In Korean there are four commonly used forms, which map into the combination of (formal vs informal) x (polite vs not-so-polite). (That's a simple picture and

In Korean there are four commonly used forms, which map into the combination of (formal vs informal) x (polite vs not-so-polite). (That's a simple picture and the reality is a lot messier... but let's not get into that.) E.g., Formal polite: military, business email, public announcement Formal non-polite: textbooks, novels Informal polite: kids' books, between coworkers, between customer and clerk Informal non-polite: siblings, childhood friends, mom to kids