Korean Lessons ᚛ Level 3 - Korean for Beginners #2 (Lessons 61 to 90) ᚛ Lesson 62 - Please in Korean / to do something for someone [-아/어 주다]
Please in Korean / to do something for someone [-아/어 주다]
Up till now, you may have noticed that we have never mentioned the word "please" in Korean. This expression doesn't exist as such in the Korean language.
To do something for someone
In Korean, to express the fact of doing something for someone, a request, we use the verb 주다 (= to give) in the following way:
[Verb conjugated to the present tense casual style] 주다
The verb 주다 can then be conjugated to all of the forms we've seen up till now.
소라가 요리해 줬어요.
→ Sora cooked (for me).
아버지가 장난감을 만들어 주셨어요.
→ My father made a toy (for me).
이따가 동화책을 읽어 줄게.
→ I will read you a fairy tale later (for you).
Certain verbs have a form with an integrated 주다, for which there is no space needed. This is for example the case of the verbs 도와주다 (= to help someone), 빌려주다 (= to lend to someone), … etc.
오빠가 수학 도와줘요.
→ My older brother helps me with math.
오늘만 차를 빌려줘.
→ Please lend me your car just for today.
도와줄게.
→ I will help you.
Say "please" in Korean
In reality, to say "please" in Korean one simply uses the form we just saw, while addressing our listener. The use of the verb 주다 allows one to express a request.
When one makes a request to a person towards whom it is necessary to show a certain amount of respect, the honorific style is used.
문 닫아 줘.
→ Close the door, please. (Lit: Close the door, for me)
이 주소로 보내 주세요.
→ Send to this address, please.
선풍기를 틀어 줘.
→ Turn on the fan, please.
기사님, 신촌역으로 가 주세요.
→ Driver, go to the Sinchon station, please.
한국어 가르쳐 주세요.
→ Teach (me) Korean, please. (Lit: Teach Korean, for me)
The importance of 주다
The use of the verb 주다 is crucially important when you ask something of someone.
Learn more
Request with 주다 with the verb 주다
Learn more
Summary table of structure
Learn more
Exercises
Learn more
Voyager en Corée du Sud peut être une expérience inoubliable. Mais quand on ne parle pas coréen, tout devient plus compliqué : commander au restaurant ou dans un café devient stressant ; on ne comprend aucun panneau ni enseigne ; en cas de souci, demander de l'aide est presque impossible ; et surtout, on manque l'essence même d'un voyage réussi en Corée : l'échange avec les locaux.
Comme les traducteurs automatiques français - coréen ne peuvent pas être fiables car les deux langues fonctionnent d'une manière totalement opposée, il devient alors crucial de se préparer soi-même pour profiter pleinement de son voyage en Corée du Sud.
Nous avons alors créé un guide conçu spécialement pour les voyageurs qui souhaitent profiter de la Corée sans galère linguistique !
Learn more