Honorifics

Honorific Expressions

      Honoring the subject  of the sentence

Honorifics are used when the subject of the sentence is someone older than the speaker or someone in a higher social rank. –(으)시-is added to the roots of adjectives or verbs. When the verb root is finished with a consonant, -으시-is added. And when the verb root is finished with a vowel, -시- is added.

Ex1. 가다  ( to go)

Declarative(formal)        : 가 + -시- +ㅂ니다   : 가십니다

Interrogative(formal)    :  가 +-시- +ㅂ니까    : 가십니까

Ex2. 웃다 (to laugh)

Declarative(formal)        : 웃 + -으시- +ㅂ니다   : 웃으십니다

Interrogative(formal)    :  웃 + -으시- +ㅂ니까   : 웃으십니까

    Let’s make both declarative and interrogative honorific forms with the words given.

     오다: 오십니다, 오십니까?

      앉다: 앉으십니다, 앉으십니까?

      보다: 보십니다, 보십니까?

      읽다: 읽으십니다, 읽으십니까?

      가르치다: 가르치십니다, 가르치십니까?

      배우다: 배우십니다, 배우십니까?

      마시다: 마십니다, 마십니까?

      도와주다: 도와주십니다, 도와주십니까?

      Other honorifics

Simply by adding –(으) 시- to the verbs doesn’t work in some verbs. They have their own unique forms of honorifics. Here are some examples.

Base form	honorific Forms	Base form	honorific Forms
먹다(eat)	잡수시다/드시다	있다(exist)	계시다
말하다(speak)	말씀하시다	데려가다(take)	모셔가다
죽다(die)	돌아가시다	자다(sleep)	주무시다

Ex. 아버지께서 말씀하십니다.  (My father speaks.)

·         Practice

      My teacher speaks  :  선생님께서 말씀하십니다.

      My uncle sleeps : (삼촌 uncle) 삼촌께서 주무십니다.

      My grandfather is at home : (할아버지 grandfather) 할아버지께서는 댁에 있습니다

      My mother has a meal : (라어머니께서 진지를 잡수십니다.

      Some nouns have their own honorific forms.

Base form	honorific Forms	Base form	honorific Forms
집(house)	댁	밥(meal/food)	진지
이름(name)	성함	말(words)	말씀
생일(birthday)	생신	나이(age)	연세

Ex. 어머니께서 진지를 잡수십니다(드십니다). (My mother has a meal.)

·         Practice

      My grandma likes Kimchi : (좋아하다 like) 할머니께서 김치를 좋아합니다

      My mother speaks : 어머니께서 말씀하십니다.

      Today is my father’s birthday : 오늘 아버지께써 생신입니다.

   Vocab

오다 /앉다 /보다 /읽다/가르치다/배우다/마시다 /도와주다/말하다/죽다/데려가다/집/이름/생일/말/나이