three other Korean verb markers which have similar functions: the ‘expected’ future marker “-(으)ㄹ 게요” (-(eu)l geyo), the marker “것 같다” (geot gatda) which codes “I think it is…” or “it seems like”, and the verb marker “-데요” (-deyo), which has similar meanings.
In most conversation, the future presumptive marker “-겠다” (-getda) is used in order to soften speech and to express a personal opinion. When the honorific speech form “존댓말” (jondaenmal) is used in Korean, the speaker expresses their respect for their interlocutor’s higher status. Thus, the verb ending “-겠다” (getda) is often used in honorific speech in Korean. As we can see in the following example, in which the speaker is addressing a camera, “-겠다” (-getda) is used to mark a consideration and respect for the interlocutor’s opinion.
(speaking to the camera)
S1 : 아 밤 되면 진짜 이쁘긴 하겠다.
a bam doe-myeon jinjja ibbeu-gin ha-getda.
ah night be-if really pretty-ADJ do-FUT.PRESUMPTIVE
It’d be even better at night.
A speaker rarely wants to offend their interlocutor based on a difference in opinion, therefore the marker “-겠다” (-getda) is used in order to be polite and indicate respect toward their interlocutor.
It is also important to note that using the “-겠다” (-getda) verb ending can change the fundamental meaning of the verb itself, along with changing the semantic meaning of the sentence it is in. For example, in the following conversation:
S1: 긴장 돼?
ginjang dwae?
nervous be
Are you nervous?
S2: 긴장 돼.
ginjang dwae.
nervous be
I am nervous.
S1: 진짜?
Jinjja?
really
Really?
S2: 응, 왠지 모르겠어.
eung, waenji moreu-gesseo.
yes somehow not know-FUT.PRESUMPTIVE
Yeah, I don’t know why.
Speaker 2 chose to use the verb “모르겠다” (moreugetda) in order to express that he personally does not know why he feels nervous. If speaker 2 had chosen to use the verb “모르다” (moreuda) without the “-겠다” (-getda) ending, he would have indicated that he does not know the base answer to the question of whether or not he feels nervous. It would change the meaning to something like “I don’t know if I am nervous.”
In contrast, by choosing to use a verb ending “-(으)ㄹ 게요” (-(eu)l geyo) over any others, a speaker might be trying to code in their account for their interlocutor’s opinion on a matter. In the example below, speaker 2 uses the expected future verb marker “-(으)ㄹ 게요” (-(eu)l geyo) in order to express something like “I’ll build the house, however if you say otherwise I will not.”
S1: 들어와 들어와 들어와.
deureowa deureowa deureowa.
come in come in come in
Come in come in come in.
S2: 집은 내가 만들게.
jib-eun nae-ga mandeu-lge.
house-TOP 1SG-SUB make-FUT.EXPECTANT
I’ll build the house.
S1: 우리 집이야.
uri jib-iya.
1PL house-be
It’s my house.
The verb marker “-데요” (-deyo), while also used to soften speech and add a level of politeness, is used for a different function than that of “-겠다” (-getda). This verb marker is used to express the speaker’s background knowledge on the subject as well as to code for a response in the affirmative from the interlocutor.
S1: 아이언맨이 있는 것 같은데요.
aieonmaen-i it-neun geot gat-eundeyo.
iron man-SUB be-TOP thing same-CONNECTIVE.ENDING
I think that’s Iron Man.
S2: 아이언맨!
aieonmaen!
iron man
Iron Man!
In this example, speaker 1 chooses to use the “-데요” (-deyo) ending in order to express that he expects an affirmative response from his interlocutor. The use of this marker also indicates that speaker 1 is willing to adjust his stance on what he speaks about based on the response he receives from his interlocutor. While both “-데요” (-deyo) and “-겠다” (-getda) are used in order to soften speech and express a personal opinion or knowledge, “-겠다” (-getda) does not typically code for any type of change in the statement, where “-데요” (-deyo) does.
While the marker “것 같다” (geot gatda) does code a similar meaning to “-겠다” (-getda), the latter is only used on verbs, where the former is used on nouns as well as verbs in noun form, as seen in the following example:
S1: 봐 물 위에 떠 있는 거 같지?
bwa mul wi-e ddeo it-neun geo gat-ji?
look water above-LOC float be-TOP thing same-CONNECTIVE.ENDING
Doesn’t he seem to be floating on the water?
S1: 오오오 그지 물 위에 있는 거 같지.
ooo geuji mul wi-e it-neun geo gat-ji.
ooo right water above-LOC be-TOP thing same-CONNECTIVE.ENDING
Doesn’t he? He seems to be floating on the water.
The speaker in this example chooses to use the marker “것 같다” (geot gatda) marker over “-겠다” (-getda) in order to code his opinion and the “it seems like” functionality into the verb “있다” (itda), meaning “to be”. The verb “있다” (itda) is changed into the noun form “있는” (itneun) in order to be modified by “것 같다” (geot gatda), which is not necessary when using the “-겠다” (-getda) marker.
Using the future presumptive marker “-겠다” (-getda) thus indicates that while the speaker intends to be polite to their interlocutor, they are still mostly concerned with expressing their own opinion on a matter, unlike with the markers “-데요” (-deyo) and “-(으)ㄹ 게요” (-(eu)l geyo). The use of “-겠다” (-getda) also allows the speaker to mark this politeness and softening on verbs, where “것 같다” (geot gatda) marks this on nouns only.
Korean speakers are constantly taking into account the background, status, and opinions of their interlocutors in order to have effective conversations with them. Using the future presumptive verb marker “-겠다” (-getda) is just one way Korean speakers do this.
Bibliography:
채널 NCT DAILY. 2019, May 4. JUNGWOO X MIAMI : Wyndwood Walls & Peruvian food mukband (Feat. JOHNNY) | NCT 127 HIT THE STATES. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdrRZ4P7bwM.
채널 NCT DAILY. 2019, July 11. NCT 127 X VANCOUVER : Crushing on Vancouver (Feat. Mysterious Hand) | NCT 127 HIT THE STATES. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hemezVsyyY&t=670s.
채널 NCT DAILY. 2019, June 16. Welcome to my hometown & Sleepover with DY, MK | Johnny’s Communication Center (JCC) Ep. 10. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDd5yGt_cRA&t=624s.