2 · Helping verbs and modal patterns
Doing something for someone: -아/어 주다/드리다
favours and requests
After -아/어, 주다 marks the action as a favour; 드리다 when the person helped is someone you respect.
The main verb takes -아/어 and 주다, "to give", follows: 사 주다, 읽어 주다, 도와 주다, 해 주다. 주다 takes the ending: 줘요, 주세요, 줬어요, 줄게요. This site writes two words, 도와 주세요; 도와주세요 is just as correct.
The pattern says that an action is done for somebody's benefit, and Korean marks that far more often than English does. "My friend lent me a book" is 친구가 책을 빌려 줬어요; without 주다 the sentence sounds as if the lending had nothing to do with you. The person who benefits takes 에게 or 한테, or 께 if you respect them: 동생에게 책을 읽어 줬어요.
The most important use is asking: -아/어 주세요 is "please do it (for me)". Compare 앉으세요, "please sit down", an invitation for the listener's own good, with 문 좀 열어 주세요, "could you open the door", a favour for you. English speakers often use the bare -으세요 for favours, which sounds like an instruction. Softer still are -아/어 주시겠어요? and -아/어 주실 수 있어요?.
When the person you do something for is older or senior, 주다 becomes the humble 드리다: 할머니께 전화해 드렸어요, and as an offer 제가 도와 드릴게요, "let me help you". When a respected person does something for you, honour them as the giver: 선생님께서 설명해 주셨어요, "the teacher kindly explained it to me".
The form
| last vowel a or o | 사다 → 사 줘요 |
| other vowels | 읽다 → 읽어 줘요 |
| 하다 verbs | 하다 → 해 줘요 |
| please (for me) | 도와 주세요 |
| for someone you respect | 도와 드릴게요 |
| someone respected did it for me | 도와 주셨어요 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
-아/어 주다 marks an action as a favour for somebody.
친구가 우산을 빌려 줬어요.My friend lent me an umbrella.
-아/어 주세요 asks a favour; it is softer than a bare -으세요.
사진 좀 찍어 주세요.Could you take a photo for me, please?
When the person who benefits is someone you respect, use 드리다.
제가 짐을 들어 드릴게요.Let me carry your bags for you.
When a respected person does you a favour, use 주시다.
선생님께서 추천서를 써 주셨어요.The teacher kindly wrote me a reference.
A closer look
Why Korean marks every favour
In English "she helped me" and "she explained it" leave the benefit implicit. In Korean a sentence about a kindness that leaves out 주다 sounds cool, almost ungrateful: 친구가 도왔어요 reports a fact, 친구가 도와 줬어요 acknowledges a favour. That is why the pattern turns up in nearly every sentence about what other people did for you.
Among friends the request drops to the informal -아/어 줘: 이것 좀 봐 줘, "have a look at this for me". It keeps the favour and loses only the politeness, so it is still gentler than a plain informal command.
How to spot it
- -아/어 주다
- -아/어 주세요
- -아/어 드리다
- 좀
Example sentences
천천히 말해 주세요.Please speak slowly.
엄마가 생일에 케이크를 만들어 줬어요.My mum made me a cake for my birthday.
제가 길을 가르쳐 드릴게요.Let me show you the way.
주말에 할머니께 편지를 써 드렸어요.At the weekend I wrote a letter to my grandmother.
죄송하지만 창문 좀 닫아 주시겠어요?Sorry, would you mind closing the window?
친구가 이사할 때 제가 도와 줬어요.When my friend moved house, I helped.
8 more example sentences
이 단어 뜻 좀 설명해 주세요.Could you explain what this word means?
아빠가 자전거를 사 주셨어요.My dad bought me a bicycle.
어머니께 꽃을 사 드렸어요.I bought my mother some flowers.
조금만 기다려 주시겠어요?Would you mind waiting a moment?
동생에게 동화책을 읽어 줬어요.I read a storybook to my younger sibling.
손님, 제가 자리를 안내해 드리겠습니다.Let me show you to your table.
이웃이 우리 고양이를 돌봐 줬어요.A neighbour looked after our cat for us.
나중에 결과를 알려 줄게요.I will let you know the result later.
Worth knowing (1)
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좀: the little word that softens
좀, short for 조금 "a little", stands before the object or the verb in nearly every request. It does not ask for a small amount; it simply makes the request sound less blunt.
소금 좀 주세요.Could I have the salt, please?
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
A bare -으세요 tells someone to do something, which suits invitations and instructions. A favour for yourself needs 주다: 열어 주세요.
Juda turns an action into a favour: ask with -a juseyo, offer with deurilgeyo.
Your turn
9 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.