Korean grammar '-시-/-으시-'

 

1. Explanation

 : '-시-/-으시-' is one of Korean's honorific forms. It shows respect toward the subject of a sentence. Of course there are many kinds of honorific forms in Korean. However this is the most commonly used in all kind of service field. So, if you understand this well, it will be helpful to improve your comprehension of travel converstaion. Cause you can hear this at hotels, restaurants, hosiptals and so on.

 '-시-/-으시' conjugates with verb stems or adjective stems. But '-시-.' and '-으시-' have different usages. Fisrt, '-시-' conjugates with 'ㄹ ending or vowel ending verbs or adjectives'. On the other hand, '-으시-' conjugates with 'consonant ending verbs or adjectives'.

 It's related to 'Korean grammar #13 '-세요/으세요.' Because '-세요' is a form of '-시-'(honorific) conjugates with '-어요.(ending particle)', and '-으세요.' is form of '-으시'(honorific) conjugates with '-어요.(ending particle)'. So, when you study this part, it will be more efficient to review what we learnd in 'Korean grammar #13'.

 Let's look at examples together.

 

Source : National Institute of Korean Language

 

2. Examples

 어디에 사세요? (Where do you live?)

 *살다 to live

  1) A verb stem is '살-'

  2) It ends with a consonant 'ㄹ'

  3) It conjugates with '-시-'

  4) '사시-' ( 'ㄹ' irregular dropped)

  5) Add an honorific ending particle '-어요.'

  6) 사시어요.

  7) '시어' can be contracted to '세'

  8) 사세요.

  9 Make it as a question

  10) Add a question marker '?'

  11) 사세요?

  

 어디로 가실 거예요? (Where will you be going?)

 *가다 to go

  1) A verb stem is '가-'

  2) It ends with a vowel 'ㅏ'

  3) It conjugates with '-시-'

  4) '가시-'

  5) Make it as a future tense

  6) Add an ending particle '-ㄹ 거예요.'

  7) 가실 거예요.

  8) Make it as a question

  9) Add a question marker '?'

  10) 가실 거예요?

 

 무슨 생각하세요? (What are you thinking?)

 *생각하다 to think

  1) A verb stem is '생각하-'

  2) It ends with a vowel 'ㅏ'

  3) It conjugates with '-시-'

  4) '생각하시-'

  5) Add an honorific ending particle '-어요.'

  6) 생각하시어요.

  7) '시어' can be contracted to '세'

  8) 생각하세요.

  9) Make it as a question

  10) Add a question marker '?'

  11) 생각하세요?

 

 저 부르셨어요? (Did you call me?)

 *부르다 to call 

  1) A verb stem os '부르-'

  2) It ends with a vowel 'ㅡ'

  3) It conjugates with '-시-'

  4) '부르시-'

  5) Add a past tense particle '-었어요.'

  6) 부르시었어요.

  7) '시었' can be contracted to '셨'

  8) 부르셨어요.

  9) Make it as a question

  10) Add a question marker '?'

  11) 부르셨어요?

 

 도움 필요하세요? (Do you need help?)

 *필요하다 to need 

  1) A verb stem is '필요하-'

  2) It ends with a vowel 'ㅏ'

  3) It conjugates with '-시-'

  4) '필요하시-'

  5) Add an honorific ending particle '-어요.'

  6) 필요하시어요.

  7) '시어' can be contracted to '세'

  8) 필요하세요.

  9) Make it as a question

  10) Add a question marker '?'

  11) 필요하세요?

 

 지금 책을 읽으세요. (Read a book now.)

 *읽다 to read 

  1) A verb stem is '읽-'

  2) It ends with a consonant 'ㄺ'

  3) It conjugates with '-으시-'

  4) '읽으시-'

  5) Add an honorific ending particle '-어요.'

  6) 읽으시어요.

  7) '시어' can be contracted to '세'

  8) 읽으세요.

 

 뭐 하고 있으세요? (What are you doing?)

 *있다 to be 

  1) A verb stem is '있-'

  2) It ends with a consonant 'ㅆ'

  3) It conjugates with '-으시-'

  4) '있으시-'

  5) Add an honorific ending particle '-어요.'

  6) 있으시어요.

  7) '시어' can be contracted to '세'

  8) 있으세요.

  9) Make it as a question

  10) Add a question marker '?'

  11) 있으세요?

 

 오후에 수업 없으세요? (Do you have no classes in the afternoon?)

 *없다 there is no 

  1) A verb stem is '없-'

  2) It ends with a consonant 'ㅄ'

  3) It conjugates with '-으시-'

  4) '없으시-'

  5) Add an honorific ending particle '-어요.'

  6) '없으시어요.'

  7) '시어' can be contracted to '세'

  8) 없으세요.

  9) Make it as a question

  10) Add a question marker '?'

  11) 없으세요?

 

 저 찾으셨어요? (Were you looking for me?)

 *찾다 to look for 

  1) A verb stem is '찾-'

  2) It ends with a consonant 'ㅈ'

  3) It conjugates with '-으시-'

  4) '찾으시-'

  5) Add a past tense ending particle '-었어요.'

  6) 찾으시었어요.

  7) '시었' can be contracted to '셨'

  8) 찾으셨어요.

  9) Make it as a question

  10) Add a question marker '?'

  11) 찾으셨어요?

 

 왼쪽 스시부터 먹으세요. (Eat from the left sushi.)

 *먹다 to eat 

  1) A verb stem is '먹-'

  2) It ends with a consonant 'ㄱ'

  3) It conjugates with '-으시-'

  4) '먹으시-'

  5) Add an honorific ending particle '-어요.'

  6) 먹으시어요.

  7) '시어' can be contracted to '세'

  8) 먹으세요.

 

*Infinitive

 

3. Practice

 Are you curious? (Honorific)

 ______________. ( *궁금하다 curious ) 

 

 When will you come? (Honorific)

 언제 _____________. ( *오다 to come ) 

 

 Keep searching? (Honorific)

 계속 ______________. ( *찾다 to search )

 

 Stand up from the right. (Honorific)

 오른쪽부터 ______________. ( *일어나다 to stand up ) 

 

 Clean yourself up. (Honorific)

 깨끗하게 ______________. ( *씻다 to wash ) 

 

 Did you rest well? (Honorific)

 ______________. ( *쉬다 to rest ) 

 

 Hold on a second. (Honorific)

 잠시만 ______________. ( *기다리다 to wait ) 

 

 What are you doing? Focus! (Honorific)

 뭐 ______________? ______________. ( *하다 to do / *집중하다 to focus on ) 

 

4. Vocabulary

 벌써 already / 오다 to come / 어디로 where / 가다 to go / 무슨 what / 생각하다 to think / 저 me / 부르다 to call / 도움 help / 필요하다 to need / 지금 now / 책 book / 읽다 to read / 뭐 what / 하다 to do / 있다 to have, there is / -하고 있다 make present progressive sentence / 오후 afternoon / 수업 class / 없다 threre is no / 찾다 to look for / 왼쪽 left / 스시 sushi / 부터 from / 먹다 to eat / 궁금하다 curious / 언제 when / 계속 to keep, continuously / 찾다 to research / 오른쪽 right / 일어나다 to stand up / 깨끗하게 cleanly / 씻다 to wash / 쉬다 to rest / 잠시 moment / 기다리다 to wait / 뭐 what / 집중하다 to focus on

 

5. Answer

 궁금하세요? / 언제오세요? / 찾으세요? / 일어나세요 / 씻으세요 / 쉬셨어요? / 기다리세요. / 하세요?, 집중하세요.