Overview
Korean has multiple imperative (command) forms at different levels of formality. Choosing the right one depends on who you are speaking to and the social context:
| Level | Ending | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Very formal | ~(으)십시오 | Announcements, military, official writing |
| Polite | ~(으)세요 | Everyday polite requests |
| Casual | ~아/어 | Informal speech between friends |
| Plain/Blunt | ~아/어라 | Parents to children, written commands |
The most commonly used imperative for learners is ~(으)세요, which is polite and appropriate in almost all situations.
Level 1: ~(으)세요 (Polite Request)
This is the standard polite imperative. It is a request more than a hard command -- equivalent to "Please do X."
Form
| Stem ends in | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Vowel (no 받침) | ~세요 | 가다 → 가세요 |
| Consonant (받침) | ~으세요 | 읽다 → 읽으세요 |
| ㄹ 받침 | Drop ㄹ + 세요 | 열다 → 여세요 |
Conjugation table
| Dictionary form | Stem | Imperative (~세요) |
|---|---|---|
| 가다 (go) | 가 | 가세요 |
| 오다 (come) | 오 | 오세요 |
| 하다 (do) | 하 | 하세요 |
| 보다 (see) | 보 | 보세요 |
| 앉다 (sit) | 앉 | 앉으세요 |
| 읽다 (read) | 읽 | 읽으세요 |
| 먹다 (eat) | 먹 | 먹으세요 (or 드세요) |
| 닫다 (close) | 닫 | 닫으세요 |
| 열다 (open) | 열 → 여 | 여세요 |
| 만들다 (make) | 만들 → 만드 | 만드세요 |
| 살다 (live) | 살 → 사 | 사세요 |
ㄹ 탈락 (ㄹ-dropping)
When the stem ends in ㄹ and the next consonant is ㅅ, the ㄹ drops:
| Verb | Stem | Drop ㄹ | + 세요 | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 열다 (open) | 열 | 여 | + 세요 | 여세요 |
| 만들다 (make) | 만들 | 만드 | + 세요 | 만드세요 |
| 놀다 (play) | 놀 | 노 | + 세요 | 노세요 |
| 살다 (live) | 살 | 사 | + 세요 | 사세요 |
| 알다 (know) | 알 | 아 | + 세요 | 아세요 |
Usage examples
| Korean | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| 여기 앉으세요. | yeogi anjeuseyo. | Please sit here. |
| 조용히 하세요. | joyonghi haseyo. | Please be quiet. |
| 이쪽으로 오세요. | ijjogeuro oseyo. | Please come this way. |
| 천천히 말해 주세요. | cheoncheonhi malhae juseyo. | Please speak slowly. |
| 많이 드세요. | mani deuseyo. | Please eat a lot. (honorific) |
| 안녕히 가세요. | annyeonghi gaseyo. | Please go well. (Goodbye) |
| 안녕히 계세요. | annyeonghi gyeseyo. | Please stay well. (Goodbye) |
~(으)세요 is polite enough for strangers, elders, and professionals. It is the safest imperative to use.
Level 2: ~(으)십시오 (Very Formal)
This is the highest formality imperative. It is used in official contexts, written instructions, military commands, and broadcast announcements.
Form
| Stem ends in | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Vowel | ~십시오 | 가다 → 가십시오 |
| Consonant | ~으십시오 | 읽다 → 읽으십시오 |
Examples
| Korean | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| 자리에 앉으십시오. | jarie anjeusipsio. | Please be seated. |
| 안전벨트를 매십시오. | anjeonbelteureul maesipsio. | Please fasten your seatbelt. |
| 조용히 하십시오. | joyonghi hasipsio. | Please be quiet. (formal) |
| 열심히 공부하십시오. | yeolsimhi gongbuhasipsio. | Please study hard. (formal) |
| 문을 닫으십시오. | muneul dajeusipsio. | Please close the door. |
This form is common on signs, in announcements, and in military/police contexts. It is rarely used in casual conversation.
