At the market, "How much is this?" There was a foreign student who asked that. The shop lady laughed, but she looked a little surprised. It's only one letter different from "얼마예요?", so why is that? ## Why is '요' so important? When '요' is added, the sentence becomes respectful toward the listener. "얼마야" is what you say to a friend or a younger sibling. So if you use it with an adult you've just met, it sounds like, "Are you calling me like I'm your friend?" That's how it sounds. ## Why is it decided at the end of the sentence? In Korean, the very end of the sentence tells you who the listener is. You leave "얼마" as it is and only change the ending. It doesn't end with a single word like English 'you'; you have to choose an ending to finish the sentence. That's why Koreans ask your age when they first meet. It's not rude; they're trying to decide which sentence ending to use. ## Why do they care that much? In Korea, age and hierarchy have long been considered important. So the way you speak became a tool that shows the distance between two people. Banmal means "We're close now, right?", so you can only use it once you've both agreed to. Once you get close, a moment may come when someone asks, "Is it okay if I speak casually?" There's a way you can start using it right away. If you're not sure, just add '요' at the end. With shops, taxis, and people you've just met, "How much is it?" and "Where is this?" are safe choices. Even if the other person speaks casually first, don't copy them; just keep using '요' until your friend suggests speaking casually.