-(으)세요 - Polite Requests and Instructions

-(으)세요 is used to give a polite request, instruction, or direction in Korean.

It is commonly translated as “please do” or as a polite English instruction.

• 여기 앉으세요.
  Please sit here.
• 이쪽으로 오세요.
  Please come this way.
• 책을 보세요.
  Please look at the book.
• 천천히 말하세요.
  Please speak slowly.

This lesson focuses on using -(으)세요 to politely ask another person to do something.

Basic Sentence Structure

The basic structure is:

Verb stem + -(으)세요

First, remove -다 from the dictionary form.

Then add -세요 or -으세요 according to the final sound of the verb stem.

• 가다 → 가 + 세요 → 가세요
• 먹다 → 먹 + 으세요 → 먹으세요
• 공부하다 → 공부하 + 세요 → 공부하세요

-(으)세요 is mainly attached to action verbs when giving requests or instructions.

How to Form -(으)세요

After a vowel: -세요

When the verb stem ends in a vowel, add -세요.

• 가다 → 가세요
  Please go.
• 오다 → 오세요
  Please come.
• 보다 → 보세요
  Please look or watch.
• 배우다 → 배우세요
  Please learn.
• 기다리다 → 기다리세요
  Please wait.

After a final consonant: -으세요

When the verb stem ends in a final consonant, add -으세요.

• 먹다 → 먹으세요
  Please eat.
• 앉다 → 앉으세요
  Please sit.
• 읽다 → 읽으세요
  Please read.
• 닫다 → 닫으세요
  Please close it.
• 입다 → 입으세요
  Please wear it.

After ㄹ: Remove ㄹ and add -세요

When the verb stem ends in ㄹ, remove ㄹ and add -세요.

• 열다 → 여세요
  Please open it.
• 만들다 → 만드세요
  Please make it.
• 살다 → 사세요
  Please live.

The final ㄹ disappears before -세요.

하다 verbs

하다 verbs change to 하세요.

• 공부하다 → 공부하세요
  Please study.
• 운동하다 → 운동하세요
  Please exercise.
• 준비하다 → 준비하세요
  Please prepare.
• 조심하다 → 조심하세요
  Please be careful.

Giving Polite Instructions

-(으)세요 is commonly used when giving instructions.

• 책을 읽으세요.
  Please read the book.
• 이름을 쓰세요.
  Please write your name.
• 문을 닫으세요.
  Please close the door.
• 질문에 대답하세요.
  Please answer the question.
• 잘 들으세요.
  Please listen carefully.

These forms are polite, but they still tell the listener what action to perform.

Giving Directions

-(으)세요 is frequently used when explaining where someone should go.

• 오른쪽으로 가세요.
  Please go to the right.
• 왼쪽으로 도세요.
  Please turn left.
• 이쪽으로 오세요.
  Please come this way.
• 앞으로 가세요.
  Please go forward.
• 여기에서 기다리세요.
  Please wait here.
• 2층으로 올라가세요.
  Please go up to the second floor.

The direction or location usually appears before the verb.

Requests in Classrooms and Lessons

Teachers often use -(으)세요 when giving instructions to students.

• 책을 펴세요.
  Please open your book.
• 문장을 읽으세요.
  Please read the sentence.
• 잘 들으세요.
  Please listen carefully.
• 따라 하세요.
  Please repeat after me.
• 질문에 대답하세요.
  Please answer the question.
• 여기에 이름을 쓰세요.
  Please write your name here.

These are polite classroom instructions rather than casual commands.

Requests in Everyday and Service Situations

-(으)세요 is also common in shops, restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and other service situations.

• 이쪽으로 오세요.
  Please come this way.
• 잠깐 기다리세요.
  Please wait a moment.
• 여기 앉으세요.
  Please sit here.
• 안으로 들어오세요.
  Please come inside.
• 이 서류를 읽으세요.
  Please read this document.
• 여기 이름을 쓰세요.
  Please write your name here.

The speaker politely guides or instructs the listener.

Giving Simple Advice

-(으)세요 can also be used for polite advice or encouragement.

• 푹 쉬세요.
  Please get plenty of rest.
• 천천히 하세요.
  Please take your time.
• 조심하세요.
  Please be careful.
• 매일 연습하세요.
  Please practice every day.
• 물을 많이 마시세요.
  Please drink plenty of water.

The exact tone depends on the situation and the speaker’s voice.

The Listener Is Usually Omitted

Korean usually does not include “you” when giving a request.

• 여기 앉으세요.
  Please sit here.
• 천천히 말하세요.
  Please speak slowly.
• 문을 여세요.
  Please open the door.

The sentence is naturally understood as being directed to the listener.

Using 당신 is usually unnecessary and can sound unnatural in ordinary conversation.

• 당신은 여기 앉으세요. △
• 여기 앉으세요. ✓

-(으)세요 and -아/어 주세요

Both forms can be used when asking someone to do something, but they have slightly different feelings.

-(으)세요

This form often sounds like a polite instruction, direction, or request.

• 여기 앉으세요.
  Please sit here.
• 책을 읽으세요.
  Please read the book.

-아/어 주세요

This form more directly asks someone to do something as a favor.

• 여기 앉아 주세요.
  Please sit here.
• 이 책을 읽어 주세요.
  Please read this book for me.

Both forms are polite. At the beginner level, -(으)세요 is especially useful for simple instructions and directions.

Requests and Honorific Statements

The form -세요 can also appear when respectfully describing or asking about another person’s action.

