Example Sentences#

1. 앨리스: “여기서 어느 쪽으로 가야 할지 말씀해 주시겠어요?”¹
   Alice: “Would you please tell me which way I should go from here?”

   • 주다 means ‘to give’.
   • -여 주다 is a grammar pattern where 주다 is used as an auxiliary verb to indicate that the action is done for someone else’s benefit.
   • -시- is an honorific marker used to show respect toward the subject of the verb, typically when referring to or addressing someone of higher social standing, or when politely addressing the listener in requests, questions, or commands.
   • -겠 is a suffix indicating an indirect polite proposal with some degree of future supposition.
   • 어요 is a polite ending used in informal polite speech.

2. 화면에 “점프!” 하면 전부 뛰고, “앉으세요” 하면 다 같이 앉고…²
   When “Jump!” appeared on the screen, the whole crowd jumped, and when it said “Please sit”, everyone sat down together…

   • 앉다 means ‘to sit’.
   • -(으)세요 is an informal polite honorific ending formed by combining the honorific marker -(으)시- — used to show respect toward the subject of the verb, typically when referring to or addressing someone of higher social standing, or when politely addressing the listener in requests, questions, or commands — with the informal polite ending -어요.
   • The quotation marker 라고 has been omitted, as is common in casual speech when quotation marks or context make the meaning clear.

3. “아니에요, 저는 그러지 않았어요.³
   “No, I didn’t do that.

   • 아니다 is the verb ‘to not be’.
   • 에요 is the informal polite ending used with 아니다.

4. 앨리스: “어디든 상관없어요—” 앨리스가 말했다.¹
   Alice: “I don’t care where—” said Alice.

   • 상관없다 combines 상관 (correlation or relation) and 없다 (to not exist), literally meaning ‘there is no relation’, conveying the idea of ‘it doesn’t matter’ or ‘I don’t care’.
   • 어요 is a polite ending used in informal polite speech.

5. 앨리스: “—어디든 가기만 하면 돼요,” 앨리스가 덧붙였다.¹
   Alice: “—so long as I get somewhere,” Alice added.

   • 되다 means ‘to be okay’ or ‘to work out well’.
   • -기만 하면 되다 is an expression used to indicate that, as long as one performs a certain action, there is no problem or it is enough.
   • 어요 is a polite ending used in informal polite speech.

6. 앨리스: “하지만 저는 미친 사람들 사이에 가고 싶지 않아요,” 앨리스가 말했다.¹
   Alice: “But I don’t want to go among mad people,” said Alice.

   • 않다 is an auxiliary verb that makes the clause negative.
   • 아요 is a polite ending used in informal polite speech.

7. 앨리스: “제가 미쳤다는 걸 어떻게 아세요?” 앨리스가 말했다.¹
   Alice: “How do you know I’m mad?” said Alice.

   • 알다 means ‘to know’.
   • -세요 is an informal polite honorific ending formed by combining the honorific marker -시- — used to show respect toward the subject of the verb, typically when referring to or addressing someone of higher social standing, or when politely addressing the listener in requests, questions, or commands — with the informal polite ending -어요.

8. “그렇다면 당신은 어떻게 자신이 미쳤다는 걸 아세요?”¹
   “If so, how do you know that you are mad?”

   • 알다 means ‘to know’.
   • -세요 is an informal polite honorific ending formed by combining the honorific marker -시- — used to show respect toward the subject of the verb, typically when referring to or addressing someone of higher social standing, or when politely addressing the listener in requests, questions, or commands — with the informal polite ending -어요.

9. 앨리스: “그럴 것 같아요,” 앨리스가 말했다.¹
   Alice: “I suppose so,” said Alice.

   • 같다 means ‘to be the same’ or ‘to be like’.
   • -ㄹ 것 같다 is a grammar pattern meaning ‘it seems that…’
   • -아요 is a polite ending used in informal polite speech.