Complete Guide to ~으세요/세요 Honorific Endings

Learning Korean politeness levels can be challenging, but mastering the ~으세요/세요 ending is essential for respectful communication. This honorific ending is one of the most frequently used forms in Korean, allowing you to speak politely to people older than you, strangers, or in formal situations.

Understanding ~으세요/세요

The ~으세요/세요 ending is a polite imperative and declarative form that shows respect to the listener. It’s used when making requests, giving instructions, or stating facts in a respectful manner. This ending is more formal than casual speech but less formal than the highest honorific levels.

Grammar Rules: When to Use 으세요 vs 세요

The choice between 으세요 and 세요 depends on the final consonant of the verb or adjective stem:

Use 으세요 when:

• The stem ends with a consonant (받침 있음)

Use 세요 when:

• The stem ends with a vowel (받침 없음)

Common Usage Patterns

1. Making Polite Requests

With consonant ending:

• 앉으세요. (Please sit down.)
• 읽으세요. (Please read.)
• 먹으세요. (Please eat.)

With vowel ending:

• 오다(to come) →오세요. (Please come.)
• 가다 (to go) → 가세요 (Please go)
• 하다 (to do) →하세요. (Please do ~.)
• 주문하다 (to order) → 주문하세요(Please order)
• 누르다 (to press) → 누르세요( Please press)

2. Giving Instructions or Directions

Korean: 이 길로 쭉 가세요. English: Go straight down this road.

Korean: 여기서 기다리세요. English: Please wait here.

Korean: 문을 여세요. English: Please open the door.

3. Offering or Suggesting

Korean: 커피 드세요. English: Please have some coffee.

Korean: 편하게 앉으세요. English: Please sit comfortably.

Korean: 많이 드세요. English: Please eat a lot.

Special Verb Forms with 으세요/세요

Irregular Verbs

Some verbs undergo stem changes when adding 으세요/세요:

Verbs ending in “ㄹ”, we will drop “ㄹ” and add 세요.

살다 (to live) → 사세요 (Please live)
만들다 (to make) → 만드세요 (Please make)

팔다 (to help) → 파세요 Korean: 저를 도우세요. English: Please help me.

Verbs ending in “ㄷ”, we will change to “ㄹ”.

And since the vowel is ㅡ, we add ‘으세요’

듣다 (to listen) → 들으세요

음악을 들으세요. :Please listen to music.

싣다(to load) → 실으세요

물건을 실으세요: Please load the things.

This grammar is polite, so you can use it in almost every situation. If you prefer a more informal tone, you can simply use the present tense:


주세요 (please give me, polite)
줘요 (Give me, quite informal)
줘! (Give me! very casual)

Honorific Verbs

When speaking about someone you respect, use special honorific verbs:

Korean: 어서 오세요. (oseo oseyo) English: Welcome! (lit. Please come quickly)

Korean: 안녕히 가세요. English: Goodbye. (to someone leaving)

Korean: 안녕히 계세요. English: Goodbye. (to someone staying)

Practical Examples in Daily Conversations

At a Restaurant

Korean: 메뉴 좀 보여주세요. English: Please show me the menu.

Korean: 물 좀 주세요. English: Please give me some water.

Shopping

Korean: 이거 얼마예요? 좀 깎아주세요.

English: How much is this? Please give me a discount.

Korean: 포장해 주세요.

English: Please wrap it up.

Transportation

Korean: 여기서 내려주세요. English: Please let me off here.

Korean: 천천히 가세요. English: Please drive slowly.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Don’t mix formality levels: Once you start using 으세요/세요, maintain this level throughout the conversation.
2. Remember the consonant rule: Check if the stem ends with a consonant or vowel before choosing 으세요 or 세요.
3. Context matters: While polite, 으세요/세요 might be too formal for close friends or family members.

Practice Tips for Mastery

Start by identifying verb stems and practicing the consonant/vowel rule. Use this ending when speaking to:

• Store clerks and service workers
• Teachers and professors
• Older people you don’t know well
• In business situations

Korean: 한국어 공부 열심히 하세요! English: Please study Korean hard!

The ~으세요/세요 ending is your gateway to polite Korean communication. With consistent practice and attention to the simple consonant/vowel rule, you’ll quickly master this essential grammar point and speak Korean with appropriate respect and courtesy.

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