Two separate dials: who you talk to, who you talk about
Korean politeness runs on two independent dials. Speech level, like the 요 endings you already use, respects the listener, the person you are talking to. Subject honorifics respect the person you are talking about, raising the subject of the sentence. Our Study Desk guide covers speech levels; this unit is about the second dial.
The dials combine freely. You can tell a close friend, in casual speech, that your grandmother is sleeping, and still honor your grandmother inside the sentence. That combination, casual toward the listener, respectful toward the subject, is completely normal Korean.
The -(으)시- ending
The honorific marker is 시, inserted between the stem and the ending: 으시 after a consonant stem, 시 after a vowel stem. With the polite present ending, 시 + 어요 contracts to 세요. So 가다 becomes 가세요, and 읽다 becomes 읽으세요. In the past, 시 + 었어요 contracts to 셨어요: 가셨어요, 읽으셨어요.
| Verb | Honorific present | Honorific past |
|---|---|---|
| 가다 (go) | 가세요 | 가셨어요 |
| 오다 (come) | 오세요 | 오셨어요 |
| 읽다 (read) | 읽으세요 | 읽으셨어요 |
| 하다 (do) | 하세요 | 하셨어요 |
| 앉다 (sit) | 앉으세요 | 앉으셨어요 |
| 아버지는 회사에 가세요. | My father goes to the office. a-beo-ji-neun hoe-sa-e ga-se-yo, 시 honors the father |
| 선생님께서 오셨어요. | The teacher came. seon-saeng-nim-kke-seo o-syeo-sseo-yo, honorific past |
Verbs that swap entirely
A small set of everyday verbs refuses the mechanical 시 and swaps for a dedicated honorific verb instead. These are high-frequency words, so the swap list pays for itself immediately.
| Plain verb | Honorific verb | Polite form |
|---|---|---|
| 있다 (exist, a person) | 계시다 | 계세요 |
| 먹다 / 마시다 (eat, drink) | 드시다 | 드세요 |
| 자다 (sleep) | 주무시다 | 주무세요 |
| 말하다 (speak) | 말씀하시다 | 말씀하세요 |
| 할머니께서 주무세요. | Grandmother is sleeping. hal-meo-ni-kke-seo ju-mu-se-yo, 자다 swaps to 주무시다 |
| 할아버지께서 댁에 계세요. | Grandfather is at home. ha-ra-beo-ji-kke-seo dae-ge gye-se-yo, 있다 swaps to 계시다 |
| 뭐 드시겠어요? | What would you like to eat? mwo deu-si-ge-sseo-yo, the standard restaurant question |
Honorific nouns and particles
- 집 (house) becomes 댁 (daek) for a respected person's home
- 이름 (name) becomes 성함 (seong-ham)
- 나이 (age) becomes 연세 (yeon-se)
- 사람 (person) becomes 분 (bun)
- 말 (words) becomes 말씀 (mal-sseum)
- Subject particle 이/가 becomes 께서; the dative 에게 (e-ge, to a person) becomes 께
| 성함이 어떻게 되세요? | What is your name? seong-ha-mi eo-tteo-ke doe-se-yo, the polite way to ask a name |
| 사장님께 말씀드렸어요. | I told the boss. sa-jang-nim-kke mal-sseum-deu-ryeo-sseo-yo, 말씀드리다 humbles the speaker |
Set phrases you already half-know
Many phrases learners memorize in week one are honorifics in disguise. 안녕히 가세요 (goodbye, to the person leaving) and 안녕히 계세요 (goodbye, to the person staying) both carry 시. 어서 오세요, the shopkeeper's welcome, is honorific 오다. 주문하시겠어요? (would you like to order?) stacks 시 with the polite question. Recognizing the machinery inside these phrases moves them from memorized noise to grammar you own.
| 안녕히 가세요. | Goodbye. (said to the person leaving) an-nyeong-hi ga-se-yo, honorific 가다 inside a set phrase |
| 어머니께서 요리를 하세요. | Mother is cooking. eo-meo-ni-kke-seo yo-ri-reul ha-se-yo |
The one hard prohibition: never honor yourself
시 raises the subject of the sentence, so it can never point at you. 저는 학교에 가세요 is wrong; you would be bowing to yourself. Say 저는 학교에 가요 (jeo-neun hak-gyo-e ga-yo). When talking about your own actions to a respected listener, keep the polite ending for them and the plain verb for you. If anything, Korean humbles the self, with verbs like 드리다 (to give, humbly) and 말씀드리다 (to tell, humbly).
Quick self-check before speaking: who is the subject? If it is you, no 시. If it is someone older or hierarchically above, add 시 and consider 께서. This two-question habit produces correct honorifics almost automatically.
Pronunciation corner
Honorific machinery comes with tense consonants and a weakening ㅎ. These four patterns cover most of it.
| 께서 (kkeseo) | [k͈e.sʌ] | a tight, pressed g sound at the start: 'gge-suh', no puff of air |
| 세요 (seyo) | [se.jo] | seh-yo, two light syllables, no stress |
| 드시겠어요 (deusigesseoyo) | [tɯ.ɕi.ɡe.s͈ʌ.jo] | deu-shi-geh-ssuh-yo; the ㅅ before i is sh, the ㅆ is tight |
| 안녕히 (annyeonghi) | [an.njʌŋ.i] | the ㅎ nearly disappears: 'ahn-nyung-ee' in normal speed speech |
Practice drill
Convert to the honorific form requested, fill the blank, or fix the sentence.
가다 → honorific polite presentShow answer
가세요
읽다 → honorific polite presentShow answer
읽으세요으시 after a consonant stem
자다 → honorific polite presentShow answer
주무세요swap verb: 주무시다
먹다 → honorific polite presentShow answer
드세요swap verb: 드시다
있다 (a person is somewhere) → honorific polite presentShow answer
계세요
선생님___ 오세요. (honorific subject particle)Show answer
께서
오다 → honorific polite pastShow answer
오셨어요시 + 었어요 contracts to 셨어요
Fix the error: 저는 내일 학교에 가세요.Show answer
저는 내일 학교에 가요.시 can never point at yourself
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between speech levels and honorifics?
Speech level (해요 versus 합니다 versus casual 해) respects the listener. The 시 honorific respects the subject of the sentence, the person you are talking about. They are independent settings and combine freely in one sentence.
Why is it 가세요 and never 가시어요?
시 plus 어요 contracts. Standard Seoul speech settled on 세요 for the present and 셨어요 for the past. You may see 셔요 in some writing, but 세요 is what to produce.
Do I use honorifics for my own parents when talking to others?
Within the family and in most everyday contexts, yes: 아버지께서 오셨어요 is normal. In very formal settings, traditional etiquette lowers your own family members when speaking to outsiders, but as a learner you will never sound rude by honoring your parents.
Is 께서 required whenever I use 시?
No. 께서 adds an extra degree of respect to the subject and is common with grandparents, teachers and clients, but everyday speech often keeps 은/는 or 이/가 with a 시 verb: 아버지는 회사에 가세요 is fine.
What do I say about myself if I cannot use 시?
Plain forms, plus humble verbs where they exist. 드리다 replaces 주다 when you give something to a respected person, and 말씀드리다 replaces 말하다 when you speak to one. Respect flows through those verbs without ever raising you.
Related deep dives