안녕하세요? 😊 In this post, you'll learn how to command or request someone to do an action. 열심히 읽으세요! (Read carefully!) I just gave you an order by using our target grammar today. Like me, you will be able to make some commands after the lesson!
0. Words
Here are some important verbs you need to know in this lesson! Please listen and repeat. They are very often used verbs so please try to memorize them!
to read | |
to close (door/window/store...) | |
to close (book/notebook...) | |
to open (door/window/store...) | |
to open (book/notebook...) | |
to go | |
to see | |
to make | |
to listen | |
to bake | |
to draw (lines) |
닫다 vs. 덮다
They both mean "to close" in English. However, in Korean, you have to use a specific one for a situation. If you are closing a door or window, you must use 닫다. It is also used to close the store for today, temporarily, or permanently. If you close a book or notebook, you must say 덮다.
열다 vs. 펴다
Those two are the same! 열다 is the antonym of 닫다. If you open a door, window, or store, you'll use 열다. The antonym of 덮다 is 펴다.
굽다
The basic meaning of 굽다 is to cook using fire. So, it can be translated differently depending on the situation in English. 굽다 can mean "to roast," "to grill," "to bake," "to toast," "to broil," "to barbeque," etc!
1. The command ending: V(으)세요
(으)세요 is attached to a verb stem to give a listener an order, command, or request action. It comes at the end of a sentence, so we call it the command ending or request ending.
This ending is commonly used in daily conversations. Since it is a command/request, you can punctuate it with either a period or an exclamation point. The exclamation sentence sounds more commanding.
(Please,) read. | |
Read! |
"으세요" ends with "요." That means it is polite and somewhat friendly. You can use it with your co-workers. You can use this ending to close superiors to request. You can even use it for younger people if you want to be polite and nice.
However, you have to watch out. You can use it to only "close" older people. You can't use it to not familiar social superior or older person. It is considered rude to give them a direct order!
This ending is too straightforward so you will need to use a more complicated beat-around-the-bush type of sentence. I'll prepare a post related to it for you one day!
(O) 엄마, 저 과자 사주세요. Mom, please buy me some snacks.
(X) 교수님, 과자 사주세요. Professor, please buy me some snacks.
You may use this 으세요 to your 엄마. But using this ending to a professor sounds very rude! Unless you are (somehow) close to the professor, he or she looks at you with a very confused face... 😂
2. Regular Conjugation Rules
As it is written as (으)세요 with parenthesis, it means there are two forms; 으세요 and 세요. To decide which form to use, you have to pay attention to the last syllable of the stem. The existence of the final consonant (받침) will decide which one to use.
1) 받침O: +으세요.
When there is the final consonant, you will add "으세요" to the verb stem.
읽다 to read
읽 → The last (and only) syllable is 읽 with the final consonant ㄺ. → So, we add 으세요. → 읽으세요. Please read.
⚠️ The pronunciation tip: The first final consonant ㄹ remains where it is. The second final consonant ㄱ moves and takes over the empty spot of 으. That is why even though you have to write 읽으세요, you have to read it like [일그세요].
닫다 to close (door/window)
닫 → It has the final consonant ㄷ. → Add 으세요. → 닫으세요. Please close.
2) 받침X: +세요.
When the stem ends with a vowel, in other words, when the stem doesn't have the final consonant, you will attach 세요 [sae-yo] to the stem.
가다 to go
가 → It doesn't have the final consonant, so please attach 세요. → 가세요. Please go.
보다 to look / to see / to watch
보 → It doesn't have the final consonant. Add 세요. → 보세요. Please look.
3) ㄹ 받침: Erase ㄹ + 세요
When the stem ends with the final consonant ㄹ, you will erase that ㄹ and add 세요.
만들다 to make
만들 → You have to check the last syllable of the stem which is 들. 들 has ㄹ 받침. Erase that ㄹ.→ 만드 → We can attach 세요 now. → 만드세요. Please make.
열다 to open (door/window/store)
The stem is 열. → Drop ㄹ! → 여 → Add 세요 now. → 여세요. Please open.
★ About conjugation of ㄹ words!
Even though the word has the final consonant, if the final consonant is ㄹ, you will use this ㄹ rule. All ㄹ words follow their own rule regularly, so we consider it a regular conjugation.
