-아/어 주다 / -아/어 드리다
Doing Favors
Use -아/어 주다 when doing a favor for a friend or someone of equal/lower status. Use -아/어 드리다 when doing a favor for someone you must show respect to, like a grandparent or a teacher.
How It Works
These patterns are essential for expressing that an action is performed for the benefit of another person. The choice between them depends entirely on the social status of the person receiving the favor.
Conjugation:
- If the verb stem's last vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ, you add -아 주다/드리다. (e.g., 받다 → 받아 주다, 보다 → 봐 주다)
- For all other verb stems, you add -어 주다/드리다. (e.g., 만들다 → 만들어 주다, 읽다 → 읽어 주다)
- For 하다 verbs, it becomes 해 주다/드리다. (e.g., 요리하다 → 요리해 주다)
Usage Distinction:
The crucial point is that the choice between 주다 and 드리다 is determined by the person receiving the action.
1. -아/어 주다: Use this when the recipient is of equal or lower social status than you (e.g., a friend, a younger sibling, a junior colleague).
• 친구의 이사를 도와줬어요. (I helped my friend move.)
• 동생에게 책을 읽어 줄 거예요. (I'm going to read a book for my younger sibling.)
2. -아/어 드리다: Use this when the recipient is of higher social status and requires respect (e.g., a parent, grandparent, teacher, boss). This is a core part of the Korean honorifics system.
• 할머니께 선물을 사 드렸어요. (I bought a gift for my grandmother.)
• 사장님께 커피를 타 드렸습니다. (I made coffee for the CEO.)
Remember, the overall sentence politeness (like adding -요 or -ㅂ/습니다) is separate. You show respect to the listener with the sentence ending, and respect to the recipient of the favor with 드리다.
Examples (4)
- 친구가 숙제하는 것을 도와줬어요.
I helped my friend with their homework.
Word by Word: Friend's homework doing thing helped-for-them.
주다 is used because the favor is for a 친구 (friend), who is of equal social status.
- 동생에게 재미있는 이야기를 해 줬어요.
I told my younger sibling a funny story.
Word by Word: To younger sibling an interesting story did-for-them.
주다 is used because the favor is for a 동생 (younger sibling), who is of lower or equal status.
- 할머니께 무거운 짐을 들어 드렸어요.
I carried the heavy luggage for my grandmother.
Word by Word: To grandmother heavy luggage carried-for-her (honorific).
드리다 is used because the action is for 할머니 (grandmother), who is of higher social status and requires respect.
- 선생님께 이메일을 보내 드렸습니다.
I sent the email for the teacher.
Word by Word: To teacher email sent-for-them (honorific).
드리다 is used because the action is for a 선생님 (teacher), who is of higher social status and requires respect.
Common Mistakes
Using the honorific -드리다 for friends or people of lower status.
Different Meaning친구의 가방을 들어 드렸어요.Better친구의 가방을 들어 줬어요.드리다 is reserved for people you need to show respect to. For a friend (친구), 주다 is the correct choice.
Confusing the listener with the recipient of the favor.
Different Meaning(Speaking to a professor about helping a friend) 친구를 도와 드렸어요.Better(Speaking to a professor about helping a friend) 친구를 도와 줬어요.The choice of 주다 vs. 드리다 depends on who receives the action (your friend), not who you are speaking to (the professor). You show respect to the professor by using the polite -요 ending, but you use 주다 because the favor was for your friend.
Learn This First
This comparison helps you understand the differences between -아/어 주다 and -아/어 드리다. Study each pattern individually first.
Related Patterns
- -아/어 주세요Please Give Me
This is the imperative (command/request) form of -아/어 주다. You use it to ask someone to do a favor for you. For example, '문을 열어 주세요' (Please open the door for me).
- -(으)시-Honorific Marker
While -시- is the standard honorific marker added to verbs, 드리다 is an inherently honorific verb that replaces 주다. You do not add -시- to 드리다 (e.g., 드리시다 is incorrect).
- Honorific forms
This pattern is a fundamental part of the Korean honorifics system. Using -아/어 드리다 correctly is crucial for showing proper respect to elders and superiors.
- -아/어 달라고Ask to Do, Request
This is a quoted request form meaning 'ask someone to do something for me'. It's used when reporting a request for a favor for oneself. For example, '친구에게 도와달라고 했어요' (I asked my friend to help me).