haru Korean › Grammar › Level 1B › A/V-(으)세요 · N(이)세요
A/V-(으)세요 · N(이)세요 — honorific -(으)시- — speaking politely about older people
Honorific -(으)시- — speaking politely about older people. Korean grammar for beginner learners — Level 1B, lesson 1: 이분이 우리 할아버지세요 (This is my grandfather — family and honorifics).
What it means
-(으)시- shows respect for the person you are talking about: a grandparent, a parent, a teacher, an older person you have just met. In everyday speech it appears as -(으)세요. After a 받침 add 으세요 (읽다 → 읽으세요, 많다 → 많으세요); after a vowel add 세요 (가다 → 가세요, 친절하다 → 친절하세요). After a noun use 이세요 with a 받침 and 세요 without: 선생님이세요, 할아버지세요. For the past, use -(으)셨어요: 가셨어요, 읽으셨어요. It looks just like the 'please …' ending from Level 1A (여기 앉으세요) — the situation tells you which one it is. Never use it about yourself: 저는 학생이에요. Three verbs use a different word instead: 있다 → 계세요, 먹다 → 잡수세요, 자다 → 주무세요.
Forms
| Pattern | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -으세요 | 받침 O | 읽다 + 으세요 → 읽으세요 |
| -세요 | 받침 X | 가다 + 세요 → 가세요 |
| N(이)세요 | nouns · 받침 O 이세요 / 받침 X 세요 | 선생님 + 이세요 → 선생님이세요 |
| -(으)셨어요 | past | 읽다 + 으셨어요 → 읽으셨어요 |
Key points
- -(으)시- shows respect for the person you talk about: 가세요 · 읽으세요 · 할아버지세요 · 선생님이세요
- Never about yourself (저는 학생이에요) · the past is -(으)셨어요: 가셨어요 · 읽으셨어요
Examples
- 가다 → 가세요. 읽다 → 읽으세요. 많다 → 많으세요.
- 할아버지 → 할아버지세요. 선생님 → 선생님이세요.
- 이분이 우리 할아버지세요. 매일 산에 가세요.
- 할머니는 어제 시장에 가셨어요. 책을 읽으셨어요.
Where university textbooks teach it
This point also appears in: Seoul National University Korean 1B, lesson 9; Yonsei University Korean 1-2, lesson 12; Sogang University Korean 1B, lesson 3; Ewha Womans University Korean 1-1, lesson 7; Hongik University Korean 1B, lesson 11; Hanyang University Korean 2-1, lesson 1.
Also in this lesson
- N께서(는) — the honorific subject particle — 이/가 → 께서 · 은/는 → 께서는
- N의 N — possession — 'N's N': 안나 씨의 가방 · 제 가방
- N을/를 잘하다 · 못하다 — good at, bad at — 'I'm good at …' · 'I'm not good at …'