-ㅂ니다/습니다

-ㅂ니다/습니다 ends a statement in the formal polite style (하십시오체), as in news, speeches, presentations and when talking to strangers or superiors.

문장 끝·말투Endings & speech style

Han: Stems ending in ㄹ lose the ㄹ and take -ㅂ니다, not -습니다, so 살다 becomes 삽니다.

Examples

저는 매일 아침 커피를 마십니다.I drink coffee every morning.

어제 도서관에서 친구를 만났습니다.I met a friend at the library yesterday.

저는 회사원입니다.I am an office worker.

오늘은 날씨가 아주 좋습니다.The weather is very nice today.

V/A stem ending in a vowel+ㅂ니다

V/A stem ending in a consonant+습니다

N+입니다

가다 → 갑니다, 먹다 → 먹습니다, 학생 → 학생입니다

Choose by the last sound of the stem: vowel → -ㅂ니다 (보다 → 봅니다), consonant → -습니다 (읽다 → 읽습니다).
For stems ending in ㄹ, drop the ㄹ and add -ㅂ니다: 살다 → 삽니다, 만들다 → 만듭니다, 알다 → 압니다.
It is only for statements; questions use -ㅂ니까/습니까, requests use -(으)십시오, suggestions use -(으)ㅂ시다. Rising intonation does not turn -ㅂ니다 into a question.
With nouns use 입니다 (negative 아닙니다): 학생입니다. For past tense attach it after 았/었: 갔습니다, 먹었습니다; past tense always takes -습니다 because 았/었 ends in a consonant (ㅆ).

Wrong: ~~저는 서울에서 살습니다.~~

Right: 저는 서울에서 삽니다.

Stems ending in ㄹ lose the ㄹ and take -ㅂ니다, not -습니다, so 살다 becomes 삽니다.

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