Other irregular words such as ㄷ verbs, some ㄷ words need to follow irregular words (like 듣다), but some words follow regular rules (like 닫다). But not our ㄹ! All ㄹ words obey the rule!
That is why it is in the regular conjugation category. For conjugation grammar rules that the final consonant matters, you will keep encountering these "yes, no, ㄹ" as regular sections!
3. Irregular Conjugation Rules
Let's see how irregular verbs change into the "(으)세요" form. You will see irregular verbs which have ㄷ, ㅅ, and ㅂ as their final consonants!
1) Irregular ㄷ verbs: ㄷ → ㄹ + 으세요.
When the stem ends with the final consonant ㄷ, change that ㄷ to ㄹ and add 으세요.
듣다 to listen
듣 → The last syllable is 듣. The final consonant is ㄷ. → So, let's change that ㄷ to ㄹ. → 들 → Now, let's add a request ending 으세요. → 들으세요. Please listen.
⚠️ Remember 닫다? You saw it in the regular verb conjugation section. Even though 닫다 has ㄷ, it is not an irregular verb! That is why the verbs with ㄷ are called irregular verbs. Some verbs will follow the regular rules, but some verbs won't follow it.
2) Irregular ㅅ verbs: Erase ㅅ + 으세요.
When the stem ends with the final consonant ㅅ, erase the ㅅ and add 으세요.
긋다 to draw lines
긋 → Since it has ㅅ, let's erase it. → 그 → But it originally had the final consonant. So, we will still add 으세요. → 그으세요. Please draw lines.
3) Irregular ㅂ verbs: Erase ㅂ + 우세요.
When the stem ends with ㅂ, erase ㅂ first. Then, you need to add 우세요 this time, not 으세요. Irregular ㅂ is the special one among these irregular rules and always needs a little more attention.
굽다 to bake
굽 → Drop ㅂ. → 구 → ㅂ always has its wired conjugation form. At this time, we need 우세요, not 으세요 like other fellows. → 구우세요. Please bake.
4. Examples
You can often hear these request forms in the classroom as a teacher's direction. I'll show you some good classroom Korean examples here.
1
Please read. |
The basic form is 읽다(to read). By adding the request/command ending (으)세요, you can ask some to read. The stem of 읽다 is 읽 and it has the final consonant. So, let's add 으세요 to it!
2
Please read the book. |
책 is a book. It receives the action. That means "책" is the object of the sentence. Then, what do we need to attach? Yes, we need the object marker! Since has the final consonant, you'll add the object marker 을.
3
Listen carefully. (Listen well.) |
잘 means well. 들으세요 came from the basic form 듣다(to listen). Together, 잘 들으세요 means to listen well (or listen carefully). Often, you can listen to this sentence during a listening quiz or test.
4
Look at the picture. | |
Look at the chalkboard. |
보세요 came from 보다 which means to see, watch, or look. (The actions involved with eyes. All at one word! Easy, right?) 그림 means a picture and 칠판 is a chalkboard (or whiteboard or blackboard). They are objects of the sentences, and both end with the final consonants. So, we attach the object marker 을.
5
Please speak. / Please say. |
말하다 means to talk, say, or speak. (Once again, this time, actions involved with mouth.) So when 말하다 was used, you can translate depending on context.
6
Please imitate me (repeat after me). | |
Please repeat after me. |
따라하다 means to imitate, copy, repeat. In a language class, a teacher will ask you to repeat after them. 따라 말하다 is the same. It is a combination of copy(따라) and speak(말하다). So, both sentences mean "Listen and repeat."
7
Open your book. |
펴세요 came from "펴다(to open)". This 펴다 only works for things like books and notebooks. When you open a door or a window, you have to use 열다.
8
Close your book. |
The opposite word of 펴다 is 덮다. To ask "close the book," you'll use this verb!
5. Wrap-up & Worksheet
You've learned the informal command ending, (으)세요. You attach 으세요 or 세요 depending on the final consonant to give a command or request to a listener.
Please download the free printable PDF worksheet to practice this Korean informal command ending. 쓰세요. (Please write.) 열심히 공부하세요! (Study hard!)