Level 3: ~아/어 (Casual Request / 반말)
This is the casual imperative used between close friends, to younger people, or to children. It follows standard 해요체 without the 요:
Form
Apply the same vowel harmony rules as ~아/어요, but drop 요:
| Dictionary form | Stem | Casual imperative |
|---|---|---|
| 가다 (go) | 가 | 가 |
| 오다 (come) | 오 | 와 |
| 먹다 (eat) | 먹 | 먹어 |
| 하다 (do) | 하 | 해 |
| 보다 (see) | 보 | 봐 |
| 앉다 (sit) | 앉 | 앉아 |
| 마시다 (drink) | 마시 | 마셔 |
Examples
| Korean | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| 빨리 와! | ppalli wa! | Come quickly! |
| 이거 먹어. | igeo meogeo. | Eat this. |
| 여기 앉아. | yeogi anja. | Sit here. |
| 조용히 해. | joyonghi hae. | Be quiet. |
| 이것 좀 봐. | igeot jom bwa. | Look at this. |
| 문 닫아. | mun dada. | Close the door. |
Level 4: ~아/어라 (Plain/Blunt Command)
This ending is a direct, firm command. It is used by parents to children, in literary/written contexts, and in proverbs:
Form
Add 라 to the ~아/어 form:
| Dictionary form | ~아/어 | ~아/어라 |
|---|---|---|
| 가다 (go) | 가 | 가라 |
| 오다 (come) | 와 | 와라 |
| 먹다 (eat) | 먹어 | 먹어라 |
| 하다 (do) | 해 | 해라 |
| 앉다 (sit) | 앉아 | 앉아라 |
| 공부하다 (study) | 공부해 | 공부해라 |
Examples
| Korean | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| 방 정리 해라. | bang jeongli haera. | Clean your room. (parent to child) |
| 빨리 와라. | ppalli wara. | Come quickly. (firm) |
| 열심히 공부해라. | yeolsimhi gongbuhaera. | Study hard. (firm) |
| 문을 닫아라. | muneul dadara. | Close the door. |
| 걱정하지 마라. | geokjeonghaji mara. | Don't worry. (plain) |
~아/어라 sounds authoritative. Using it toward anyone who is not clearly subordinate (younger, lower status) is rude.
Negative Imperative: ~지 마세요 / ~지 마
To tell someone NOT to do something:
| Level | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Polite | ~지 마세요 | 걱정하지 마세요. (Please don't worry.) |
| Very formal | ~지 마십시오 | 만지지 마십시오. (Please do not touch.) |
| Casual | ~지 마 | 걱정하지 마. (Don't worry.) |
| Plain | ~지 마라 | 걱정하지 마라. (Don't worry. — firm) |
Negative imperative examples
| Korean | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| 여기서 사진 찍지 마세요. | yeogiseo sajin jjikji maseyo. | Please don't take photos here. |
| 늦지 마세요. | neutji maseyo. | Please don't be late. |
| 먹지 마. | meokji ma. | Don't eat (it). |
| 울지 마. | ulji ma. | Don't cry. |
| 포기하지 마라. | pogiha-ji mara. | Don't give up. (firm) |
The Softener ~아/어 주세요
Adding 주세요 (from 주다, to give) makes a request softer and more polite -- "please do X for me":
| Direct request | Softer request | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 문 여세요. | 문 열어 주세요. | Please open the door (for me). |
| 말하세요. | 말해 주세요. | Please tell me. |
| 기다리세요. | 기다려 주세요. | Please wait (for me). |
| 도와주세요. | — | Please help (me). |
~아/어 주세요 is the most common way to make polite requests in Korean. It implies the action benefits the speaker.
Formality Comparison
The same command at four levels:
| Level | "Please sit down." | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Very formal | 앉으십시오. | Announcement |
| Polite | 앉으세요. | Normal polite |
| Casual | 앉아. | To a friend |
| Plain/Blunt | 앉아라. | Parent to child |
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Correction | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 읽세요. | 읽으세요. | 읽 ends in consonant, needs 으 |
| 열으세요. | 여세요. | ㄹ drops before ㅅ |
| 가십시오. (casual context) | 가세요. | ~십시오 is too formal for casual use |
| 하지 말으세요. | 하지 마세요. | Negative imperative: ~지 마세요 |
Summary
- ~(으)세요: Polite request. Use for most situations. Vowel stem + 세요, consonant stem + 으세요.
- ~(으)십시오: Very formal. Official signs, announcements, military.
- ~아/어: Casual imperative (반말). Between friends, to children.
- ~아/어라: Plain/blunt command. Parents to children, proverbs, literature.
- ~지 마세요: Polite negative ("please don't").
- ~아/어 주세요: Softened request ("please do X for me").
- ㄹ stems drop ㄹ before 세요: 열다 → 여세요, 만들다 → 만드세요.