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Lesson 7: Using Honorific in Korean

Korean is probably the only language that has an honorific grammatically.

1. In honorific sentence 시 (shi) added to the verb.
Go - 가다 (ga-da) - 가시다 (ga-shi-da)
Come -오다 (oh-da) - 오시다 (oh-shi-da)
Wear - 입다 (ib-da) - 입으시다 (ib-eu-shi-da)
Shoot - 쏘다 (sso-da) - 쏘시다 (sso-shi-da)
Do - 하다 (ha-da) - 하시다 (ha-shi-da)

Example:
I go to school. - 나는 학교에 갑니다
(na-neun-hak-gyo-eh-gam-ni-da)
My Mother goes to the market. - 나의 어머니는 시장에 가십니다.
(na-eui-uh-mu-ni-neun shi-jang-eh-ga-shim-ni-da)

In this sentence, note that present tense verb 갑니다(gam-ni-da) changes to
가십니다 (ga-shim-ni-da)

2. My friend came. - 내 친구가 왔습니다.
(nae-chin-goo-ga-wat-seum-ni-da)
My Father came. - 내 아버지께서 오셨습니다.
(nae-ah-bu-ji-gge-su-oh-shut-sem-ni-da)

In this sentence, note that subject-particle 가(ga) changes to
께서 (gge-su) and past tense verb 왔습니다 (wat seum-ni-da) changes to 오셨습니다.(oh-shut-sem-ni-da)

3. Some of the pronouns change to an honorific too.
When you speak to older people,
I -나는 (na-neun) has to change to 저는(ju-neun)
We-우리들은(woo-li-deul-eun) has to change to 저희들은(ju-hee-deul-eun)

4. Some verbs changes irregular way.
Eat-먹다 (muk-da) -드시다 (deu-shi-da)
Talk-말하다(mal-ha-da)-말씀하시다(mal-sseum-ha-shi-da)

Example:
I talked to my father. - 나는 나의 아버지께 말했습니다.
(na-neun-na-eui-ah-bu-ji-gge-mal-haet-seum-ni-da)
My father talked to me. - 나의 아버지께서 내게 말씀하셨습니다.
(na-eui-ah-bu-ji-gge-su-nae-ge-mal-sseum-ha-shut-sem-ni-da)