1. The ending ‘-ㅂ/습니다’
2. The pattern ‘-(으)ㄹ 수 있다/없다’
3. The connective ‘-(으)면’
4. The pattern ‘-지 말다’
5. The connective ‘-(아/어/여)서’
6. Honorific system
7. ‘-ㄹ’ irregular verbs
1. The ending ‘-ㅂ/습니다’
People use this formal polite speech style when they speak to strangers, casual acquaintances, superiors, their elders, and social inferiors in formal situations.
1.1 The formation of present tense
The declarative verb form is made by attaching ‘-ㅂ/습니다’ to the verb stem and ‘-ㅂ/습니까?’ must be attached to the verb stem to make the interrogative verb form. ‘-ㅂ니다/-ㅂ니까?’ is used after verb stems (or the honorific infix -시-) ending in a vowel and ‘습니다/습니까?’ after verb stems ending in a consonant.
가다: 가 + ㅂ니다/ㅂ니다 갑니다/갑니까?
묻다: 묻 + 습니다/ 묻습니다/ 묻습니까?
감사합니다 Thank you
기분이 좋습니다 I feel good
1.2 The formation of past tense
The declarative form is formed by attaching ‘-았(었/였)습니다’ to the verb stem and the interrogative form is made by adding ‘-았(었/였)습니까? to the verb stem. The declarative form is made the same way as the past tense of the informal polite speech style. ‘습니다/습니까?’ is attached to ‘-았/었/였’ instead of ‘-어요’.
만나다: 만나 + 았습니다/았습니까? 만났습니다/만났습니까? (contraction)
주다: 주 + 었습니다/었습니까? 주었습니다/주었습니까? 줬습니다/줬습니까? (contraction)
하다: 하 + 였습니다/였습니까? 했습니다/했습니까? (contraction)
어제 음악회가 좋았습니다. The music concert was good yesterday
수업이 언제 끝났습니까?
When did the class end?
어제 피곤했습니다. I was tired yesterday.
1.3 The formation of future tense
The declarative form is formed by attaching ‘(으)ㄹ 겁니다’ to the verb stem and the interrogative form is made by adding ‘(으)ㄹ 겁니까?’ to the verb stem.
보다: 보 + ㄹ 겁니다 볼 겁니다.
먹다 :먹 + 을 겁니다 먹을 겁니다
저는 내일 일찍 일어날 겁니다. I will wake up early tomorrow.
그냥 두세요. 괜찮을 겁니다. Just leave it. It will be O.K.
1.4 The formation of the imperative form
The imperative verb form is made by attaching ‘-(으)십시오’ to the verb stem. ‘-십시오’ is used after verb stems ending in a vowel and ‘으십시오’ after verb stems ending in a consonant
오다 : 오 + 십시오 오십시오.
입다 : 입 + 으십시오. 입으십시오.
어서 오십시오.
Come on in.
다음 장을 읽으십시오. Read the next chapter.
2. The pattern ‘-(으)ㄹ 수 있다/없다’
: can/cannot do, be able to do/not be able to do
The pattern -ㄹ/을 수 있다/없다 is used with verbs and indicates ability,capability,possibility or permission.
(1) – ㄹ 수 있다 ; It is used when the verb stem ends in a vowel:
Infinitive Form
Formation
Inflected Form
가(다)
가 + -ㄹ 수 있다/없다
갈 수 있어요/없어요
사(다)
사 + -ㄹ 수 있다/없다
살 수 있어요/없어요
주(다)
주 + -ㄹ 수 있다/없다
줄 수 있어요/없어요
(2) -을 수 있다 ; It is used when the verb stem ends in a consonant:
Infinitive Form
Formation
Inflected Form
먹(다)
먹 + -을 수 있다/없다
먹을 수 있어요/없어요
입(다)
입 + -을 수 있다/없다
입을 수 있어요/없어요
잡(다)
잡 + -을 수 있다/없다
잡을 수 있어요/없어요
The past tense form `-았/었/였-’ and the future tense form `-ㄹ/을 거에요’ are combined with the final verb `있다/없다’
갈 수 있었어요 먹을 수 있었어요
갈 수 있을 거에요 먹을 수 있을 거에요
3. The connective ‘-(으)면’ : ‘if, when …’
The connective `-(으)면’ can be used with any verb or adjective and indicates condition and/or stipulation. While in English a dependent clause which is introduced with ‘if’ can either precede or follow the main clause, in Korean the dependent clause precedes the main clause. ‘-면’ is used when verb stem ends in a vowel or the consonant ‘-ㄹ’ and ‘-으면’ is used when verb stem ends in all consonant except ‘-ㄹ’.
