-(으)시-
Isiphawulo Sokuhlonipha
-시- isiphawulo esikhethekile esifakwa ezenzweni nasezichasisweni ukuze kukhonjiswe inhlonipho kumuntu owenza isenzo (isihloko somusho).
Isebenza kanjani
In Korean, showing respect is a crucial part of the language. The infix -시- is the primary way to make a verb or adjective honorific. It specifically honors the subject of the sentence, not necessarily the person you are talking to.
Conjugation Rules:
1. Stem ends in a vowel: Add -시-
- 가다 (to go) → 가 + 시 → 가시-
- 오다 (to come) → 오 + 시 → 오시-
2. Stem ends in a consonant: Add -으시-
- 읽다 (to read) → 읽 + 으시 → 읽으시-
- 앉다 (to sit) → 앉 + 으시 → 앉으시-
3. Stem ends in ㄹ: The ㄹ is dropped, and -시- is added.
- 만들다 (to make) → 만드 + 시 → 만드시-
- 살다 (to live) → 사 + 시 → 사시-
This honorific stem then combines with various sentence endings. The most common combination is with the polite -요 ending, which creates the familiar -세요/-으세요 form.
Examples with different endings:
- Present Tense (Polite): 가시다 + -어요 → 가세요 (He/She goes.)
- Present Tense (Formal): 읽으시다 + -ㅂ니다 → 읽으십니다 (He/She reads.)
- Past Tense: 오시다 + -았어요 → 오셨어요 (He/She came.)
It's important to use honorifics consistently. When using -시-, you should also use the honorific subject particle -께서 instead of -이/가, and the particle -께 instead of -에게/한테.
Some verbs have special honorific counterparts that are used instead of adding -시-. For example:
- 먹다 (to eat) → 드시다 / 잡수시다
- 자다 (to sleep) → 주무시다
- 있다 (to be/have) → 계시다
Izibonelo (5)
- 선생님께서 교실에 가세요.
The teacher is going to the classroom.
Igama ngegama: Teacher (hon.) classroom-to go (hon.).
가다 (vowel stem) + -시- + -어요 becomes 가세요 to show respect for the teacher.
- 할아버지께서 신문을 읽으십니다.
Grandfather reads the newspaper.
Igama ngegama: Grandfather (hon.) newspaper-object read (hon./formal).
읽다 (consonant stem) + -으시- + -ㅂ니다 becomes 읽으십니다 to honor the grandfather in a formal context.
- 사장님은 어제 출장을 가셨어요.
The CEO went on a business trip yesterday.
Igama ngegama: CEO-topic yesterday business trip-object went (hon.).
The past tense is formed by adding -았/었- to the honorific stem: 가시- + -었어요 → 가셨어요.
- 어머니께서 맛있는 케이크를 만드셨어요.
Mother made a delicious cake.
Igama ngegama: Mother (hon.) delicious cake-object made (hon.).
For verbs ending in ㄹ like 만들다, the ㄹ is dropped before adding -시-: 만들다 → 만드시- → 만드셨어요.
- 부모님은 항상 바쁘세요.
My parents are always busy.
Igama ngegama: Parents-topic always are busy (hon.).
-시- can also be attached to adjectives like 바쁘다 (to be busy) to show respect for the subject (parents).
Amaphutha avamile
Using -시- to refer to oneself.
제가 내일 회사에 가십니다.제가 내일 회사에 갑니다.The honorific marker -시- is used to elevate others, never yourself. Using it to talk about your own actions is incorrect and can sound arrogant.
Confusing subject honorifics (-시-) with listener politeness (-요).
Incazelo ehlukile내 친구가 지금 책을 읽으세요.내 친구가 지금 책을 읽어요.-시- honors the subject of the verb (the person doing the action). If the subject is your friend (an equal), you should not use -시-, even if you are speaking politely to someone else (like a teacher) using the -요 ending.
Ihlangana kanjani
Funda lokhu kuqala
Izakhiwo ezihlobene
- -(으)세요Sicela
-세요/-으세요 is the most common daily usage of -시-, formed by combining the -시- infix with the polite -아/어요 ending. Understanding -시- is key to knowing why -세요 is used.
Izinga 1 - 께서Isiphawuli Sesihloko (Esihloniphekile)
께서 is the honorific subject particle that replaces 이/가. It is almost always used together with a verb ending in -시- to show respect for the subject.
Izinga 3 - 께To (Isithunzi)
Similar to 께서, 께 is the honorific particle that replaces 에게/한테 (to/for a person). It is used when the person being given something or spoken to is being honored, often in a sentence that also uses -시-.
Izinga 3 - -ㅂ/습니다Isiphetho Esisemthethweni Esinesizotha
This is the formal polite sentence ending. It frequently combines with -시- to create the formal honorific forms -십니다/-으십니다, used in very formal situations like news broadcasts or presentations.
Izinga 1