Making requests

The most useful form is 주세요 (juseyo), meaning 'please give me.' Put it after a noun, as in 물 주세요 (mul juseyo, 'water, please'). After a verb, use -아/어 주세요 to mean 'please do it for me.' It is polite enough for restaurants, shops and strangers on the street, so it works in almost any everyday situation.

Both mean 'I ask a favor of you,' but 부탁드립니다 (butakdeurimnida) is humbler and more respectful than 부탁합니다 (butakamnida). The verb 드리다 lowers the speaker and raises the listener, so it suits bosses, clients and older people. You will often see 잘 부탁드립니다 (jal butakdeurimnida) at the end of emails or when meeting someone you will work with.

Use the question form -해 주시겠어요? (hae jusigesseoyo?), roughly 'Would you please do this for me?' For example, 이것 좀 확인해 주시겠어요? (igeot jom hwaginhae jusigesseoyo?) means 'Could you check this for me?' Turning the request into a question sounds softer than a command, which makes it ideal for staff, strangers and anyone older than you.

좀 (jom) literally means 'a little,' but in requests it works as a softener, much like 'please' or 'just' in English. 이것 좀 봐 주세요 (igeot jom bwa juseyo) means 'Could you take a look at this, please?' Without 좀 the sentence is still correct, but adding it makes the request sound gentler and less like an order.

Say 이것 좀 도와주실 수 있어요? (igeot jom dowajusil su isseoyo?), meaning 'Could you help me with this?' The ending -실 수 있어요? politely asks whether the person is able to help rather than telling them to. Pointing to the heavy bag while you speak makes your meaning clear even if your pronunciation is not perfect.

Ask 사진 좀 찍어 주시겠어요? (sajin jom jjigeo jusigesseoyo?), 'Could you take a photo for me?' As you hand over your phone, you can point and say 여기 눌러 주세요 (yeogi nulleo juseyo), 'Please press here.' Afterward, a simple 감사합니다 (gamsahamnida) is a friendly way to thank them for their help.

Say 천천히 말해 주세요 (cheoncheonhi malhae juseyo), 'Please speak slowly.' A more polite version is 조금만 천천히 말씀해 주시겠어요? (jogeumman cheoncheonhi malsseumhae jusigesseoyo?). If you add that you are still learning Korean, most people will slow down and choose simpler words for you.

The polite phrase is 다시 한번 말씀해 주시겠어요? (dasi hanbeon malsseumhae jusigesseoyo?), 'Could you say that once more?' A quick 네? (ne?) with a rising tone also works, like 'Sorry?' in English. 말씀 (malsseum) is the respectful word for speech, so this version suits staff, older people and anyone you have just met.

Hand over paper or your phone and say 여기에 써 주실 수 있어요? (yeogie sseo jusil su isseoyo?), 'Could you write it here?' Names, addresses and numbers are much easier to get right in writing than by ear. Asking someone to type into your phone's notes app is perfectly normal too.

Say 문 좀 열어 주세요 (mun jom yeoreo juseyo), 'Please open the door,' or 문 좀 잡아 주세요 (mun jom jaba juseyo), 'Please hold the door.' When your hands are full, these short phrases are perfectly natural and easy to understand. Thank the person afterward with 고맙습니다 (gomapseumnida).

With close friends, use casual speech: -해 줘 (hae jwo) or 부탁해 (butakae). For example, 이거 좀 들어 줘 (igeo jom deureo jwo) means 'Hold this for me.' Keep these forms for people you are already on casual terms with. Using them with strangers or older people can sound rude.

Start with 저기요 (jeogiyo), 'Excuse me,' or 실례지만 (sillyejiman), 'Excuse me, but…' For instance, 실례지만, 길 좀 여쭤봐도 될까요? (sillyejiman, gil jom yeojjwobwado doelkkayo?) means 'Excuse me, may I ask for directions?' Opening with one of these sounds much more courteous than jumping straight to the request.

혹시 (hoksi) means 'by any chance' and makes a question or request sound tentative and polite. 혹시 충전기 있으세요? (hoksi chungjeongi isseuseyo?) means 'Do you happen to have a charger?' Koreans use it constantly, so adding it to your own requests will make you sound natural and considerate.

Use -해도 될까요? (haedo doelkkayo?), 'May I…?' Examples are 여기 앉아도 될까요? (yeogi anjado doelkkayo?), 'May I sit here?', and 사진 찍어도 될까요? (sajin jjigeodo doelkkayo?), 'May I take a picture?' It is good manners to ask this way before photographing people or the inside of a shop.

Say 펜 좀 빌려주시겠어요? (pen jom billyeojusigesseoyo?), 'Could you lend me a pen?' The verb 빌려주다 (billyeojuda) means 'to lend,' so you are asking the other person to lend it to you. When you give it back, 잘 썼습니다 (jal sseotseumnida), roughly 'I used it well, thanks,' is a natural closing.

주십시오 (jusipsio) is the more formal version of 주세요 (juseyo). You will mostly hear it in public announcements, official notices and ceremonies. In everyday conversation 주세요 is already polite, so travelers can rely on it almost everywhere without sounding rude or overly stiff.

Open with 부탁이 하나 있는데요 (butagi hana inneundeyo), 'I have a favor to ask.' Wait for the other person to respond before explaining. Adding 괜찮으시면 (gwaenchaneusimyeon), 'if it's all right with you,' signals that they are free to say no, which makes a big request feel less pushy.

Attaching -아/어 주다 (-a/eo juda) to a verb means doing that action for someone's benefit. 열다 (yeolda, 'to open') becomes 열어 주다 (yeoreo juda), and 쓰다 (sseuda, 'to write') becomes 써 주다 (sseo juda). For requests, end it with 주세요 (juseyo), or 주시겠어요? (jusigesseoyo?) for extra politeness.

Say 괜찮아요, 신경 쓰지 마세요 (gwaenchanayo, singyeong sseuji maseyo), 'It's fine, don't worry about it.' That helps the other person feel less awkward. A short 알겠습니다, 감사합니다 (algetseumnida, gamsahamnida), 'I understand, thank you,' also works. Koreans often refuse indirectly, so a smile and a light reply keeps things comfortable.

덕분에 살았어요 (deokbune sarasseoyo) literally means 'Thanks to you, I survived,' a friendly way to say 'You saved me.' For a more polite version, say 도와주셔서 정말 감사합니다 (dowajusyeoseo jeongmal gamsahamnida), 'Thank you so much for helping me.' A slight bow of the head adds sincerity.