-(으)십시오 Grammar in Korean: Meaning and How to Use It

What you'll learn

• Attach -십시오 or -으십시오 to a verb stem and say the formal command out loud.
• Handle ㄹ-stems such as 만들다 and 살다 correctly.
• Read common signs and announcements that use -(으)십시오.
• Turn a command into a polite request with -아/어 주십시오 and a prohibition with -지 마십시오.
• Choose between -(으)십시오 and -(으)세요 for a given situation.

Before you start: you should know how to find a verb stem and the polite command -(으)세요, which this lesson compares with the formal form. Audio plays only when you press a button.

What Does -(으)십시오 Grammar Mean?

-(으)십시오 grammar means "please do (this)" in the formal speech level. It combines the honorific marker -(으)시- with the formal command ending -ㅂ시오, so every speaker who uses it is showing respect to the listener. The ending is a polite imperative: it gives an instruction without sounding rude.

Two examples show the idea.

• 안으로 들어오십시오. (aneuro deureo-osipsio.) [아느로 드러오십씨오] = "Please come in."
• 조심하십시오. (josimhasipsio.) [조심하십씨오] = "Please be careful."

Korean grammar books call the formal level 하십시오체 (also called 합쇼체). It is the most formal of the main speech levels. The sections below show how to build the ending and where it belongs. First comes the formation rule.

How Do You Form -(으)십시오?

-(으)십시오 is formed by dropping 다 from the dictionary form of a verb and adding -십시오 or -으십시오, depending on the last sound of the stem. The choice is the same one that many Korean endings make: a stem that ends in a vowel takes the short form, and a stem that ends in a consonant takes the form with 으.

The table shows one pattern with two endings. The next parts take the stem types one at a time.

Stems Ending in a Vowel

A vowel stem takes -십시오 directly: 가다 becomes 가십시오, 오다 becomes 오십시오, and 조심하다 becomes 조심하십시오.

• 어서 오십시오. (eoseo osipsio.) [어서 오십씨오] = "Welcome." (Literally, "Please come quickly.")

Stems Ending in a Consonant

A consonant stem takes -으십시오, with 으 as a linking vowel: 앉다 becomes 앉으십시오, and 읽다 becomes 읽으십시오.

• 여기에 앉으십시오. (yeogie anjeusipsio.) [여기에 안즈십씨오] = "Please sit here."

The ㅅ in 십시오 sounds tense in the second syllable, so 십시오 is said [십씨오]. The pronunciation follows the 국립국어원 standard pronunciation rules (표준 발음법). The spelling does not show this change, so write 십시오 and say [십씨오].

Do ㄹ-Stems and Irregular Verbs Change?

ㄹ-stems drop their ㄹ before -십시오, because -십시오 begins with ㅅ. Verbs with a final ㄹ follow a regular rule in Korean: the ㄹ disappears before an ending that starts with ㄴ, ㅂ or ㅅ, and the honorific -(으)시- starts with ㅅ. Examples: 만들다 becomes 만드십시오, 살다 becomes 사십시오, and 열다 becomes 여십시오.

• 문을 여십시오. (muneul yeosipsio.) = "Please open the door."

Other irregular verbs follow their usual rule before a 으 ending. ㄷ-irregular verbs change ㄷ to ㄹ before 으: 듣다 becomes 들으십시오. ㅂ-irregular verbs change ㅂ to 우: 돕다 becomes 도우십시오. 르-verbs keep their stem, since 십시오 attaches to a vowel stem: 부르다 becomes 부르십시오.

Some verbs have a special honorific form. The command then uses that verb: 먹다 becomes 드십시오, 자다 becomes 주무십시오, and 있다 becomes 계십시오 (in 안녕히 계십시오, "Please stay well"). Adjectives do not usually take the ending, since you cannot be commanded to be tall. A few wishes, such as 건강하십시오 ("Please be healthy"), are set phrases. With the formation clear, one sentence can be built step by step.

