-아/어 주시겠어?
Would You Please...?
-아/어 주시겠어? is a polite and friendly request form, meaning 'Would you please...?' It's more polite than a simple command but less formal than -아/어 주시겠어요?.
How It Works
The pattern -아/어 주시겠어? is a nuanced way to make a request. It's a great choice when you need to ask a favor from someone who is older or in a higher position, but with whom you have a relatively close or friendly relationship. It strikes a balance between respect and friendliness.
Conjugation Rules:
- Verbs with a final vowel of ㅏ or ㅗ use -아 주시겠어? (e.g., 가다 → 가 주시겠어?, 보다 → 봐 주시겠어?).
- Verbs with other vowels use -어 주시겠어? (e.g., 읽다 → 읽어 주시겠어?, 만들다 → 만들어 주시겠어?).
- 하다 verbs become -해 주시겠어? (e.g., 설명하다 → 설명해 주시겠어?).
Usage Context:
This form is less formal than -아/어 주세요 or the very formal -(으)십시오. The presence of -시- makes it respectful, but the informal -어? ending lowers the formality. It's perfect for asking a friendly senior colleague, a professor you know well, or even a helpful store employee for a small favor.
Examples (4)
- 창문 좀 닫아 주시겠어?
Would you please close the window?
Word by Word: Window a little close (for me) would you please?
- 이 서류 복사 좀 해 주시겠어?
Would you please copy these documents for me?
Word by Word: This document copy a little do (for me) would you please?
- 소금 좀 건네주시겠어?
Would you please pass the salt?
Word by Word: Salt a little pass (for me) would you please?
- 이 문제 푸는 것 좀 도와주시겠어?
Would you please help me solve this problem?
Word by Word: This problem solving thing a little help (for me) would you please?
Here, the pattern is attached to 도와주다 (to help), which itself is a compound of 돕다 (to help) and 주다 (to give/do for someone). The request is about 'the act of solving this problem' (이 문제 푸는 것).
Common Mistakes
Using -아/어 주시겠어? with close friends or people younger than you, where it sounds overly formal and distant.
Different Meaning(To a close friend) 물 좀 갖다주시겠어?Better(To a close friend) 물 좀 갖다줄래? / 물 좀 갖다줘.-아/어 주시겠어? contains the honorific marker -시-, which is inappropriate for close friends or juniors. For them, a more casual request like -아/어 줄래? or -아/어 줘 is more natural.
Using -아/어 주시겠어? in a formal setting where -아/어 주시겠어요? would be more appropriate.
Different Meaning(In a formal business presentation) 다음 슬라이드로 넘겨주시겠어?Better(In a formal business presentation) 다음 슬라이드로 넘겨주시겠어요?The informal -어? ending makes -아/어 주시겠어? unsuitable for very formal situations or when addressing a stranger to whom you need to show a high level of respect. In such cases, the polite -요 ending in -아/어 주시겠어요? is necessary.
Learn This First
To make formal polite requests, you need the 'do for' pattern, honorifics, and future markers.
Related Patterns
- -아/어 주세요Please Give Me
Both are polite requests. -아/어 주세요 is a more standard polite request using the -요 ending. -아/어 주시겠어? is also polite due to -시- and -겠-, but feels slightly more personal and less formal due to the -어? ending.
- -(으)시-Honorific Marker
This is the honorific marker used to show respect to the subject of the verb. In -아/어 주시겠어?, it shows respect to the listener whom you are asking to perform the action.
- -(으)ㄹ래Going to, Will
A casual way to ask for a favor or suggest something, often used with friends. For example, '문 좀 닫아줄래?' is the casual equivalent of '문 좀 닫아주시겠어?'. It lacks the honorific -시-.