Lesson 40: The Imperative Mood: ~아/어(요), ~(으)세요, ~아/어라, (으)십시오, ~지 말다

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Vocabulary
Introduction

The Imperative Mood
Verb stem + ~아/어(요)
Verb stem + ~(으)세요
Verb stem + ~아/어라
Verb stem + ~십시오

Negative Imperative Mood: ~지 말다
~하지 말고

Giving Directions
The Imperative Mood with ~아/어 보다

 

Vocabulary

Click on the English word to see information and examples of that word in use. You might not be able to understand all of the grammar within the example sentences, but most of the grammar used will be introduced by the end of Unit 2. Use these sentences to give yourself a feel for how each word can be used, and maybe even to expose yourself to the grammar that you will be learning shortly.

A PDF file neatly presenting these words and extra information can be found here.

Nouns:
오줌 = urine

권력 = power, authority

수준 = level, standard

학력 = level of education

직원 = employee, staff member

허가 = permission

보안 = security

시선 = one's eyes, one's eye-line

물체 = object

Verbs:
Conjugate 수고하다  = to work hard

Conjugate 말다 = to not do

Conjugate 직진하다 = to go straight

Conjugate 올라가다 = to go up

Conjugate 올라오다 = to come up

Conjugate 올려다보다 = to look up

Conjugate 후들거리다 = to shake, to tremble

Conjugate 남용하다 = to abuse

Conjugate 감시하다 = to monitor, to watch

Adjectives:
Conjugate 부끄러워하다 = to be shy

Conjugate 슬퍼하다 = to be sad

Conjugate 동등하다 = to be equal

Conjugate 유쾌하다 = to be pleasant, to be delightful, to be enjoyable

Conjugate 온순하다 = to be gentle

Adverbs and Other Words:
먼저 = first, in advance

오른 = right

왼 = left

줄곧= continuously/constantly/all the time

가만히 = to be still, to be motionless

For help memorizing these words, try using our mobile app.

 

Introduction

In this lesson, you will learn how to tell people to do things. If you are a grammar buff, you know this as the Imperative Mood. If you’re not so into grammar, this “mood” is used when giving people commands/telling people what to do. You will learn how to do this in Korean, often in conjunction with the word ‘주다,’ which we will talk about in the next lesson.

 

The Imperative Mood

There are many (many!) ways to end a sentence. Depending on who you are speaking to (and a whole bunch of other factors) the way you end a sentence can vary tremendously. If you just wanted to say “I will eat rice,” some of the ways you can say this are:

나는 밥을 먹겠다
나는 밥을 먹겠어
저는 밥을 먹겠어요
저는 밥을 먹겠습니다
나는 밥을 먹을 것이다
나는 밥을 먹을 거다
나는 밥을 먹을 것이야
나는 밥을 먹을 거야
저는 밥을 먹을 것입니다
저는 밥을 먹을 겁니다
저는 밥을 먹을 것이에요
저는 밥을 먹을 거예요

All of those mean exactly the same thing. In the imperative mood as well, there are many different ways you can give a command to somebody. Let’s cover these from the least formal, to the most formal.

 

Imperative mood: Verb stem + ~아/어(요)

The easiest (and least formal) way to give a command in Korean is simply by adding ~아/어 to a verb stem. For example:

밥을 천천히 먹어 = Eat your food slowly
열심히 공부해! = Study hard!

Notice that in both English and Korean, the subject isn’t usually used in a sentence when giving a command. This is because the person you are giving the command to is usually the subject, so it is omitted.

You can use this form when you are giving a command to somebody who is younger than you or the same age as you, or somebody who you are close with. Saying something like “빨리 가!” to your superior would most likely warrant a slap in the face.

As you probably guessed, adding “~요” to the ends of the sentences above make them more formal. For example, more polite versions of the sentences above would be:

밥을 천천히 먹어요 = Eat your food slowly
열심히 공부해요! = Study hard!

