Asking people to do things: -아/어 주세요, -(으)세요, -지 마세요

From asking for a thing to asking for an action

You know 물 주세요, “water, please”. Now put an action where the thing was: 기다려 주세요 — please wait. 사진 찍어 주세요 — please take a photo. 여기에 써 주세요 — please write it here.

Take the 해요 form, remove 요, add 주세요: 기다려요 → 기다려 주세요, 찍어요 → 찍어 주세요, 써요 → 써 주세요. Literally you are asking to be “given” the action: do it for me. The pattern is written -아/어 주세요.

The requests you will need most

말해요 (말하다) is “say, speak”. 천천히 is “slowly”. Together: 천천히 말해 주세요 — please speak slowly.

다시 is “again” and 한번 is “once”; 다시 한번 is “once more”. 다시 한번 말해 주세요 — please say it once more. These two sentences let you ask anyone to adjust their Korean to you. They are worth knowing by heart before your first real conversation.

Telling someone politely what to do: -(으)세요

안녕히 가세요 is literally “go in peace”: 가다 with 세요. The same ending gives 여기 보세요 — look here — and 여기 앉으세요 — have a seat. Dictionary stem + 세요 after a vowel, 으세요 after a final consonant.

This is not a favour to you. It tells the listener what to do, as an invitation, advice or instruction, usually for their own sake. 조심하세요, “be careful”, is best learned as a set phrase. The pattern is written -(으)세요.

앉으세요 is pronounced [안즈세요].

Please don’t: -지 마세요

걱정하지 마세요 — don’t worry. Learn that one whole. 가지 마세요 — please don’t go. 여기에 앉지 마세요 — please don’t sit here.

Dictionary stem + 지 마세요. There is no vowel to choose and no 으: 가다 → 가지, 앉다 → 앉지. It serves as the negative of both request forms. The pattern is written -지 마세요.

Three more ready-made requests

잠깐만 기다려 주세요 — just a moment, please. 잠깐만 is the everyday partner of 잠시만요.

보여줘요 (보여주다) is “show”: 여권을 보여 주세요 — please show me your passport. You will hear that at every airport. And from 도와줘요: 도와주세요 — please help me.

도와주세요 is written as one word; the other requests have a space before 주세요.