Worked Example: Building a Sentence with -(으)십시오

-(으)십시오 grammar works by turning a plain verb into a formal order or invitation. Follow the steps with a sign for a hotel lobby: "Please wait here."

1. Start with the dictionary form. The verb is 기다리다 (to wait).
2. Drop 다 to find the stem. The stem is 기다리. It ends in a vowel (리).
3. Choose the ending. A vowel stem takes -십시오, so you get 기다리십시오.
4. Decide if it is a command or a favour. 기다리십시오 is an order. To ask politely for a favour, use 주다: 기다려 주십시오 (gidaryeo jusipsio), meaning "Please wait (for me)." The first verb takes -아/어, and 주다 takes -십시오.
5. Add the place. 여기에서 기다려 주십시오. (yeogieseo gidaryeo jusipsio.) [여기에서 기다려 주십씨오] = "Please wait here."

You will know it worked when the ending is -십시오 on a vowel stem and the sentence sounds like a notice, not like a chat. The most common slip is using -세요 out of habit: 기다리세요 is correct Korean, but it belongs to the polite level and sounds less official. The next question is when the ending can appear in different sentence types.

Which Tenses and Sentence Types Work with -(으)십시오?

-(으)십시오 works only in the present, as a command or an invitation. A command is about the future, so no past or future marker can attach. Other forms are built by changing the ending or adding a helper.

The prohibition -지 마십시오 is the most common form on public signs: 주차하지 마십시오 ("Please do not park"). The negative pattern is explained in -지 마세요 don't; -지 마십시오 is its formal twin. The question forms are taught in the lesson on formal question -ㅂ니까/습니까.

• 이곳에 주차하지 마십시오. (igose juchahaji masipsio.) [이고세 주차하지 마십씨오] = "Please do not park here."
• 승차권을 보여 주십시오. (seungchagwoneul boyeo jusipsio.) = "Please show your ticket."

The pattern for tenses is simple: there is none, and the helpers 주다 and 말다 carry the other meanings. The ending also has a closest neighbour that learners meet first.

How Is -(으)십시오 Different from -(으)세요?

-(으)십시오 and -(으)세요 both mean "please do," but they belong to different speech levels. -(으)십시오 is formal and sounds official. -(으)세요 is polite and sounds like conversation. Both contain the honorific -(으)시-, so both show respect to the listener.

The honorific -(으)시- contributes the respect, and the final part contributes the level. The full contrast is covered in -(으)세요 and in the lesson on the difference between formal and polite speech. A third neighbour, the casual command, is shown in banmal commands and suggestions: 앉아 is what you say to a friend. These contrasts lead to a few variations in how the ending is used.

Variations and Edge Cases of -(으)십시오

-(으)십시오 has four common variations: set phrases, signs, service speech and tone. Each one shows how real speakers use it.

• Set phrases of leaving. 안녕히 가십시오 means "Goodbye" to the person who leaves, and 안녕히 계십시오 means "Goodbye" to the person who stays. Both are formal, and many speakers use the -(으)세요 versions in daily life.
• Signs and notices. 위험하니 접근하지 마십시오 ("It is dangerous, so please do not approach") is typical. Signs favour -(으)십시오 and -지 마십시오 because they address every reader.
• Service speech. Staff in shops, hotels and airlines use 앉으십시오 or 이쪽으로 오십시오 ("Please come this way") in formal scripts, and often switch to -(으)세요 in a relaxed exchange.
• Tone with a friend. Used with a friend or a child, -(으)십시오 sounds like a notice board or a joke. Speakers sometimes use it for humour on purpose.

This lesson covers the command form, not the whole formal level. The formal statement -ㅂ니다/습니다 and the other formal endings belong to the speech-level lessons. For the wider picture, see Korean Speech Levels. The mistakes below are the ones that appear most often.

Common Mistakes with -(으)십시오

Learners most often confuse the register, the spelling or the meaning of "please." Four mistakes appear again and again.