In that same respect, the formal addition of ~(으)시 could be added to the construction as well. In these cases, ~아/어(요) is added to ~(으)시다. For example:

Original Word	+ ~(으)시다	+ ~(으)시 +~아/어요
가다	가시다	가셔요
공부하다	공부하시다	공부하셔요
알다	아시다	아셔요
찾다	찾으시다	찾으셔요
걷다	걸으시다	걸으셔요
눕다	누우시다	누우셔요

Notice that these imperative conjugations are no different than any regular present tense conjugation. For example, the following two sentences are simply conjugated into the present tense, but the addition to the verb is exactly the same as an imperative conjugation:

저는 월요일마다 운동해요 = I exercise every Monday
저의 할머니가 여기에 자주 안 오셔요 = My grandmother doesn’t come here often

In these cases, distinguishing between a regular sentence and an imperative sentence is done through context. When you first learn this, you think it would be impossible to do, but trust me; it is easy to distinguish by considering the situation.

Here are some examples using everything presented so far:

이것을 봐 = Look at this
이것을 봐요 = Look at this
이것을 보셔요 = Look at this

빨리 올라와 = Come up quick
빨리 올라와요 = Come up quick
빨리 올라오셔요 = Come up quick

먼저 올라가 = Go up first (you can go up first)
먼저 올라가요 = Go up first (you can go up first)
먼저 올라가셔요 = Go up first (you can go up first)

이 길에서 직진해 = Go straight on this road
이 길에서 직진해요 = Go straight on this road
이 길에서 직진하셔요 = Go straight on this road

Although they differ in their respective levels of politeness, all of the above are acceptable ways to make a command. That being said, each of the last examples (the one using ~(으)셔요) is less common. Instead, the construction of ~(으)셔요 is often pronounced and written as ~(으)세요, which we will discuss next.

 

Imperative Mood: Verb stem + ~(으)세요

If you have been studying Korean for a while (and if you are here on Lesson 40 you probably have been), you are probably already quite familiar with the ~(으)세요 form. This is one of the first things people learn when they study Korean, but I waited until Lesson 40 to teach it to you. Trust me, there is a method to my madness.

In the previous section, you learned how to use ~(으)셔요 as a formal way to make a command. These days, especially in speech but also in basically all forms of Korean, it is much more common to pronounce and write ~(으)셔요 as ~(으)세요. This can only be done when you see ~(으)셔요 and not with any other form that ~(으)시다 can create. For example, each of the following are the same:

가셔요 = 가세요
공부하셔요 = 공부하세요

However,

가셨어요 can not be said as “가셨으세요”
가셔 cannot be said as”가세”
가시다 can not be said as “가세다”

I will say it again: Only when you see “~(으)셔요” can you use “~(으)세요.

As you learned previously, one of the reasons why you would add “~(으)셔요” to a word is if you were making a command. For example:

이것을 보셔요 = Look at this
빨리 올라오셔요 = Come up quick
이 길에서 직진하셔요 = Go straight on this road

This means that ~(으)세요 can replace ~(으)셔요 in each of the examples above. For example:

이것을 보세요 = Look at this
빨리 올라오세요 = Come up quick
이 길에서 직진하세요 = Go straight on this road

More examples:

수고하세요! = Work hard! (A common greeting when people leave a place of business)
열심히 운동하세요! = Work out hard!
먼저 가세요! = Go first
칠판을 올려다보세요 = Look up to the board
시선을 돌리세요 = Turn away your eyes
보안을 위해 대통령을 내일까지 감시하세요 = For security, watch/guard the president until tomorrow

Imperative endings are often added to 있다 to command somebody to “stay” in a place or in a state. As you know, 있다 is often an adjective, but there are times when it is considered a verb. When telling somebody to “stay” like this, 있다 is seen as a verb.  The fact that it is a verb doesn’t really matter. However, it’s always good to know what types of words you are dealing with. Below are some examples:

집에 있어! = Stay at home (be at home!)
잠깐 여기 있어 = Stay here for a second
그냥 집에 있어 = Just stay at home

The adverb 가만히 (to stay still or to not move) is often used in sentences like this to tell somebody to “stay” still. For example:

가만히 있어! = Stay still!/Don’t move!

