haru Korean › Grammar › Level 1B › N께
N께 — to someone you respect — 께 and 드리다
To someone you respect — 께 and 드리다. Korean grammar for beginner learners — Level 1B, lesson 9: 어느 게 더 맛있어요? (Which one is tastier? — food and comparing).
What it means
께 is the polite form of 에게 · 한테. Use it for a person you respect, such as a grandparent, a parent or a teacher: 할머니께, 선생님께. Like 한테, it goes straight after the person, with or without 받침. With 께, 주다 becomes 드리다, the honorific word from Lesson 1: 할머니께 과일을 드려요, not 할머니께 줘요. Other verbs stay as they are: 선생님께 숙제를 냈어요, 부모님께 소포를 보냈어요. Don't mix it up with 께서, also from Lesson 1: 께서 marks the older person who does something (할머니께서 떡을 주셨어요), and 께 marks the older person who gets something (할머니께 귤을 드렸어요). Never use 께 for yourself, a friend or someone younger.
Forms
| Pattern | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| N께 | a person you respect — instead of 에게 · 한테 | 할아버지 + 께 → 할아버지께 |
Key points
- N께 — the polite 에게 · 한테, for a person you respect: 할아버지께 · 선생님께 · 부모님께
- With 께, 주다 becomes 드리다 (Lesson 1): 할머니께 과일을 드려요 — not 할머니께 줘요
Examples
- 친구한테 줘요. → 할머니께 드려요.
- 할아버지께 편지를 드렸어요.
- 선생님께 숙제를 냈어요. 부모님께 소포를 보냈어요.
- 할머니께서 떡을 주셨어요. 저는 할머니께 귤을 드렸어요.
Where university textbooks teach it
This point also appears in: Seoul National University Korean 1B, lesson 14; Hongik University Korean 1B, lesson 7; Hanyang University Korean 2-1, lesson 2.