If you are studying Korean honorific giving, this lesson is the one to keep. You will learn how 드리다 / 주다 works in real conversation, when to use it, and the mistakes English speakers make first. This is a Korean advanced grammar guide with examples, romanization, and a five-minute speaking drill.
By the end you should be able to hear 드리다 / 주다 in dramas and K-talk, then reuse it in your own sentences. Read once. Say the examples out loud. Then drill the same lines on Practice.
What 드리다 / 주다 means
주다 is give. 드리다 is give-upward: you give to someone you honor. 해 드리다 is do something for that person. Advanced Korean honorifics fail here more than on 시, because English has one verb “give.”
할아버지, 할머니 이야기도 들어 드렸어요 is the shape: I listened for them / I did the listening as a favor to elders.
How to form it
- I → honored person: 드리다, 해 드리다, 말씀드리다
- Honored person → me: 주시다, 해 주시다
- Peer → peer: 주다, 해 주다
- Humble receive: 받다 is fine; 주시다 marks their giving
드리다 / 주다 examples
Use these Korean honorific giving example sentences as a speaking list. Korean first, then pronunciation, then English.
| Korean | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 할머니께 꽃다발을 드렸어요. | halmeonikke kkotdabareul deuryeosseoyo. | I gave grandmother a bouquet. |
| 가방 들어 드릴까요? | gabang deureo deurilkkayo? | Shall I carry your bag? |
| 선생님께 메일을 드렸어요. | seonsaengnimkke meireul deuryeosseoyo. | I sent the teacher an email. (gave) |
| 사장님께서 선물을 주셨어요. | sajangnimkkeseo seonmureul jusyeosseoyo. | The boss gave me a gift. |
| 설명 좀 해 주시겠어요? | seolmyeong jom hae jusigesseoyo? | Could you explain it for me? |
| 제가 예약해 드릴게요. | jega yeyakhae deurilgeyo. | I’ll make the reservation for you. |
When to use it
- Service language: 안내해 드릴게요.
- Favors for elders and customers.
- Reporting a gift direction correctly in stories.
Common mistakes
These are the traps English speakers hit when they translate word-for-word. Fix the pattern, not just the vocabulary.
Watch-out
❌ 할머니가 저한테 드렸어요
✅ 할머니께서 저한테 주셨어요
They give down to you with 주시다, not 드리다.
Watch-out
❌ 친구에게 드릴게요
✅ 친구에게 줄게요
드리다 to a close friend can sound sarcastic or distant.
Watch-out
❌ 해 주세요 to a customer about your action
✅ 해 드릴게요
주세요 asks them to do it. 드릴게요 is you doing it for them.
Mini dialogue
Read it twice. Second time, cover the English.
| Speaker | Korean | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 서류는 제가 복사해 드릴까요? | seoryuneun jega boksahae deurilkkayo? | Shall I copy the documents for you? |
| B | 네, 부탁드려요. 그리고 과장님께도 한 부 드려 주세요. | ne, butakdeuryeoyo. geurigo gwajangnimkkedo han bu deuryeo juseyo. | Yes, please. And please give a copy to the manager too. |
| A | 알겠습니다. 바로 전해 드리겠습니다. | algetseumnida. baro jeonhae deurigetseumnida. | Understood. I’ll pass it on right away. |
Don’t mix these up
께 is the honorific 에게. Pair 께 with 드리다. Pair 에게 with 주다. Mixing 께 + 주다 is common and a little sloppy.
Five-minute Korean speaking practice
Korean speaking practice beats extra grammar notes. Do this once today, then again tomorrow without looking.
- Read each example slowly, Korean only.
- Say it at natural speed. Record yourself if you can.
- Cover the Korean and rebuild the sentence from English.
- Swap in your own details: your job, your city, your weekend.
Starter lines for today:
- 물 좀 가져다 드릴까요?
- 이 말씀 전해도 드릴까요?
- 아버지께서 용돈을 주셨어요.
Lesson summary
- Pattern: 드리다 / 주다
- Search topic: Korean honorific giving
- 드리다 goes up. 주시다 comes down. 주다 is level.
- Say it out loud on Practice, then come back to Guides if a particle still feels sticky.
Homework
- Write four give-sentences and label the direction of respect.
- Convert two 해 줄게요 lines into 해 드릴게요 for a customer.
- Practice 부탁드려요 vs 부탁해요.
Korean honorific giving: quick answers
Is 드리다 always humble?
It is humble-giving. It honors the receiver, not you.
말씀드리다 vs 말하다?
말씀드리다 is speak-to-an-honored-person. 말씀하다 can also honor their speech.
Keep going
- Korean Honorifics for Intermediate Learners: -(으)시 and 께서
- Formal Korean Writing: -습니다 and Sino-Korean for TOPIK II
Want a path, not a single grammar point? Open Learn or browse the rest of this series in Korean advanced.