께서
Subject Marker (Honorific)
께서 marks the subject of a sentence when that subject is a person of higher social status, such as a grandparent, teacher, or boss. It's the respectful form of 이/가.
How It Works
께서 is the honorific subject particle, used as a sign of respect for the person performing the action in a sentence. It replaces the standard subject particle 이/가.
Key Rule: Subject-Verb Agreement
When you use 께서 to mark the subject, you must also use an honorific verb form. This is typically done by adding the honorific infix -시- to the verb stem.
- Standard: 친구가 와요. (A friend comes.)
- Honorific: 할머니께서 오세요. (Grandmother comes.)
께서 vs. 은/는
While 께서 is the honorific subject marker, the topic marker 은/는 can still be used with respected individuals. The choice depends on grammatical function:
- Use 께서 when the person is the grammatical subject performing an action. It answers "Who did it?"
- 누가 전화하셨어요? (Who called?)
- 부장님께서 전화하셨어요. (The department head called.) - Use 은/는 when the person is the topic of the sentence, often for description or contrast. It answers "As for [person], what about them?"
- 우리 할아버지는 의사세요. (My grandfather is a doctor.)
In summary, 께서 is an essential part of the Korean honorifics system for showing respect to elders and superiors.
Examples (4)
- 할아버지께서 신문을 읽으세요.
Grandfather reads the newspaper.
Word by Word: Grandfather (hon. subject) newspaper read (honorific).
께서 marks '할아버지' (grandfather) as the respected subject, and the verb 읽다 becomes 읽으시다 to match.
- 선생님께서 한국어를 가르치십니다.
The teacher teaches Korean.
Word by Word: Teacher (hon. subject) Korean language teaches (formal honorific).
This is a formal sentence. 께서 marks '선생님' (teacher) as the subject, and the verb uses the formal honorific ending -십니다.
- 사장님께서 회의에 참석하셨습니다.
The CEO attended the meeting.
Word by Word: CEO (hon. subject) meeting-to attended (formal honorific).
This example shows the past tense. The honorific marker -시- is combined with the past tense marker -었- to form -셨-.
- 어머니께서 어디에 가셨어요?
Where did mother go?
Word by Word: Mother (hon. subject) where-to went (honorific)?
께서 can be used in questions about a respected person.
Common Mistakes
Using 께서 with a non-honorific verb.
Not Quite할머니께서 왔어요.Better할머니께서 오셨어요.When using the honorific subject marker 께서, the verb must also be in an honorific form. The verb 오다 (to come) must become 오시다.
Using 이/가 instead of 께서 for a respected person in formal contexts.
Different Meaning선생님이 교실에 들어오셨어요.Better선생님께서 교실에 들어오셨어요.Although you might hear 이/가 used in casual speech, 께서 is the grammatically correct and more respectful particle to use for a subject you are honoring, especially in writing or formal situations.
Learn This First
To use honorific subject markers, you need basic subject markers and honorific knowledge.
Related Patterns
- -(으)시-Honorific Marker
The honorific infix -시- is almost always required in the verb when 께서 is used as the subject marker. They work together to show respect to the subject.
- 은/는Topic Marker
While 께서 marks the subject, 은/는 marks the topic. For a respected person, you use 께서 when they are the actor, but you can still use 은/는 to introduce them as a topic or for contrast.
- 께To (Honorific)
께 is another honorific particle, but it means 'to' or 'from' a respected person (the honorific version of 에게/한테). It's important not to confuse it with 께서, which marks the subject.