Lowering yourself to honor someone elsehumble expressions · 드리다·여쭙다·뵙다·모시다
Four questions are all you need
① Who is this about? — If the subject is someone senior, -(으)시- goes in.
② When? — Right now, keep it as is; already happened, add -셨-.
③ How formal is the setting? — Everyday conversation: -어요. An announcement or service setting: -ㅂ니다/-십시오.
④ What am I doing for someone senior? — Giving, asking, or meeting them calls for a humble expression (드리다, 여쭙다, 뵙다).
할머니, 제가 짐을 들어 드릴게요.humble (드리다) — what I’m doing is for Grandma
손님 여러분, 곧 문이 닫힙니다. 안전선 밖으로 나와 주십시오.a formal instruction (-십시오)
자, 다 같이 시작해 보십시다.a proposal (-십시다)
Subject honorification and humble expressions can appear in the same sentence. If the subject is someone senior, use -시-. If I’m doing something for someone senior, use a humble word.
제가 할머니를 모시고 병원에 가요. (the humble word 모시다 — I don’t also add -시-)
할머니께서 병원에 가세요. (the subject is 할머니 — here it does take -시-)
연습 · Practice
이 레슨에는 풀어 보는 문제가 7개 있습니다. 앱에서 하나씩 맞히며 넘어갑니다. 7 exercises come with this lesson — open it to work through them.