beginner
Goes inside the verb to show respect for the person doing it: 오셨어요 (osyeosseoyo), "(she) came".
Checked against the official learner dictionary from the National Institute of Korean Language
- After a vowel or ㄹ (which drops): 시 si. After other consonants: 으시 eusi.
- It goes before the ending: 가세요 gaseyo, 가셨어요 gasyeosseoyo, 가십니다 gasimnida.
Build it
The forms you need
Now
가세요gaseyogoesPast
가셨어요gasyeosseoyowentFormal
가십니다gasimnidagoes (formal)Noun
선생님이세요seonsaengnimiseyois a teacherWhen to use it
A respected person's actions
Parents, teachers, older people, customers.
Their things and their body
Respect carries over to what belongs to them.
Asking the listener
Polite questions about the person you're talking to.
Watch out
Never use (으)시 about yourself.
After a consonant, add 으: 읽으셨어요 ilgeusyeosseoyo.
In context
9 examples- 1
아버지께서 신문을 읽으세요.
Abeojikkeseo sinmuneul ilgeuseyo.
My father is reading the newspaper.
- 2
선생님이 오셨어요.
Seonsaengnimi osyeosseoyo.
The teacher is here.
- 3
할머니는 부산에 사세요.
Halmeonineun busane saseyo.
My grandmother lives in Busan.
- 4
사장님은 지금 회의 중이세요.
Sajangnimeun jigeum hoeui jungiseyo.
The boss is in a meeting right now.
- 5
어머니께서 저녁을 만드셨어요.
Eomeonikkeseo jeonyeogeul mandeusyeosseoyo.
My mother made dinner.
- 6
할아버지께서 주무세요.
Harabeojikkeseo jumuseyo.
Grandpa is sleeping.
- 7
선생님, 주말 잘 보내셨어요?
Seonsaengnim, jumal jal bonaesyeosseoyo?
Did you have a good weekend, teacher?
- 8
손님, 찾으시는 물건 있으세요?
Sonnim, chajeusineun mulgeon isseuseyo?
Is there something you're looking for?
- 9
교수님께서 바쁘셔서 못 오셨어요.
Gyosunimkkeseo bappeusyeoseo mot osyeosseoyo.
The professor was busy, so she couldn't come.
Practice
8 questions읽다 + (으)시 + 었어요
Verbs with their own honorific form
Some verbs don't just add (으)시. They swap to a different word:
| Verb | Honorific | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 먹다, 마시다 (eat, drink) | 드시다 deusida | 할머니께서 진지를 드세요. "Grandma is having her meal." |
| 자다 (sleep) | 주무시다 jumusida | 아버지께서 주무세요. "Dad is sleeping." |
| 있다 (be somewhere) | 계시다 gyesida | 선생님이 교실에 계세요. "The teacher is in the classroom." |
| 말하다 (say) | 말씀하시다 malsseumhasida | 사장님께서 말씀하셨어요. "The boss said so." |
Who gets the respect
(으)시 shows respect for the person doing the action, not for the person you're talking to. So you can use it in casual speech too, when you talk to a friend about someone older:
- 우리 할머니 오셨어. uri halmeoni osyeosseo "My grandma's here."
It often goes together with 께서, the honorific subject particle, and (으)세요 is just (으)시 plus the ending 어요 eoyo.
Look it up in the dictionary
The entry for 으시 in two trusted Korean dictionaries.