Unit 2: Honorifics (-시-)

In Easy Korean, when you want to show respect to the subject of the sentence (e.g., parents, teachers, boss, elders), you insert the honorific suffix -시- between the verb stem and the ending.

Rules

• Verb stem ending in a vowel: Add -시-
• 가다 -> 가 + 시 + 다 = 가시다
• Verb stem ending in a consonant: Add -으시-
• 읽다 -> 읽 + 으시 + 다 = 읽으시다

Conjugating -시- in Present/Past

1. Present Tense (polite): -시- + -어요 = -세요
2. 가다 -> 가세요 (He/She goes / Please go)
3. 읽다 -> 읽으세요 (He/She reads / Please read)
4. Past Tense (polite): -시- + -었어요 = -셨어요
5. 가다 -> 가셨어요 (He/She went)
6. 읽다 -> 읽으셨어요 (He/She read)

Examples

• 선생님이 내일 오실 거예요. (The teacher will come tomorrow.)
• 아버지가 신문을 읽으세요. (Father reads the newspaper.)