Korean Honorific Verbs: How to Use -(으)시-

You've learned that Korean has different speech levels - 반말, 해요체, 합쇼체. But there's one more layer that runs through all of them:

-(으)시-

This is the honorific verb marker - a small infix that gets added to verbs when the subject of the sentence is someone you respect. It doesn't change the speech level. It changes whether the action itself is being described respectfully.

Once you understand -(으)시-, a huge part of Korean honorific speech suddenly makes sense.

What Does -(으)시- Do?

-(으)시- is inserted inside the verb - between the stem and the ending - to show that the subject of the sentence is a respected person.

선생님이 가세요. (The teacher is going.) 선생님이 가셨어요. (The teacher went.) 선생님이 가실 거예요. (The teacher will go.)

The -(으)시- doesn't change the meaning of the verb - it changes who is doing it, signaling respect for the subject.

How to Form -(으)시-

Step 1: Take the verb stem Step 2: Add -시- (if stem ends in vowel) or -으시- (if stem ends in consonant) Step 3: Add the appropriate ending (-아요/어요, -었어요, -ㄹ 거예요, etc.)

💡 가시어요 contracts to 가세요 in natural speech. This contraction (시+어 = 세) happens consistently.

Conjugation Table: Common Verbs with -(으)시-

Special Honorific Verbs - Replace the Whole Word

Some verbs don't just add -(으)시- - they have a completely different honorific form. These are the most important ones to memorize:

Examples:

할머니, 진지 드세요. (Grandmother, please eat.)

아버지는 지금 주무세요. (Father is sleeping right now.)

선생님이 교실에 계세요. (The teacher is in the classroom.)

어머니가 많이 편찮으세요. (Mother is quite unwell.)

할아버지께서 작년에 돌아가셨어요. (Grandfather passed away last year.)

-(으)시- Across All Tenses

Once you have the -(으)시- infix, it works across all tenses - just add the ending you need:

-(으)시- for Polite Requests

One of the most common uses of -(으)시- is making polite requests - the equivalent of "please [do this]":

💡 안녕히 가세요 vs 안녕히 계세요 - two of the most essential expressions in Korean, both built on -(으)시-.

-(으)시- in Real Sentences

Describing a respected person's actions

선생님이 지금 수업하고 계세요**.**

• Natural: The teacher is currently teaching a class.

할아버지께서 공원에서 산책하세요**.**

• Natural: Grandfather takes walks in the park.

사장님은 회의실에 계세요.

• Natural: The CEO is in the meeting room.

어머니가 많이 편찮으세요.

• Natural: Mother is quite unwell.

교수님이 논문을 읽으세요**.**

• Natural: The professor reads papers.

Asking about a respected person

어디에서 오셨어요**?**

• Natural: Where are you from? (respectful)

무슨 일 하세요**?**

• Natural: What do you do for work? (respectful)

한국어를 공부하세요**?**

• Natural: Do you study Korean? (respectful)

어디에 사세요**?**

• Natural: Where do you live? (respectful)

연세가 어떻게 되세요**?**

• Natural: How old are you? (respectful)

Real Conversations Using -(으)시-

📍 Conversation 1: Meeting a senior colleague

A: 어디에서 오셨어요? (Where are you from?)

B: 부산에서 왔어요. 서울에 온 지 10년 됐어요. (I'm from Busan. It's been 10 years since I came to Seoul.)

A: 가족분들도 서울에 계세요? (Is your family also in Seoul?)

B: 네, 다 같이 살고 있어요. (Yes, we all live together.)

A: 좋으시겠어요. 주말에는 주로 뭐 하세요? (That must be nice. What do you usually do on weekends?)

📍 Conversation 2: At a family gathering

손자: 할머니, 진지 드셨어요? (Grandmother, did you have your meal?)

할머니: 응, 먹었어. 너는? (Yes, I ate. How about you?)

손자: 저도요. 할머니, 어디 불편하신 데 없으세요? (Me too. Grandmother, are you feeling unwell anywhere?)

할머니: 괜찮아. 다리가 좀 아프시긴 한데. (should be 아프긴 한데 - 할머니 referring to herself) (I'm okay. My legs hurt a bit though.)

손자: 병원에 가보세요. 모셔다 드릴게요. (Please go to the doctor. I'll take you.)

📍 Conversation 3: At a hotel / service setting

직원: 어서 오세요. 예약하셨어요? (Welcome. Did you make a reservation?)

손님: 네, 김민준으로 예약했어요. (Yes, I made a reservation under Kim Minjun.)

직원: 잠깐만 기다려 주세요. 확인해 드리겠습니다. (Please wait a moment. I'll check for you.)

직원: 네, 확인됐습니다. 이쪽으로 오세요. (Yes, confirmed. Please come this way.)

Subject vs. Addressee: An Important Distinction

-(으)시- shows respect for the subject of the sentence - the person doing the action. This is different from the speech level (해요체 vs 합쇼체), which shows respect for the listener.

You can use -(으)시- in both formal and informal speech:

선생님이 가세요. (해요체 + 으시 - talking politely about the teacher going) 선생님이 가십니다. (합쇼체 + 으시 - formally about the teacher going)

And you can talk to a close friend about a respected person:

야, 너희 아버지 지금 어디 계셔? (반말 to friend, but 으시 for friend's father)

The speech level is about who you're talking to. -(으)시- is about who you're talking about.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Mistake 1: Using -(으)시- for yourself

❌ 저는 지금 가세요. ✅ 저는 지금 가요. (-(으)시- is never used for yourself)

❌ Mistake 2: Using 있어요 instead of 계세요 for respected people

❌ 선생님이 교실에 있어요. ✅ 선생님이 교실에 계세요.

❌ Mistake 3: Using 먹어요/마셔요 instead of 드세요 for respected people

❌ 할머니, 밥 먹으세요. ✅ 할머니, 진지 드세요. (both noun and verb upgrade)

❌ Mistake 4: Forgetting -(으)시- in questions about respected people

❌ 선생님 어디 가요? ✅ 선생님 어디 가세요?

Quick Practice

Add -(으)시- to make these sentences honorific:

1. 선생님이 책을 읽어요.
2. 할머니가 자요.
3. 사장님이 회의실에 있어요.
4. 교수님이 어디에 가요?
5. 아버지가 지금 밥을 먹어요.

Answers:

1. 선생님이 책을 읽으세요.
2. 할머니가 주무세요. (자다 → 주무시다)
3. 사장님이 회의실에 계세요. (있다 → 계시다)
4. 교수님이 어디에 가세요?
5. 아버지가 지금 진지를 드세요. (먹다 → 드시다, 밥 → 진지)

Summary

-(으)시- is the heart of Korean honorific speech. It's not just a grammar rule - it's a reflection of how deeply Korean culture values respect, age, and relationship. Master it, and your Korean will feel not just correct, but genuinely considerate.

📚 This Is Chapter 11 of the A1 Masterclass

-(으)시- is the central grammar focus of Chapter 11: 할아버지께서는 고향에 계세요 of the Today Korean A1 Masterclass - where you'll learn to use it naturally across tenses, with special honorific verbs, and in real conversations.

👉 See the full A1 curriculum