Grammar · Requests and wishes

-(으)세요, please do

Pattern

[stem] + 세요 / 으세요

-(으)세요 is the polite way to ask or invite someone to do something: 앉으세요 'please sit down', 들어오세요 'come in'. After a vowel it is 세요 (가세요), a stem ending in ㄹ drops the ㄹ (만들다 → 만드세요), and other consonants take 으세요 (읽으세요). The same form is also the honorific present, so 어디 가세요? is a respectful 'where are you going?'.

The mistake to avoid

A few verbs have their own respectful form: 먹다 becomes 드세요, 자다 becomes 주무세요, and 있다 (to stay) becomes 계세요.

Examples

Romanisation help

여기 앉으세요.

yeogi anjeuseyo.

Please sit here.

맛있게 드세요.

masitge deuseyo.

Enjoy your meal.

안녕히 가세요.

annyeonghi gaseyo.

Goodbye (to someone leaving).

여기에 이름을 쓰세요.

yeogie ireumeul sseuseyo.

Please write your name here.