I can talk politely about a grandmother, a teacher, or an elderly neighbor — where they are, what they're doing, and what they did — and I won't talk that way about myself.
With elders: -(으)시- and 께서
With elders: -(으)시- and 께서
Politeness in Korean has two axes. Toward the person you're talking to: the style; you know the polite style 해요체, the formal one comes later. Toward the person you're talking about: the honorific -(으)시-, for a grandmother, a teacher, a doctor, an older neighbor. English shows respect only to the listener (“sir”, “please”); Korean also marks the person you talk about. Never use -(으)시- about yourself.
Form: stem + -(으)시- + -어요 = -(으)세요 (보세요, 앉으세요): the same form as the request; now you can see what it's made of. ㄹ-stem verbs: 사세요, 만드세요. ㄷ-irregular verbs: 듣다 → 들으세요, 들으셨어요. Past: -(으)셨어요: 보셨어요, 앉으셨어요, 하셨어요. For 이에요 / 예요: 선생님이세요, 의사세요; past: 가수셨어요.
께서 replaces 이 / 가 for an elder: 할머니께서 오세요. After 께서 the predicate always takes -(으)시-. “할머니가 자요” is grammatical, but it's impolite about your grandmother.
Special words are in the table: about an elder you say 계세요, 주무세요, 드세요 (in books also 잡수세요), 말씀, 생신, 분, 성함, 연세.
Common mistakes:
• ×저는 요리사세요 — about yourself: 저는 요리사예요
• ×할아버지께서 자요 — with 께서: 주무세요
• ×할머니께서 집에 있으세요 — about a person: 계세요
• ×할머니께서 먹어요 — 드세요
Two axes of politeness
The style is chosen by the person you're talking to; -(으)시- by the person you're talking about.
| Polite to whom | How | Example |
|---|---|---|
| to the person you're talking to | style: polite; formal comes later | 가요 |
| to the person you're talking about | the honorific -(으)시- | 할머니가 가세요 |
Special words for elders
About an elder, you use a different word, not just -(으)시-.
| Ordinary word | Of an elder |
|---|---|
| 있다 | 계시다 |
| 자다 | 주무시다 |
| 먹다 · 마시다 | 드시다 |
| 말 | 말씀 |
| 생일 | 생신 |
| 사람 | 분 |
| 이름 | 성함 |
| 나이 | 연세 |
Lesson notes
With elders: -(으)시- and 께서
Politeness in Korean has two axes. Toward the person you're talking to: the style; you know the polite style 해요체, the formal one comes later. Toward the person you're talking about: the honorific -(으)시-, for a grandmother, a teacher, a doctor, an older neighbor. English shows respect only to the listener (“sir”, “please”); Korean also marks the person you talk about. Never use -(으)시- about yourself.
Form: stem + -(으)시- + -어요 = -(으)세요 (보세요, 앉으세요): the same form as the request; now you can see what it's made of. ㄹ-stem verbs: 사세요, 만드세요. ㄷ-irregular verbs: 듣다 → 들으세요, 들으셨어요. Past: -(으)셨어요: 보셨어요, 앉으셨어요, 하셨어요. For 이에요 / 예요: 선생님이세요, 의사세요; past: 가수셨어요.
께서 replaces 이 / 가 for an elder: 할머니께서 오세요. After 께서 the predicate always takes -(으)시-. “할머니가 자요” is grammatical, but it's impolite about your grandmother.
Special words are in the table: about an elder you say 계세요, 주무세요, 드세요 (in books also 잡수세요), 말씀, 생신, 분, 성함, 연세.
Common mistakes:
• ×저는 요리사세요 — about yourself: 저는 요리사예요
• ×할아버지께서 자요 — with 께서: 주무세요
• ×할머니께서 집에 있으세요 — about a person: 계세요
• ×할머니께서 먹어요 — 드세요