Making Requests in Korean - Learn

Dialogue

Want to Understand & Master the Korean Dialogue 100%?

Get a breakdown of the dialogue and translations instantly with the Premium line-by-line Audio. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.

Already a Member?

Lesson Transcript

Do you know how to ask someone to do something in Korean?

You'll learn how in just a moment.

Hi, my name is Joyce, and this is Three Step Korean by KoreanClass101.com.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to ask someone to do something through a quick conversation.

Let's look at the dialogue.

As you listen, pay attention to how they ask about the topic and how the other person responds.

다연 씨, 김치찌개 만드는 법을 가르쳐 주실 수 있어요?

(Dayeon ssi, gimchijjigae mandeuneun beobeul gareuchyeo jusil su isseoyo?)

물론이죠! 같이 만들까요?

(Mullonijyo! Gachi mandeulkka-yo?)

좋아요. 첫 번째는 뭐예요?

(Joayo. Cheot beonjjaeneun mwoyeyo?)

냄비에 물을 조금 넣으세요. 그리고 양파, 김치, 파를 자르세요.

(Naembie muleul jogeum neouseyo. Geurigo yangpa, gimchi, pareul jareuseyo.)

다 했어요! 그다음은 뭐예요?

(Da haesseoyo! Geudaeumeun mwoyeyo?)

그다음, 물을 끓이고 재료를 넣고 잠깐 기다리세요. 소금은 넣지 마세요.

(Geudaeum, mureul kkeuligo jaeryeoreul neoko jamkkan gidariseyo. Sogeumeun neochi maseyo.)

Let's break it down.

다연 씨, 김치찌개 만드는 법을 가르쳐 주실 수 있어요?

(Dayeon ssi, gimchijjigae mandeuneun beobeul gareuchyeo jusil su isseoyo?)

“다연 씨” (dayeon ssi) addresses the listener, Dayeon, with “씨,” an honorific suffix similar to “Mr.” or “Ms.” but used more naturally in Korean.

“김치찌개 만드는 법을” (gimchijjigae mandeuneun beobeul) is the object of the sentence. “김치찌개” (gimchijjigae) means “kimchi stew.” 김치찌개. 김치찌개.

“만드는” (mandeuneun) is the modifying form of “만들다” (mandeulda), meaning “to make.” 만드는. 만드는.

“법” (beop) means “method” or “way,” and “을” (eul) is the object marker, indicating that this phrase is what someone is being asked to teach. 법을 (beopeul). 법을.

Put together, it all means "how to make kimchi stew."

“가르쳐 주실 수 있어요?” (gareuchyeo jusil su isseoyo) is the main verb phrase forming a polite request.

“가르쳐” (gareuchyeo) is the conjugated form of “가르치다” (gareuchida), meaning “to teach.” 가르쳐. 가르쳐.

“주실” (jusil) comes from “주시다” (jusida), the honorific form of “주다” (juda), which means “to give,” and indicates politeness or respect. 주실. 주실.

“수 있어요?” (su isseoyo) literally asks whether someone is able or willing to perform an action. 수 있어요. 수 있어요.

Combined, “가르쳐 주실 수 있어요?” asks “Could you teach (me)?” in a polite way. 가르쳐 주실 수 있어요. 가르쳐 주실 수 있어요.

Putting it all together, “다연 씨, 김치찌개 만드는 법을 가르쳐 주실 수 있어요?” translates to “Da-yeon, could you teach me how to make kimchi stew?”

물론이죠! 같이 만들까요?

(Mullonijyo! Gachi mandeulkka-yo?)

Of course! Shall we make it together?

좋아요. 첫 번째는 뭐예요?

(Joayo. Cheot beonjjaeneun mwoyeyo?)

Sounds good. What’s the first step?

냄비에 물을 조금 넣으세요. 그리고 양파, 김치, 파를 자르세요.

(Naembie muleul jogeum neouseyo. Geurigo yangpa, gimchi, pareul jareuseyo.)

