What is banmal in Korean, and when can you actually use it? Korean 반말 is not simply polite speech with 요 removed. This guide explains how everyday banmal commonly relates to 해체, how it differs from 해요체 and 하십시오체, and how forms such as 먹어요→먹어, 친구예요→친구야, and 갈 거예요→갈 거야 change. It also covers when banmal is appropriate between friends, people of the same age, and coworkers, how Koreans ask to switch speech levels with 말 놓다, and why subject honorifics such as 주무시다 and 오시다 can still appear inside banmal sentences.