그 영화가 재미있으면 보겠어요. If the movie is interesting, I will see it.
비가 오면 가지 맙시다. If it rains, let’s not go.
Sometimes, the word `만일/만약’ is used at the beginning of a conditional clause as a signal of the condition.
만약 그분을 만나면, 안부 전해 주세요. If you meet him, give him my regards.
4. The pattern ‘-지 말다’ : don’t do
On it’s own, the verb `말다’ means ‘to stop, to cease, to quit.’ So the pattern
‘-지 말다` preceded by an action verb expresses prohibition or dissuasion. This pattern is always used as a negative imperative sentence or a negative propositive sentence.
학교에 가지 마세요. Please don’t go to school.
늦게 주무시지 마십시오. Please don’t go to bed late.
지금 떠나지 마세요. Please don’t leave now.
울지 마세요. Don’t cry.
버스는 타지 맙시다.
Let’s not take a bus.
오늘은 그분을 만나지 맙시다. Let’s not meet him today.
5. The connective -(아/어/여)서: so, because
The connective `-(아/어/여)서’ is used to indicate cause or reason. In this case, it is mostly used with adjectives and ‘가다’(to go), ‘오다’(to come), ‘없다’(don’t have) etc. in declarative and interrogative sentences. That is, `-(아/어/여)서’ cannot be used in imperative and propositive sentence, where another connective ‘-(으)니까’ is used. (This connective will be explained later.)
피곤해서 집에서 쉬었어요. I was tired, so I took a rest at home.
바빠서 못 갔어요. I was busy, so I couldn’t go.
6. Honorific system
Korean has two types of honorifics.
(1) One type is expressed by combining `-시-’ with verbs, indicating and respect on the part of the speaker for the person spoken to. The honorific form is made by inserting ‘-(으)시-’ between the verb stem and the endings like -아(어/여)요, 었어요, -ㅂ니다, 었습니다, -ㅂ니까? or 었습니까? ‘-시-’ is used when verb stem ends in a vowel and ‘-으시-’ is used when verb stem ends in a consonant.
가다 가 + 시 + 어요 가 + 시어요 가세요
받다 받 + 으시 + 어요 받 + 으시어요 받으세요
오다 오 + 시 + 었어요 오 + 시었어요 오셨어요
읽다 읽 + 으시 + 었어요 읽 + 으시었어요 읽으셨어요.
하다
하 + 시 + ㅂ니다 하십니다
찾다 찾 + 으시 + 었습니다 찾 + 으시었습니다 찾으셨습니다
There are also special honorific verbs indicating respect for the person spoken to. These honorifics are used when the person deserving respect is the subject of the sentence.
Plain Form
Honorific Form
Meaning
먹다
잡수시다
to eat
자다
주무시다
to sleep
있다
계시다
to exist, to be
아프다
편찮다
to be sick
많이 잡수세요. Help yourself.
김선생님 계세요 ? Is Mr.Kim there?
어머님께서 많이 편찮으세요 ? Is your mother seriously sick ?
(2) The other way is to use respectful verbs. They are special words used by the speaker to express his own humility and, simultaneously, show his respect for the person with whom he is speaking. These honorifics are used when the person deserving respect is the object of the sentence.
Plain Form
Honorific Form
Meaning
주다
드리다
to give
묻다(말하다)
여쭈다/여쭙다
to ask/to tell
보다
뵙다
to see/to meet
데리고 가다/오다
모시고 가다/오다
to take/bring someone to somewhere
If you learn these honorific/respectful forms, you can handle most of the honorific/respectful expressions
7. ‘-ㄹ’ irregular verbs
The final consonant ‘ㄹ’ of the verb stem is dropped when it is followed by the endings which begins with the consonants ‘-ㄴ,-ㅂ,-ㅅ’.
살다(to live)
어디에서 사세요?
Where do you live?
알다(to know)
저는 그 사람을 잘 압니다.
I know the person well.
팔다(to sell)
그 가게에서 무엇을 파니?
What they sell at the store?
말다(don’t)
들어오지 마세요.
Don’t come in.
