Korean grammar · TOPIK 1

Polite commands and requests (-(으)세요): Korean Grammar with Examples

Everything you need to use polite commands and requests (-(으)세요) correctly: the patterns, when to use them, examples with audio, common mistakes and exercises with answers.

Quick answer

-(으)세요 is the polite, honorific way of giving a command or making a request - 'please do...' - used with elders, strangers and customers. It is a contraction of 하시어요. Key patterns: Stem ending in a vowel + 세요; Stem ending in a consonant + 으세요; A ㄹ stem loses its ㄹ before 세요.

Patterns

FormStructureExample
Vowel stem → 세요Stem ending in a vowel + 세요가다 → 가세요
to go → 'please go'
Consonant stem → 으세요Stem ending in a consonant + 으세요앉다 → 앉으세요
to sit → 'please sit'
ㄹ stem → the ㄹ drops before ㅅA ㄹ stem loses its ㄹ before 세요살다 → 사세요 / 열다 → 여세요
to live → 'please live' / to open → 'please open'
Polite negative command: -지 마세요V stem + 지 마세요
Stem + 지 마세요		들어오지 마세요.
Please do not come in.

How to use Polite commands and requests (-(으)세요)

1. Polite requests

Used with strangers, customers and people older than you

이쪽으로 오세요.
Please come this way.

2. Giving instructions

Used for giving directions or service instructions

여기에 앉으세요.
Please sit here.

3. Telling someone politely not to

-지 마세요 says 'please do not...'

여기서 담배를 피우지 마세요.
Please do not smoke here.

Key words

-(으)세요 (please do)-(으)십시오 (the most formal)-지 마세요 (please do not)드세요 (please eat or drink - the honorific of 먹으세요)

Tips and common mistakes

Polite commands and requests (-(으)세요): exercises with answers

Pick the right option, then open the answer to check it.

1. Put 앉다 (to sit) into the polite command form: 이 의자에 ___.

Options: 앉세요 · 앉아세요 · 앉아요 · 앉으세요

Show answer

앉으세요. 앉다: the stem ends in a consonant, so 으세요, giving 앉으세요, 'please sit'.

2. Put 오다 (to come) into the polite command form: 이쪽으로 ___.

Options: 오세요 · 오요 · 오으세요 · 와세요

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오세요. 오다: the stem ends in the vowel ㅗ, so 세요, giving 오세요, 'please come'.

3. Choose the correct sentence: 'Please read this book.'

Options: 이 책을 읽세요. · 이 책을 읽아세요. · 이 책을 읽어세요. · 이 책을 읽으세요.

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이 책을 읽으세요.. 읽다: the stem ends in the consonant ㄱ, so 으세요, giving 읽으세요, 'please read'.

4. Choose the correct sentence: 'Please do not take photos here.'

Options: 여기서 사진 찍지 않으세요. · 여기서 사진을 안 찍으세요. · 여기서 사진을 찍으마세요. · 여기서 사진을 찍지 마세요.

Show answer

여기서 사진을 찍지 마세요.. The polite negative command is stem + 지 마세요: 찍지 마세요 means 'please do not take photos'.

5. Choose the right way to invite a guest to eat: 'Please help yourself.'

Options: 많이 드세요. · 많이 드으세요. · 많이 들세요. · 많이 먹세요.

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많이 드세요.. 드세요 is a special honorific (먹다 → 드시다 → 드세요), used when offering food or drink to an elder or a guest.

6. Put 가다 into the polite request form: 오른쪽으로 ___.

Options: 가세요 · 가아세요 · 가으세요 · 갔세요

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가세요. 가다: the stem ends in a vowel, so it takes 세요: 가세요. The sentence means "Please go to the right."

7. Put 씻다 (to wash) into the polite request form: 식사 전에 손을 ___.

Options: 씻세요 · 씻아세요 · 씻어세요 · 씻으세요

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씻으세요. 씻다: the stem ends in the consonant ㅅ, so it takes 으세요: 씻으세요. The sentence means "Please wash your hands before eating."

8. Put 듣다 (ㄷ-irregular) into the polite request form: 잘 ___.

Options: 듣세요 · 듣으세요 · 들세요 · 들으세요

Show answer

들으세요. 듣다 is ㄷ-irregular: ㄷ becomes ㄹ before a vowel, giving 들으세요. The sentence means "Please listen carefully."

9. Put 만들다 (stem ending in ㄹ) into the polite request form: 케이크를 이렇게 ___.

Options: 만드세요 · 만드으세요 · 만들세요 · 만들으세요

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만드세요. 만들다: the stem ends in ㄹ, which drops before ㅅ, giving 만드세요. The sentence means "Please make the cake like this."

10. Fill in the polite "please do not" form: 수업 시간에 전화하지 ___.

Options: 마세요 · 마으세요 · 말으세요 · 맙세요

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마세요. A polite prohibition is verb + 지 마세요 (from 말다, whose ㄹ drops before ㅅ). The sentence means "Please do not make phone calls during class."

11. Fill in the special honorific of 자다 (to sleep): 안녕히 ___.

Options: 자으세요 · 주무세요 · 주무시세요 · 주무으세요

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주무세요. The honorific of 자다 is 주무시다, giving 주무세요. 안녕히 주무세요 means "Good night", said to an elder.

12. Choose the correct sentence: 'Please wait a moment.'

Options: 잠시만 기다려세요. · 잠시만 기다리세요. · 잠시만 기다리으세요. · 잠시만 기달으세요.

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잠시만 기다리세요.. 기다리다: the stem ends in a vowel, so it takes 세요: 기다리세요. The sentence means "Please wait a moment."

13. Choose the correct sentence: 'Please open the window.'

Options: 창문을 여세요. · 창문을 여으세요. · 창문을 열세요. · 창문을 열으세요.

Show answer

창문을 여세요.. 열다: the stem ends in ㄹ, which drops before ㅅ, giving 여세요. 열으세요 is a common mistake. The sentence means "Please open the window."

Related lessons

To be / not to be
이다 is the Korean copula, the equivalent of 'to be' in English, and it attaches only to nouns. Its negative is 아니다. The polite forms are 이에요 (after a consonant) and 예요 (after a vowel); the formal forms are 입니다/아닙니다.
To have / not have, to exist / not exist
있다 expresses existence or possession ('to have', 'to be somewhere'), and 없다 is its negative ('not to have', 'not to be there'). The polite forms are 있어요/없어요. When speaking about someone you respect, use 계시다/계세요.
The polite copula (이에요/예요)
이에요/예요 is the polite (해요체) form of 이다, the verb 'to be', and it is what you use in everyday conversation. The rule: 이에요 after a syllable ending in a consonant, 예요 after one ending in a vowel.
Polite present tense (-아/어/여요)
아/어/여요 is the polite (해요체) ending for verbs and adjectives in everyday conversation. Which one you take follows vowel harmony: if the last vowel of the stem is ㅏ or ㅗ → 아요; any other vowel → 어요; and 하다 verbs → 해요.
Past tense (-았/었어요)
았/었어요 is the polite past-tense ending. The rule: if the last vowel of the stem is ㅏ or ㅗ → 았어요; any other vowel → 었어요; and 하다 verbs → 했어요.
Future and intention (-(으)ㄹ 거예요)
-(으)ㄹ 거예요 is the most common way of expressing the future or an intention in everyday Korean. It means 'will...', 'I plan to...', or it can be a guess. It comes from -(으)ㄹ 것 + 이에요, contracted to 거예요.

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