In the Korean language, the use of honorific forms finds its origins in Confucianism, a philosophy that has shaped Korean society for centuries, emphasizing respect for hierarchy and social harmony. Consequently, Korean culture places a strong emphasis on showing respect to those of higher status, whether they are older, more experienced, or in a position of authority.
If you’re interested in learning more about speech levels in Korean, check out this blog post! Honorific forms are a crucial aspect of the Korean language, but learners from English-speaking backgrounds often find them confusing because of the lack of similar grammar in English. Here, let’s clarify Korean honorific forms in verbs/adjectives and see how they are conjugated in daily conversations together!
What are Honorific Verbs/Adjectives?
Honorific verbs are used to show respect towards the subject or the listener. They are normally formed by adding the hangeul -시- (si) to the verb stem, changing the verb to an honorific form that indicates politeness and respect.
Korean adjectives are used to describe a state of being, so they can be translated as “to be…” and can take on the honorific verb conjugation as well.
Conjugating Regular Verbs/Adjectives
Conjugating regular verbs/adjectives into honorific forms follows a simple pattern:
In the case without batchim (받침) :
- Remove 다 (da) from the verb stem. E.g. 하다 (to do) becomes 하.
- Add -시- (si): Attach -시- to the verb stem. E.g. 하시
- Add 다 (da) at the end: Finish with 다 to complete the honorific form. E.g. 하시다
In the case with batchim (받침) :
- Remove 다 (da) from the verb stem. E.g. 찾다 (to find) becomes 찾.
- Add -으시- (si): Attach -으시- to the verb stem. E.g. 찾으시
- Add 다 (da) at the end: Finish with 다 to complete the honorific form. E.g. 찾으시다
Examples:
| Word type | Basic form | Conjugation | Honorific form | Sentence Example |
| Verb | 가다 to go | 가 + 시 + 다 | 가시다 | 할아버지, 오늘은 어디에 가세요? Grandfather, where are you going today? |
| 읽다 to read | 읽 + 으시 + 다 | 읽으시다 | 할아버지, 이 신문을 읽으세요. Grandfather, please read this newspaper. | |
| Adjective | 바쁘다 to be busy | 바쁘 + 시 + 다 | 바쁘시다 | 할아버지께서 오늘은 바쁘시다. Grandfather is busy today. |
| 작다 to be small | 작 + 으시 + 다 | 작으시다 | 할아버지께서는 작으시다. Grandfather is small (short). |
List of Irregular Verbs
The conjugations as shown above aren’t too difficult, right? But there are some verbs that do not follow the standard conjugation rules. Certain words with final consonants (받침) such as “ㄷ”, “ㅂ”, or “ㄹ” are conjugated irregularly.
Words with “ㄷ” batchim (받침)
- Regular conjugation
| Basic form | Conjugation | Honorific form | Sentence Example |
| 받다 to receive | 받 + 으시 + 다 | 받으시다 | 새해 복 많이 받으세요. Please receive much happiness in the new year. (Happy New Year!) |
| 믿다 to believe | 믿 + 으시 + 다 | 믿으시다 | 항상 친구를 믿으세요. Please always believe in your friends. |
- Irregular conjugation: change “ㄷ” to “ㄹ”, then attach “-으시-” like the regular conjugation.
| Basic form | Conjugation | Honorific form | Sentence Example |
| 듣다 to listen | 들 + 으시 + 다 | 들으시다 | BTS의 노래 항상 들으세요？ Do you always listen to BTS’ songs? |
Words with “ㅂ” batchim (받침)
- Regular conjugation
| Basic form | Conjugation | Honorific form | Sentence Example |
| 입다 to wear | 입 + 으시 + 다 | 입으시다 | 할머니는 항상 멋진 옷을 입으신다. Grandmother always wears nice clothes. |
| 잡다 to catch | 잡 + 으시 + 다 | 잡으시다 | 이 고양이를 잡으세요. Please catch this cat. |
- Irregular conjugation: Drop “ㅂ” and attach “-우시-” .
| Basic form | Conjugation | Honorific form | Sentence Example |
| 눕다 to lie down | 누 + 우시 + 다 | 누우시다 | 조금 누우세요. Please lie down for a while. |
| 덥다 to be hot | 더 + 우시 + 다 | 더우시다 | 여름에는 더우시겠죠. You must feel hot in summer. |
Words with “ㄹ” batchim (받침)
- Irregular conjugation: Simply drop “ㄹ” and attach “-시-” .
| Basic form | Conjugation | Honorific form | Sentence Example |
| 살다 to live | 사 + 시다 | 사시다 | 어디 사세요? Where do you live? |
| 만들다 to make | 만드 + 시다 | 만드시다 | 이거는 어머니가 만드신 요리예요. This is a dish made by my mother. |
We’re not finished yet!
Additionally, there are several honorifics where the word itself takes on a completely different form. These words have no rules to follow, so the only way to learn them is through memorization.
| Basic form | Honorific form | Sentence Example |
| 먹다 to eat | 드시다 | 먼저 드세요. Please go ahead and eat first. |
| 자다 to sleep | 주무시다 | 어머님은 언제나 일찍 주무시는 편이에요. My mother always goes to bed early. |
| 죽다 to die | 돌아가시다 | 할아버지께서는 몇 년 전에 돌아가셨어요. My grandfather passed away a few years ago. |
| 말하다 to say | 말씀하시다 | 선생님, 이 문제에 대해 다시 말씀하세요. Teacher, please talk about this problem again. |
| 아프다 to be hurt | 편찮으시다 | 할아버지가 많이 편찮으셨어요. My grandfather was very sick. |
| 있다 (someone) is there | 계시다 | 언제 사무실에 계세요? When are you in the office? |
So far we’ve covered the conjugations of verbs and adjectives, but there are also other honorific forms. Want to explore more? Click here!
Understanding the honorific form is crucial for effective communication in Korean, especially given the Confucian cultural background. While it may be challenging initially, with more practice, you will become accustomed to these forms, ultimately enhancing your fluency and confidence in Korean.