1. Treating it as a request for a favour. Learners often assume that "please" in English means a favour is being asked. Actually, 앉으십시오 is an instruction that happens to be respectful. To ask a favour, say 앉아 주십시오 or add 주다.
2. Using it with friends. 여기 앉으십시오 to a friend sounds like a notice in a waiting room. Use 여기 앉아 with a friend, or 여기 앉으세요 with an acquaintance.
3. Spelling it 십시요. The ending is -십시오. The spelling -십시요 appears often in messages and is wrong.
4. Forgetting to drop ㄹ. 만들으십시오 is wrong. The ㄹ drops, giving 만드십시오.

A quick check: Is the setting formal? Is the stem handled correctly (vowel, consonant, ㄹ)? Is the ending spelled 십시오? If all three answers are yes, the command is sound.

The practice set below tests these four points directly.

Practice and Answers

Try the four items before you read the answer key. Cover the answers with your hand.

1. Choose the form. Complete: 여기에 ___. (앉십시오 / 앉으십시오)
2. Fix the error. A hotel sign says 만들으십시오. Correct it for the verb 만들다.
3. Translate. "Please wait here." Use 기다리다 and the favour pattern.
4. Write your own. Write one sign for a library, using -지 마십시오 or -(으)십시오.

Answer key

1. 앉으십시오. The stem 앉 ends in a consonant, so 으 links the ending: 여기에 앉으십시오.
2. 만드십시오. The ㄹ of 만들 drops before the ㅅ of 십시오.
3. 여기에서 기다려 주십시오. The favour pattern uses -아/어 주십시오.
4. Answers vary. Check that the ending is 십시오 and the stem is handled correctly. An example: 도서관에서 떠들지 마십시오. (Please do not make noise in the library.)

If you can complete items 1 to 3 without the key, you can read most commands on public signs. The final section points to the next lessons.

What Should You Learn Next after -(으)십시오 Grammar?

After -(으)십시오 grammar, learn the polite everyday command, then the speech levels that surround it. This lesson teaches the formal command and does not cover the formal statement, the question forms or the honorific -(으)시- in depth. Those live on separate pages.

1. Start with -(으)세요, the everyday polite command.
2. Learn the honorific that both endings share on the page about honorific -(으)시-.
3. Read Suggestions and Requests for every command, request and suggestion ending in one place.
4. Return to the Beginner Grammar list for the other patterns at this level.

With these steps, the choice becomes automatic: use -(으)십시오 for signs and formal service speech, and -(으)세요 for daily talk.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does -(으)십시오 mean?

-(으)십시오 is a formal polite command that means "please do." 앉으십시오 means "Please sit down," and 조심하십시오 means "Please be careful." It is the command form of the formal speech level, so it appears on signs, in announcements and in service talk, but it is less common among friends.

How do I attach -(으)십시오 to a verb or adjective?

Drop 다 from the verb. After a vowel stem add -십시오: 가다 becomes 가십시오. After a consonant stem add -으십시오: 앉다 becomes 앉으십시오. A stem ending in ㄹ drops it first: 만들다 becomes 만드십시오. The ending attaches to action verbs, not to ordinary adjectives.

Can -(으)십시오 be used in the past tense?

No. A command asks for a future action, so -(으)십시오 has no past form. To speak about a past command, use a quotation or a report: 앉으라고 했어요 means "I told you to sit." For a negative command, use -지 마십시오, which means "please do not."

Is -(으)십시오 used in speech or only in writing?

Both, but in different places. You hear it from announcers, hotel and store staff, guides, and from soldiers addressing superiors. You read it on signs and notices, such as 주차하지 마십시오 ("Please do not park"). In ordinary conversation with elders, speakers choose -(으)세요, which sounds warmer.

What is the most common mistake with -(으)십시오?

The most common mistake is using it as a request for a favour. 문을 닫으십시오 is an instruction, like a notice. To ask someone to do something for you, add 주다: 문을 닫아 주십시오. A second slip is spelling the ending 십시요, which is wrong; the standard spelling is 십시오.