As you learned in the previous lesson, 계시다 is the formal equivalent of this usage of 있다. When ~아/어요 is added to 계시다 to create a command, the construction 계셔요 is formed which you now know can be presented as “계세요.” This is where the expression “안녕히 계세요” (which translates to “stay in peace”) comes from.

The majority of Korean learners don’t know that ~(으)셔요 and ~(으)세요 are equivalent ways to end a sentence. To be honest, you don’t really need to know this. The use of ~(으)세요 in Korean is much more common when making a command so as an early learner of Korean it isn’t immediately important. For now, I would suggest using the ~(으)세요 form when giving a command to a person who deserves respect, but at the same time be aware of the ~(으)셔요 form in case it comes up.

Now… this brings us to another problem.

~(으)셔요 can be added to make a command.
~(으)셔요 is also a regular present tense conjugation. For example, these sentences are acceptable:

나의 엄마는 매일 운동해 = My mother exercises every day
저의 엄마는 매일 운동해요 = My mother exercises every day

But by adding ~(으)시다, the following is also acceptable:

저의 엄마는 매일 운동하셔요 = My mother exercises every day

I will say it again: when you see “~(으)셔요” can you use “~(으)세요.”

Therefore, the sentence above could also be used as:

저의 엄마는 매일 운동하세요 = My mother exercises every day

This can be applied to any situation. For example:

네, 가능하셔요 = Yes, that is possible
네, 가능하세요 = Yes, that is possible
(The above sentences are often heard when you ask if you can do something [like use a particular card or combine multiple coupons] at a store/restaurant)

이분은 저의 엄마이셔요 = This person is my mother
이분은 저의 엄마이세요 = This person is my mother

선생님, 어디 가셔요? = Teacher, where are you going?
선생님, 어디 가세요? = Teacher, where are you going?

그 사람이 언제 오셔요? = When is that person coming?
그 사람이 언제 오세요? = When is that person coming?

Adding ~(으)세요 (or ~(으)시다 for that matter) to a stem can create irregulars. If it is added to a word that follows the ㄷ irregular, the following occurs:

걷다 = to walk
걷다 + ~(으)세요 = 걷 + 으 + 세요
걷 + 으 + 세요 = 걸으세요
걸으세요 = walk!

If ~(으)세요 is added to a word that follows the ㅅirregular, the following occurs::

짓다 = to build
짓다 + ~(으)세요 = 짓 + 으 + 세요
짓 + 으 + 세요 = 지으세요
지으세요 = build!

Refer back to Lesson 7 on irregulars to review these concepts.

One weird thing is that people rarely (if ever) say ~(으)세요 connected to 먹다 (to eat). Instead, it is much more natural to add ~(으)세요 to 들다 (which is a more formal way to say “eat”). Another change occurs when adding ~(으)세요 to verbs that follow the ㄹ irregular:

들다 = to eat (formal)
들다 + ~(으)세요 = 들 + 세요
들 + 세요 = 드세요
드세요 = Eat!

I love tables! Let’s look at another table that shows how words change when ~(으)세요 is added to them. I specifically chose irregular words:

Irregular Verb	+ ~아/어	+~(으)세요
짓다 (build)	지어	지으세요
걷다 (walk)	걸어	걸으세요
듣다 (listen)	들어	들으세요
잠그다 (lock)	잠가	잠그세요
고르다 (choose)	골라	고르세요
만들다 (make)	만들어	만드세요
열다 (open)	열어	여세요
팔다 (sell)	팔아	파세요
눕다 (lay down)	누워	누우세요

Let’s look at another ending you can use to make a command.

