Polite Request -(으)세요

What it means

-(으)세요 is a polite way to ask or tell someone to do something. It is like saying "please (do)..." in English. You will hear it everywhere: in shops, in class and at home.

How to make it

First take 다 off the verb to get the stem (가다 → 가). Then look at the last sound of the stem.

• Stem ends in a vowel → add 세요: 가다 → 가세요, 주다 → 주세요
• Stem ends in a consonant (batchim = the consonant at the bottom of a block) → add 으세요: 앉다 → 앉으세요, 읽다 → 읽으세요
• Stem ends in ㄹ → drop the ㄹ, then add 세요: 만들다 → 만드세요, 살다 → 사세요
• Some verbs have their own extra-polite form: 먹다/마시다 → 드세요, 자다 → 주무세요, 있다 → 계세요

When to use it

• Asking for something politely: 물 좀 주세요. (Please give me some water.)
• Giving directions or instructions: 여기 앉으세요. (Please sit here.)
• Everyday greetings and wishes: 맛있게 드세요. (Enjoy your meal.) / 안녕히 주무세요. (Good night.)
• Talking respectfully about someone else (honorific present tense): 선생님이 책을 읽으세요. (The teacher is reading a book.) This is not a request. The context tells you which meaning it is.

Common mistakes

• ❌ 앉세요 → ✅ 앉으세요 (a consonant stem needs 으)
• ❌ 만들으세요 → ✅ 만드세요 (ㄹ drops, and no 으 is added)
• ❌ 할머니, 맛있게 먹으세요 → ✅ 할머니, 맛있게 드세요 (for eating and drinking, 드세요 is the respectful choice)