If you are studying Korean honorifics intermediate, this lesson is the one to keep. You will learn how -(으)시 / 께서 works in real conversation, when to use it, and the mistakes English speakers make first. This is a Korean intermediate grammar guide with examples, romanization, and a five-minute speaking drill.
By the end you should be able to hear -(으)시 / 께서 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 -(으)시 / 께서 means
Korean honorifics mark the subject’s status, not your politeness to the listener. -요 is listener politeness. -(으)시 is subject honorific. Intermediate learners mix these and accidentally honorify themselves.
How to form it
- Verb stem + -(으)시 + ending → 가시다, 하시다, 드시다
- Subject particle 께서 instead of 이/가: 선생님께서
- Give/eat/sleep have special verbs: 드리다/드시다/주무시다
- Listener politeness is still -요/-습니다 on the end
-(으)시 / 께서 examples
Use these Korean honorifics intermediate example sentences as a speaking list. Korean first, then pronunciation, then English.
| Korean | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 부모님께서 오셨어요. | bumonimkkeseo osyeosseoyo. | My parents came. (honorific subject) |
| 사장님은 지금 회의 중이세요. | sajangnimeun jigeum hoeuijung-iseyo. | The boss is in a meeting. |
| 할머니께서 진지 드셨어요. | halmeonikkeseo jinji deusyeosseoyo. | Grandmother ate. (honorific eat) |
| 어디에 가세요? | eodie gaseyo? | Where are you going? (to a stranger/senior) |
| 성함이 어떻게 되세요? | seonghami eotteoke doeseyo? | What is your name? (honorific name) |
| 저는 그냥 먹었어요. | jeoneun geunyang meogeosseoyo. | I just ate. (do not put 시 on yourself) |
When to use it
- Teachers, bosses, customers, elders.
- Service talk: 찾으세요, 도와드릴까요?
- Family of the listener: 아버님께서는 잘 지내세요?
Common mistakes
These are the traps English speakers hit when they translate word-for-word. Fix the pattern, not just the vocabulary.
Watch-out
❌ 제가 하셨어요
✅ 제가 했어요
Never put 시 on 저/나. You don’t honorify yourself.
Watch-out
❌ 선생님이가 왔어요
✅ 선생님께서 오셨어요
Pair the honorific particle with the honorific verb.
Watch-out
❌ Using 씨 with your professor
✅ Use 교수님 / 선생님
씨 is for peers and customers, not your academic senior.
Mini dialogue
Read it twice. Second time, cover the English.
| Speaker | Korean | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 부장님 계신가요? | bujangnim gyesingayo? | Is the manager in? |
| B | 지금 외근 나가셨어요. 오시면 연락 드릴까요? | jigeum oegeun nagasyeosseoyo. osimyeon yeollak deurilkkayo? | They’ve gone out for work. Shall I contact you when they return? |
| A | 네, 부탁드립니다. | ne, butakdeurimnida. | Yes, please. |
Don’t mix these up
요 is about the listener. 시 is about the subject. You can have 해요 to a friend about 선생님께서 오셨어요 — polite ending optional depending on the friend, honorific on the teacher required.
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:
- 선생님께서 뭐라고 하셨어요?
- 어머니께서 주무시는지 확인해 볼게요.
- 이쪽으로 오세요.
Lesson summary
- Pattern: -(으)시 / 께서
- Search topic: Korean honorifics intermediate
- 시 honors the subject. 요 honors the listener. Don’t put 시 on 저.
- Say it out loud on Practice, then come back to Guides if a particle still feels sticky.
Homework
- Rewrite five family sentences with 께서 and 시.
- Find one place you accidentally 시’d yourself and fix it.
- Learn three special verbs: 드시다, 주무시다, 계시다.
Korean honorifics intermediate: quick answers
Is 께서 required?
In careful speech, yes with 시. In casual talk people still say 선생님이 오셨어요. Tests prefer 께서.
What about 분?
분 is an honorific counter for people: 세 분. Pair it with customers and elders.
Keep going
Want a path, not a single grammar point? Open Learn or browse the rest of this series in Korean intermediate.