Compare:

• 선생님, 이쪽으로 오세요.
  Teacher, please come this way.

This is a request directed to the teacher.

• 선생님이 이쪽으로 오세요.
  The teacher is coming this way.

This is an honorific statement about the teacher.

Another example:

• 어디로 가세요?
  Where are you going?

This is a polite or honorific question, not a request.

The meaning depends on context, sentence structure, and intonation.

In this lesson, the main focus is the request and instruction use. The wider honorific function is explained separately with -(으)시-.

More Examples

• 천천히 읽으세요.
  Please read slowly.
• 여기에 앉으세요.
  Please sit here.
• 문을 여세요.
  Please open the door.
• 창문을 닫으세요.
  Please close the window.
• 친구하고 같이 가세요.
  Please go with your friend.
• 이쪽으로 오세요.
  Please come this way.
• 이름하고 전화번호를 쓰세요.
  Please write your name and phone number.
• 집에서 푹 쉬세요.
  Please get plenty of rest at home.
• 매일 한국어를 연습하세요.
  Please practice Korean every day.
• 질문이 있으면 말하세요.
  Please speak if you have a question.

Common Expressions with -(으)세요

Some expressions with -(으)세요 are very common in daily Korean.

• 어서 오세요.
  Welcome.
• 안녕히 가세요.
  Goodbye. Said to a person who is leaving.
• 안녕히 계세요.
  Goodbye. Said to a person who is staying.
• 조심하세요.
  Please be careful.
• 잠깐만 기다리세요.
  Please wait a moment.
• 많이 드세요.
  Please eat plenty.

Some of these expressions include honorific vocabulary or special meanings. It is useful to learn them as complete expressions.

Negative Requests

Do not use 안 + -(으)세요 to mean “please do not.”

• 안 가세요?
  Are you not going?

This is normally a question, not a negative request.

To tell someone politely not to do something, Korean uses -지 마세요.

• 가지 마세요.
  Please do not go.
• 문을 열지 마세요.
  Please do not open the door.
• 여기에서 사진을 찍지 마세요.
  Please do not take pictures here.

-지 마세요 is a separate negative request pattern.

Common Mistakes

Attaching -(으)세요 to the dictionary form

Remove -다 first.

• 먹다 → 먹으세요 ✓
• 먹다으세요 ✗
• 가다 → 가세요 ✓
• 가다세요 ✗

Using -세요 after every verb

Use -으세요 after most stems ending in a final consonant.

• 먹으세요 ✓
• 먹세요 ✗
• 앉으세요 ✓
• 앉세요 ✗

Using -으세요 after a vowel

Use -세요 after a vowel.

• 가세요 ✓
• 가으세요 ✗
• 오세요 ✓
• 오으세요 ✗

Keeping ㄹ before -세요

Remove the final ㄹ.

• 열다 → 여세요 ✓
• 열세요 ✗
• 만들다 → 만드세요 ✓
• 만들으세요 ✗

Using 안 for a negative request

안 + verb can create a negative statement or question, but it does not normally create a prohibition.

• 가지 마세요. ✓
  Please do not go.
• 안 가세요?
  Are you not going?

Using -(으)세요 to describe yourself

Do not use the honorific -세요 form to describe your own action.

• 저는 학교에 가요. ✓
  I go to school.
• 저는 학교에 가세요. ✗

When -(으)세요 is used as a request, the action is directed toward the listener.

Quick Practice

Change each verb into the -(으)세요 form.

1. 가다
2. 오다
3. 먹다
4. 앉다
5. 읽다
6. 공부하다
7. 기다리다
8. 열다
9. 만들다
10. 조심하다

Answers

1. 가세요
2. 오세요
3. 먹으세요
4. 앉으세요
5. 읽으세요
6. 공부하세요
7. 기다리세요
8. 여세요
9. 만드세요
10. 조심하세요

Complete the Request

Choose the correct verb form.

1. 이쪽으로 __________.
   오다
2. 여기 앉아서 책을 __________.
   읽다
3. 문을 __________.
   닫다
4. 여기에 이름을 __________.
   쓰다
5. 잠깐 __________.
   기다리다
6. 매일 한국어를 __________.
   공부하다

Answers

1. 이쪽으로 오세요.
2. 여기 앉아서 책을 읽으세요.
3. 문을 닫으세요.
4. 여기에 이름을 쓰세요.
5. 잠깐 기다리세요.
6. 매일 한국어를 공부하세요.

Sentence Practice

Complete each request with your own information.

• __________으로 가세요.
• 여기에서 __________으세요/세요.
• __________을/를 읽으세요.
• __________을/를 쓰세요.
• 친구하고 같이 __________으세요/세요.
• 매일 __________을/를 연습하세요.
• 집에서 __________으세요/세요.
• 천천히 __________으세요/세요.

Key Points

• Use -(으)세요 for polite requests, instructions, and directions.
• Remove -다 from the dictionary form first.
• Add -세요 after a vowel.
• Add -으세요 after most final consonants.
• Remove final ㄹ and add -세요.
• 하다 verbs change to 하세요.
• The listener is usually omitted.
• -(으)세요 often sounds like a polite instruction.
• -아/어 주세요 more directly asks someone to do something as a favor.
• Use -지 마세요 for a negative request.
• The same -세요 form can appear in honorific statements and questions.
• The wider honorific use is explained separately with -(으)시-.

 

← Return to the TodayKorean Grammar Library