께서 (kkeseo) is the honorific subject particle, used for people you respect.
A highly polite version of the subject particle (이/가).
Checked against the official learner dictionary from the National Institute of Korean Language
- Same form after a consonant or a vowel.
- The verb usually takes 시 si too: 오다 oda becomes 오시다 osida.
Build it
When to use it
A respected subject
Takes the place of 이 i or 가 ga for elders.
Formal speech
News, speeches and letters.
As the topic
께서는 kkeseoneun for "as for".
Watch out
Add 시 si to the verb as well.
께 kke means "to". The subject needs 께서.
In context
8 examples- 1
부모님께서 말씀하셨어요.
Bumonimkkeseo malsseumhasyeosseoyo.
My parents spoke.
- 2
할아버지께서 오십니다.
Harabeojikkeseo osimnida.
Grandfather is coming.
- 3
어머니께서 김치를 만드셨어요.
Eomeonikkeseo gimchireul mandeusyeosseoyo.
My mother made kimchi.
- 4
사장님께서 지금 회의 중이십니다.
Sajangnimkkeseo jigeum hoeui jungisimnida.
The CEO is in a meeting right now.
- 5
선생님께서 숙제를 내 주셨어요.
Seonsaengnimkkeseo sukjereul nae jusyeosseoyo.
The teacher gave us homework.
- 6
할머니께서는 시골에 사세요.
Halmeonikkeseoneun sigore saseyo.
My grandmother lives in the countryside.
- 7
교수님께서 뭐라고 하셨어?
Gyosunimkkeseo mworago hasyeosseo?
What did the professor say?
- 8
아버지께서 요즘 편찮으세요.
Abeojikkeseo yojeum pyeonchaneuseyo.
My father hasn't been well lately.
Practice
8 questions선생님께서 왔어요.
Seonsaengnimkkeseo wasseoyo.
The teacher came.
How much respect it shows
께서 is the most respectful way to mark a subject. In everyday conversation, most people get the respect across with the verb alone and keep the ordinary 이/가 i/ga:
- 할머니가 오셨어요. halmeoniga osyeosseoyo "Grandma's here." Polite and warm.
- 할머니께서 오셨어요. halmeonikkeseo osyeosseoyo "Grandmother has arrived." More formal.
Both are correct. 께서 is what you'll see in writing, hear in speeches and on the news, and use when you want to sound especially respectful.
The whole honorific set
께서 belongs to a small family. Each ordinary particle or verb has a respectful partner:
- 이/가 i/ga becomes 께서, and 은/는 eun/neun becomes 께서는 kkeseoneun.
- 한테 hante becomes 께 kke. More on that in the 께 lesson.
- Some verbs change completely: 있다 itda becomes 계시다 gyesida, 자다 jada becomes 주무시다 jumusida, and 먹다 meokda becomes 드시다 deusida.
Put together, a fully respectful sentence looks like this:
- 아버지께서 집에 계세요. abeojikkeseo jibe gyeseyo "My father is at home."
- 할아버지께서 진지를 드세요. harabeojikkeseo jinjireul deuseyo "Grandpa is having his meal."
Hanja in this lesson
Words from the examples that are written with Chinese characters. Tap a character to see its page.
Look it up in the dictionary
The entry for 께서 in two trusted Korean dictionaries.
