한글
GuidesSign inGet started

Grammar / Level 1 / Lesson 27

(으)세요, (으)ㅂ시다, ㄹ/을까요: telling people what to do

By Daniel Buckley · 12 minute read · TOPIK 1

Vocabulary

  1. 앉다 - to sit
  2. 들어오다 - to come in
  3. 기다리다 - to wait
  4. 쉬다 - to rest
  5. 천천히 - slowly
  6. 걱정하다 - to worry
  7. 찍다 - to take (a photo)
  8. 사진 - photo
  9. 같이 - together
  10. 내리다 - to get off

You probably know 안녕히 가세요, the goodbye for someone who's leaving. Literally it's "go in peace": a command, and a polite one. That 세요 is where this starts.

Building these endings is the easy part. The hard part is who you can say them to, because a form that's polite on paper can still sound bossy to your boss.

Please do: (으)세요

(으)세요 goes on the stem and tells someone, politely, to do something. It's the normal choice with almost anyone you'd speak to with 요. It needs an action verb: adjectives usually can't be commands, so 바쁘세요 means "you're busy", not "be busy".

Making (으)세요

  • Stem ends in a vowel: add 세요.가다 → 가세요기다리다 → 기다리세요
  • Stem ends in a consonant: add 으세요.앉다 → 앉으세요읽다 → 읽으세요
  • Stem ends in ㄹ: the ㄹ drops, then add 세요.열다 → 여세요만들다 → 만드세요

Pick a verb

가다가가세요

  1. 여기 앉으세요.

    Here please sit.

  2. 들어오세요.

    Please come in.

  3. 잠깐만 기다리세요.

    Just a moment please wait.

  4. 천천히 하세요.

    Slowly please do.

  5. 좋은 하루 보내세요.

    Good day please spend.

※ When you're asking a favour rather than giving an instruction, use 아/어 주세요. 기다리세요 tells someone to wait, and 기다려 주세요 asks them to wait for you.

Verbs that change

The 시 inside 세요 is honorific, which the next lesson explains, and a few verbs have their own honorific word. 먹다 and 마시다 become 드세요, 자다 becomes 주무세요, and 있다, for being somewhere, becomes 계세요. 먹으세요 exists, but it sounds wrong to someone you respect.

  1. 맛있게 드세요.

    Deliciously please eat.

  2. 안녕히 주무세요.

    In peace please sleep.

  3. 안녕히 계세요.

    In peace please stay.

Example 3 is the other goodbye. 가세요 goes to the person leaving, and 계세요 goes to the person staying.

Please don't: 지 마세요

To tell someone not to do something, add 지 마세요 to the bare stem. 마세요 comes from 말다, to stop doing or not do. Nothing changes on the stem, so irregular verbs give you no trouble.

Making 지 마세요

  • Stem plus 지 마세요, for every verb.가다 → 가지 마세요먹다 → 먹지 마세요듣다 → 듣지 마세요

  1. 걱정하지 마세요.

    Please don't worry.

  2. 여기에서 사진을 찍지 마세요.

    Here photo please don't take.

  3. 문을 열지 마세요.

    Door please don't open.

  4. 아직 가지 마세요.

    Yet please don't go.

  5. 내일은 늦지 마세요.

    Tomorrow please don't be late.

※ With friends, the 반말 form is the command, and 지 마세요 shortens to 지 마: 빨리 와!, come quickly! 가지 마!, don't go! See speech levels.

The formal version: (으)십시오

(으)십시오 is (으)세요 in 합쇼체, the level that gives you 습니다. You'll meet it on signs, in announcements and from staff greeting customers. In ordinary conversation (으)세요 is the normal choice.

Making (으)십시오

  • Stem ends in a vowel: add 십시오.가다 → 가십시오
  • Stem ends in a consonant: add 으십시오.앉다 → 앉으십시오
  • Stem ends in ㄹ: the ㄹ drops, then add 십시오.열다 → 여십시오
  • Don't: 지 마십시오.가다 → 가지 마십시오

  1. 어서 오십시오.

    Quickly please come.

  2. 안녕히 가십시오.

    In peace please go.

  3. 잠시만 기다리십시오.

    Just a moment please wait.

  4. 이쪽에 앉으십시오.

    This way please sit.

  5. 안으로 들어가지 마십시오.

    Inside please don't go.

Example 1 is the welcome you get walking into a shop, a formal cousin of 어서 오세요. The verbs that change keep changing here: 드십시오, 주무십시오, 계십시오.

Let's: (으)ㅂ시다 and 자

(으)ㅂ시다 means "let's". It sounds formal, but it directs people, which suits a speaker addressing a group or someone senior talking to juniors. Don't say it to someone older or above you.

자 is the casual "let's", for friends and people younger than you. It goes on the bare stem.

Making (으)ㅂ시다 and 자

  • Stem ends in a vowel: ㅂ시다 attaches to it.가다 → 갑시다쉬다 → 쉽시다
  • Stem ends in a consonant: add 읍시다.먹다 → 먹읍시다
  • Stem ends in ㄹ: the ㄹ drops, then ㅂ시다.만들다 → 만듭시다
  • Casual: stem plus 자, for every verb.가다 → 가자먹다 → 먹자
  • Let's not: 지 맙시다, or 지 말자.가다 → 가지 맙시다가다 → 가지 말자

  1. 같이 갑시다.

