Korean has no one word for please. Instead, you make the request itself polite. To ask for a thing, say the noun plus 주세요 (juseyo): 물 주세요 (mul juseyo), water, please. To ask someone to do something, use a verb plus -아/어 주세요, and soften it with 좀 (jom). 부탁해요 (butakaeyo) means "I'm asking you a favour".
- Give me ___, please
- ___ 주세요 (juseyo)
- Please do ___ for me
- -아/어 주세요 (-a/eo juseyo)
- Softener
- 좀 (jom)
- As a favour
- 부탁해요 (butakaeyo)
- Begging
- 제발 (jebal)
- Level
- A1
How does 주세요 work?
주세요 (juseyo) is the polite request form of 주다, to give. After a noun it means "give me", which is how you order and shop. After a verb in its -아/어 form it means "do this for me". Either way it does the job English gives to please.
| Korean | Romanization | Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 물 주세요 | mul juseyo | Noun + 주세요 | Water, please |
| 이거 주세요 | igeo juseyo | Noun + 주세요 | This one, please (pointing in a shop) |
| 계산해 주세요 | gyesanhae juseyo | Verb + 주세요 | The bill, please |
| 천천히 말해 주세요 | cheoncheonhi malhae juseyo | Verb + 주세요 | Please speak slowly |
| 다시 한 번 말해 주세요 | dasi han beon malhae juseyo | Verb + 주세요 | Please say that again |
In casual speech, drop the 세요: 물 좀 줘 (mul jom jwo) is "give me some water" to a friend or sibling.
What does 좀 add to a request?
좀 (jom) literally means "a little", but in requests it works as a softener, much like adding please or "could you just" in English. Koreans use it constantly, and leaving it out can make a request sound blunt. In this Contos story, a young man shows a mysterious letter to the elderly woman who runs a street food stall:
할머니, 이 편지 좀 봐 주세요.Halmeoni, i pyeonji jom bwa juseyo.
For something a little more deferential, turn the request into a question with -아/어 주시겠어요? (-a/eo jusigesseoyo?), "would you be so kind as to…?"
좀 도와주세요.
Jom dowajuseyo.
Please help me.
사진 좀 찍어 주시겠어요?
Sajin jom jjigeo jusigesseoyo?
Would you mind taking a photo for us?
네, 주세요.
Ne, juseyo.
Yes, please.
Accepting something offered.
When do you use 부탁해요 and 제발?
부탁 (butak) is a favour or request. 부탁해요 (butakaeyo) or the formal 부탁합니다 (butakamnida) can follow a request to stress that you are asking a favour, and they often end a taxi instruction or a request to a colleague. Between friends, 부탁해 (butakae) on its own is "please, I'm counting on you".
제발 (jebal) is please in the begging sense: "please, I'm begging you". It is emotional, so it sounds strange in a shop or restaurant.
서울역으로 가 주세요.
Seoullyeogeuro ga juseyo.
To Seoul Station, please.
What you tell a taxi driver.
잘 부탁합니다.
Jal butakamnida.
I'm counting on you.
Also said when starting to work with someone.
제발 가지 마.
Jebal gaji ma.
Please, don't go.
Casual and pleading.
Is -세요 the same as please?
Partly. Verbs ending in -(으)세요 are polite instructions, often for the listener's own benefit, and English usually translates them with please: 앉으세요 (anjeuseyo), please sit down; 들어오세요 (deureooseyo), please come in. The difference is that 주세요 asks for something for you, while plain -세요 invites the other person to do something.
Once someone has helped, finish with thank you in Korean; if your request puts them out, an apology such as 죄송하지만 (joesonghajiman, sorry, but…) in front softens it further, as explained in how to say sorry in Korean.
Read The Wallet's Secret in Korean at A1 and see 주세요 at work in a real story.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
How do you say yes please in Korean?
Say 네, 주세요 (ne, juseyo) when accepting something, such as more food or a drink. For an offer of help, 네, 감사합니다 (ne, gamsahamnida) is also natural.
How do you pronounce juseyo?
Roughly "joo-seh-yo". The ㅈ at the start is softer than an English j, and the stress stays even across the three syllables.
Is jebal rude?
Not rude, but intense. 제발 is begging, so use it for pleading, not for everyday requests. For those, 주세요 with 좀 is the polite choice.
How do you order food in Korean?
Name the dish and add 주세요: 비빔밥 하나 주세요 (bibimbap hana juseyo), one bibimbap, please. Call staff over with 여기요 (yeogiyo) or 저기요 (jeogiyo).