Put a little water in the pot. Then cut the onion, kimchi, and green onion.

다 했어요! 그다음은 뭐예요?

(Da haesseoyo! Geudaeumeun mwoyeyo?)

All done! What’s next?

그다음, 물을 끓이고 재료를 넣고 잠깐 기다리세요. 소금은 넣지 마세요.

(Geudaeum, mureul kkeuligo jaeryeoreul neoko jamkkan gidariseyo. Sogeumeun neochi maseyo.)

Next, boil the water and add the ingredients, then wait a moment. Don’t add salt.

Let's look at the sentence pattern.

This pattern is the structure that all of our examples will follow.

[Object] [Stem + 아 or 어 or 여] 주실 수 있어요?

([Object] [Stem + a/eo/yeo] jusil su isseoyo?).

“Can you [verb] [object] for me?”

In Korean, this is a polite way to ask someone if they can do something for you.

[Object] shows what you want done. [Stem + 아 or 어 or 여] indicates the verb stem, with the appropriate ending based on the last vowel of the stem.

주실 수 있어요? is a polite expression meaning “Can you do it?” or “Are you able to do it for me?”

Let’s see how a line from the dialogue follows this pattern.

김치찌개 만드는 법을 가르쳐 주실 수 있어요?

(Gimchijjigae mandeuneun beobeul gareuchyeo jusil su isseoyo?).

Here, 김치찌개 (gimchijjigae) means “kimchi stew,” and 만드는 (mandeuneun) is the modifying form of 만들다 (mandeulda), which means “to make.” 법 (beop) is “method,” followed by 을 (eul), which marks it as the object of the request.

Together, 김치찌개 만드는 법을 (Gimchijjigae mandeuneun beobeul) all forms the "Object" of the pattern.

가르쳐 (gareuchyeo) is the verb stem of 가르치다 (gareuchida), plus the 어 ending (here it appears as 쳐 because 치 + 어 becomes 쳐). This fills the "[Stem + 아 or 어 or 여] part of the pattern.

Lastly, we have 주실 수 있어요? (jusil su isseoyo?). This part doesn't change even when the topic and verb stem do, and is the main focus of the sentence pattern.

Now let's look at some speaking examples.

가방을 들어 줄 수 있어요? (Gabangeul deureo jusil su isseoyo?)

Can you carry my bag?

Can you see how the pattern applies here?

Let's break it down:

Here, 가방을 (gabangeul) is the [object], marked by the particle 을 (eul). 들어 (deureo) is the verb stem of 들다 (deulda) plus the -어 (eo) ending, changing 들다 to 들어, and then we have the polite ending 주실 수 있어요?

Here's another example

한국어를 가르쳐 주실 수 있어요? (Hangugeoreul gareuchyeo jusil su isseoyo?)

Can you teach me Korean?

한국어를 가르쳐 주실 수 있어요? (Hangugeoreul gareuchyeo jusil su isseoyo?)

Can you teach me Korean?

Let's try just one more,

이 문을 열어 주실 수 있어요? (I muneul yeoreo jusil su isseoyo?)

Can you open this door for me?

이 문을 열어 주실 수 있어요? (I muneul yeoreo jusil su isseoyo?)

Can you open this door for me?

Let's review.

Do you remember how to say "kimchi stew"?

김치찌개 (gimchijjigae)

And how to say "make"?

만드는 (mandeuneun)

Do you remember how to say "how to"?

법을 (beobeul)

And how to say "teach"?

가르쳐 (gareuchyeo)

Do you remember how to ask someone politely, "can you...?"

주실 수 있어요 (jusil su isseoyo)

And how to say "Can you teach me how to make kimchi stew?"

김치찌개 만드는 법을 가르쳐 주실 수 있어요? (Gimchijjigae mandeuneun beobeul gareuchyeo jusil su isseoyo?)

Thank you for watching.

Now you know how to ask someone to do something in Korean.

...and now you can move on to the practice.

다음 시간에 봐요! (Daeum sigane bwayo!)

Comments

Hide