    Together let's go.

  2. 여기에서 내립시다.

    Here let's get off.

  3. 오늘은 쉽시다.

    Today let's rest.

  4. 밥 먹자.

    Meal let's eat.

  5. 내일 만나자.

    Tomorrow let's meet.

  6. 내일은 늦지 맙시다.

    Tomorrow let's not be late.

  7. 사진 찍지 말자.

    Photo let's not take.

※ The plain 해요 form also works as "let's": 같이 가요. Among people who use 요 with each other, this is usually what you'll hear.

Shall we? ㄹ/을까요

ㄹ/을까요 asks what the other person thinks. It doesn't direct anyone, so it's safe with nearly anybody, including the people you can't say (으)ㅂ시다 to. With 같이 or nothing it's "shall we", and with 제가 it's "shall I".

Making ㄹ/을까요

  • Stem ends in a vowel: ㄹ까요 attaches to it.가다 → 갈까요
  • Stem ends in a consonant: add 을까요.먹다 → 먹을까요
  • Stem ends in ㄹ: the ㄹ is already there, so add 까요.열다 → 열까요

  1. 같이 갈까요?

    Together shall we go?

  2. 뭐 먹을까요?

    What shall we eat?

  3. 어디에서 만날까요?

    Where shall we meet?

  4. 제가 창문을 열까요?

    I window shall open?

  5. 제가 사진을 찍을까요?

    I photo shall take?

When the subject is something you can't decide for, like the weather, it becomes a guess. 내일 비가 올까요? asks "do you think it'll rain tomorrow?"

Do you want to? ㄹ/을래요

ㄹ/을래요 is about what someone feels like doing. Ask it and it means "do you want to", say it and it means "I think I'll". It's built like ㄹ/을까요, and it only works for I and you, never for someone else.

갈까요 asks what we should do, and 갈래요 asks what you'd like. ㄹ/을래요 is friendly but casual, so it's best with friends and people your own age or younger. To someone older, Koreans add 시, as in 드실래요?, which the next lesson explains.

  1. 뭐 먹을래요?

    What do (you) want to eat?

  2. 같이 갈래요?

    Together do (you) want to go?

  3. 저는 커피 마실래요.

    I coffee want to drink.

  4. 오늘은 집에서 쉴래요.

    Today at home (I) want to rest.

  5. 저는 안 갈래요.

    I not want to go.

  1. 선생님, 같이 ___?

    Teacher, shall we go together?

  2. 밥 ___!

    Let's eat! (to a friend)

  3. 여기에서 사진을 ___.

    Please don't take photos here.

  4. 제가 창문을 ___?

    Shall I open the window?

Listen and type

1 / 3

Play it as often as you like.

In a conversation

A

오늘 저녁에 뭐 할까요?

Today evening what shall we do?

B

영화 볼래요?

Movie want to see?

A

좋아요. 그럼 먼저 밥 먹을까요?

Good. Then first meal shall we eat?

B

네, 여섯 시에 학교 앞에서 만나요.

Yes, at six o'clock in front of school let's meet.

A

늦지 마세요!

Please don't be late!

B

걱정하지 마세요.

Please don't worry.

Common mistakes

  1. 거기에 안 가세요.

    거기에 가지 마세요.

    안 가세요 says someone isn't going. Telling them not to go takes 지 마세요.

  2. 할머니, 많이 먹으세요.

    할머니, 많이 드세요.

    먹다 has its own honorific verb. 먹으세요 sounds wrong to anyone you'd show respect to.

  3. 선생님, 같이 갑시다.

    선생님, 같이 갈까요?

    (으)ㅂ시다 directs the listener, so it doesn't go upwards. Ask with ㄹ/을까요.

One sentence in each group is wrong. Tap it.

Check yourself

Quick check

1 / 6

여기 ___. (앉다) Please sit here.

The stem ends in a consonant.

Summary

(으)세요 forms
DictionaryStem(으)세요
가다가가세요
앉다앉앉으세요
열다열여세요
듣다듣들으세요
돕다돕도우세요
쓰다쓰쓰세요

Who each form is for

  • (으)세요: please do. Almost anyone.가세요, 앉으세요
  • 지 마세요: please don't. Almost anyone.가지 마세요
  • (으)십시오: please do, formally. Signs, announcements, staff to customers.가십시오, 앉으십시오
  • (으)ㅂ시다: let's. Groups, or people at or below your level.갑시다, 먹읍시다
  • 자: let's. Friends and people younger than you.가자, 먹자
  • ㄹ/을까요: shall we, shall I. Nearly anyone.갈까요, 먹을까요
  • ㄹ/을래요: do you want to, I want to. Friends, and people your own age or younger.갈래요, 먹을래요

Now you can say

  1. 안녕히 주무세요.

    In peace please sleep.

  2. 같이 갈까요?

    Together shall we go?

  3. 걱정하지 마세요.

    Please don't worry.

Sign in to keep track of the lessons you've finished.