 

Imperative mood: Verb stem + ~아/어라

Another way to give a command in Korean is by adding ~아/어라 to a verb stem. The formality is similar to the ~아/어 form you learned previously. Some examples:

빨리 가라! = Go fast!
그렇게 해라! = Do it like that
내 말을 들어라 = Listen to what I say
밥을 먼저 먹어라 = Eat (rice) first (you can eat first)

However, the ~아/어라 form is generally used by much older people (parents or grandparents) when they are giving orders to younger people. As I said, the formality is very similar (if not the same) as using ~아/어, but I would much prefer to use ~아/어 over ~아/어라.  One time I said something to my girlfriend like “가라” and she just laughed and said “Who are you? My grandfather?”

If you want to give a command to somebody in a formal way, check out the next section.

 

 

 

Imperative Mood: Verb stem + ~(으)십시오

Adding ~(으)십시오 to a verb stem is done in the same manner as when adding ~(으)세요. That is, the same irregulars come in to play. However, adding ~(으)십시오 to a verb stem allows you to give a command very formally. You will most likely only use this form in a few circumstances, as it is usually reserved for times when speaking to people who deserve a ridiculous amount of respect. If you were to meet your girlfriend/boyfriend’s grandparents for the very first time, you might use this ending. You will also see it sometimes in government buildings/stores/restaurants on signs telling you to “come again” or stuff like that.

For example:
여기서 내리십시오 = Get off here (I think this is the message that is broadcasted in the Seoul subway at every stop, telling you to “get off”)

Now that you know how to say “do this,” it is time to learn how to say “don’t do this”

 

Negative Imperative Mood: ~지 말다

You can also use the imperative mood to make a negative command. In these sentences, you can tell somebody not do something. These sentences require the use of the word “말다.” 말다 can be used in other situations as well, but I will present those to you as they become important (for example, you will see 말다  used to eliminate a choice in Lesson 73 and used with ~든지 in Lesson 106).

When used to make a negative command, ~지 말다 should be added to the stem of a word. For example:

공부하지 말다
가지 말다
먹지 말다

In order to make those constructions a command, you should use one of the imperative conjugations that I taught you earlier in the lesson.

Let’s look at how this is done with a simple word first. If you want to tell somebody to “go,” you should add one of the many ‘imperative mood’ conjugations to the word “가다.” For example (in order of formality):

가다 + ~아/어 = 가!
가다 + ~아/어라 = 가라!
가다 + ~아/어요 = 가요!
가다 + ~(으)세요 = 가세요! (가셔요)
가다 + ~(으)십시오 = 가십시오!

The same is done when telling somebody not to do something. If you want to tell somebody to “not go,” you should add ~지 말다 and conjugate it using one of the many ‘imperative mood’ conjugations. For example:

1) 가지 말다 + ~아/어 = 가지 말아! 가지 마!
2) 가지 말다 + ~아/어라 = 가지 말아라! 가지 마라
3) 가지 말다 + ~아/어요 = 가지 말요! 가지 마요!
4) 가지 말다 + ~(으)세요 = 가지 마세요!
5) 가지 말다 + ~(으)십시오 = 가지 마십시오!

Notice that numbers 1, 2 and 3 go against the normal grammatical rules of Korean. 말다 is an irregular verb in this respect and to my knowledge no other verb follows this pattern.
(These irregular conjugations only apply when specifically attaching the additions shown above. In all other situations, 말다 follows the ㄹ irregular like a normal verb ending in ㄹ.)

All five of those conjugations are possible. However, the two most common conjugations that you will hear are number 1 and number 4. If you are speaking to somebody informally, you will most likely hear “가지 마.” If you are speaking to somebody formally, you will most likely hear “가지 마세요.”

Some examples of this negative imperative mood being used:

너무 빨리 먹지 마세요 = Don’t eat your food too fast!
부끄러워하지 마세요 = Don’t be shy!
그렇게 하지 마! = Don’t do it like that!
집에 가지 마! = Don’t go home!
앉지 마! = Don’t sit down!
여기에 오줌을 싸지 마세요 = Don’t pee here
권력을 남용하지 마세요 = Don’t abuse your power/authority
오늘이 유쾌한 날이라서 슬퍼하지 마세요 = Today is a delightful day, so don’t be sad
사람들을 학력 수준으로 평가하지 마세요 = Don’t judge people on the basis of education level
그 학생들에게 허가를 해 주지 마세요 = Don’t give those students permission

You can see ~지 말다 attached to 내려가다 on a Korean sign in this YouTube video.

Before we finish this lesson, let’s talk about some specific ways these imperative sentences can be used.

 

~지 말고

In Lesson 17, you learned the purpose of adding ~고 to connect two clauses or ideas. For example:

저는 밥을 먹고 갈 거예요 = I will eat then go
저는 자고 한국어를 공부했어요 = I slept then studied Korean

You can also add ~고 to 말다 to connect the negative command with another clause. The clause after ~지 말고 is typically a positive command. This type of sentence is used when you want to tell somebody what not to do, and then also tell them what they should do. For example:

매일 같은 운동을 하지 말고 많이 쉬세요 = Don’t do the same exercise every day, and get lots of rest
그렇게 하지 말고 내 말을 들어봐 = Don’t do it like that, and listen to what I have to say
한 사람에게 다 주지 말고 사람들과 동등하게 나누세요 = Don’t give them all to one person, hand/divide them out evenly

 

Giving Directions

Now that you know how to give people commands, you are able to give people directions. Check out the following list for commonly used direction-like sentences:

오른 쪽으로 가세요 = Go right
왼 쪽으로 가세요 = Go left
직진하세요 = Go straight

건물을 지나가서 오른 쪽으로 가세요 = Go past the building, then go right
건물을 지나가서 오른 쪽으로 가지 말고 계속 직진하세요 = Go past the building, then don’t turn right, but keep going straight

 

 

 

The Imperative Mood with ~아/어 보다

In Lesson 32, you learned how to add ~아/어 보다 to words to create a meaning that is similar to ““attempt/try.” For example, you learned these sentences:

엄마가 요리한 음식을 먹어 봤어? = Did you try the food mom cooked?
결혼하기 위해 남자들을 만나 봤어 = In order to get married, I tried meeting a lot of men

Just because of the meaning of “attempt,” it is very common to see an imperative ending attached to ~아/어 보다. For example:

그것을 확인해 봐! = Try checking that
이것을 먹어 봐! = Try eating this!

Although the typical translation of “~아/어 보다” in these cases is “try…” it is often eliminated. For example, this sentence:

이것을 먹어 봐! Could be translated as: “Try eating this!” or just “Eat this!”

Especially when used in the least formal imperative form (~아/어 봐), it is very common to see this used simply as a command without any meaning of “try/attempt.” Nonetheless, the meaning of “try/attempt” is often very subtle and doesn’t really change the meaning of much in the sentence.

Here are some more examples:

여기 와 보세요 = Come here (Try coming here)
지금 앉아 봐 = Sit down (Try sitting down)
문을 열어 봐 = Open the door (Try opening the door)
먼저 가 봐 = Go first (Try going first)
이거를 봐 봐 = Look at this (Try looking at this)
이것을 드셔 보세요 = Eat this (Try eating this)
이 차를 마셔 보세요 = Drink this tea (Try drinking this tea)
이 제품 수준을 높여 보세요 = Try to raise the level/standard of this product
그 강아지가 온순해 보여서 한 번 만져 보세요 = That dog looks calm/gentle, so try touching it
직원이랑 잠깐 얘기해 봐 = Try talking with a staff member
이 물체가 무엇인지 생각해 보세요 = Try thinking about what this object is

That’s it!

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