Banmal Commands and Suggestions -아/어 -자: Meaning, Rules and Examples

What you'll learn

• Form a casual command with -아/어 and recognise the stronger -아/어라.
• Make a suggestion with -자 and soften it with 우리, 같이 or -ㄹ까?.
• Say "do not" and "let us not" with -지 마 and -지 말자.
• Compare the casual, polite and formal forms of the same command.
• Avoid the two common mistakes: -아/어라 to a friend and -자 to an elder.

Before you start: you should know how banmal is made, from the lesson on how to make banmal casual speech, and the casual words for "I" and "you" from 나 너 banmal pronouns and 아/야. Audio plays only when you press a button.

What Do Banmal Commands and Suggestions Mean?

Banmal commands and suggestions mean the casual forms that ask someone to act, or invite someone to act together. A command is directed at the listener: "you do it." A suggestion includes the speaker: "we do it." Korean marks the difference with different endings, so 가 ("go!") and 가자 ("let us go") are not the same.

Two annotated examples show the idea.

• 빨리 와. (ppalli wa.) = "Come quickly." 빨리 means "quickly," and 와 is the casual command form of 오다 "to come."
• 같이 가자. (gachi gaja.) [가치 가자] = "Let us go together." 같이 means "together," and 가자 is 가 (stem of 가다) plus 자.

Both examples are banmal: there is no 요, and the sentences end on the bare verb. They fit friends, younger people and children. The next section shows how the endings are built.

How Do Banmal Commands and Suggestions Work?

The forms are built from the verb stem, with a different ending for each purpose. For a command, add -아/어 (먹어) or the firmer -아/어라 (먹어라). For a suggestion, add -자 (먹자). For a question, use -니? or -아/어?. Vowel harmony picks 아 or 어: 아 after the vowels ㅏ and ㅗ, and 어 after other vowels.

The table shows that the casual command is identical to the casual statement: 먹어 can mean "I eat" or "Eat!" Tone and context tell them apart. The next parts take each form in turn.

Commands with -아/어

The casual command is the bare banmal form. It is the same as the form in how to make banmal casual speech, with a different intention. 앉아 (anja) [안자] = "Sit," 닫아 (dada) [다다] = "Close it," and 봐 (bwa) = "Look." To soften the order into a request, add 좀 ("a little") or the helper 주다: 문 좀 닫아 줘 (mun jom dada jwo) = "Please close the door for me."

• 여기 앉아. (yeogi anja.) [여기 안자] = "Sit here."
• 문 좀 닫아 줘. (mun jom dada jwo.) [문 좀 다다 줘] = "Please close the door for me."

Firm Commands with -아/어라

The firm command -아/어라 belongs to the plain style (해라체). Parents say 밥 먹어라 ("Eat your meal") to children, and it sounds like an order from someone senior. Written instructions to a general reader use the related -(으)라 form instead, as in 다음 물음에 답하라 ("Answer the following questions"). Two verbs have older variants: 가거라 beside 가라 for "go," and 오너라 beside 와라 for "come."

Suggestions with -자

The suggestion -자 attaches to the stem with no change. 먹다 becomes 먹자 [먹짜], 가다 becomes 가자, and 만나다 becomes 만나자. The speaker is part of the action, so the sentence means "let us." Ask the question form with -ㄹ까? ("shall we?"): 갈까? Ask a friend's preference with -ㄹ래? ("do you want to?"): 갈래?

• 우리 내일 만나자. (uri naeil mannaja.) = "Let us meet tomorrow."

With the forms in view, one sentence can be built step by step.

Worked Example, Step by Step

Banmal commands and suggestions work by choosing the purpose, then the ending. Follow the steps with the message "Come quickly."

1. Start with the dictionary form. 오다 (to come).
2. Find the stem. The stem is 오.
3. Choose the purpose. A command to a friend calls for -아/어.
4. Apply vowel harmony and contraction. 오 ends in ㅗ, so the ending is 아. 오 + 아 contracts to 와.
5. Add a word and the right tone. 빨리 와. (ppalli wa.) = "Come quickly." A flat tone gives a plain command, and a softer tone with 좀 gives a request: 빨리 좀 와.

You will know it worked when the verb is contracted correctly (오 + 아 = 와) and the sentence ends on the bare form. The most common slip is writing 오아 instead of 와. Next, compare this casual command with the polite and formal ones.

How Are Casual Commands Different from Similar Forms?

Casual commands differ from similar forms by speech level. -아/어 is casual, -(으)세요 is polite, and -(으)십시오 is formal. All three ask the listener to act, but each one tells the listener how close you are.

The comparison shows that the same command can be warm, firm, respectful or official. For the polite form, see -(으)세요 vs -아요/어요. For the formal form, see formal commands -(으)십시오. For the negative command in polite speech, see -지 마세요 don't. The suggestion -자 is taught in full in -자 grammar, and this page covers it as part of casual speech. Beyond the table, several variations come up often.

When Do You Use It, and When Not?

Banmal commands and suggestions depend on the relationship and on the softener. These cases come up often.

• -자 is softened by 우리 and 같이. 같이 가자 and 우리 가자 sound inviting. A bare 가자 can feel like an order from the leader of the group.
• -자 and questions. Add -ㄹ까? to turn a suggestion into a question: 지금 갈까? ("Shall we go now?"). Add -ㄹ래? to ask the listener's wish: 영화 볼래? ("Do you want to watch a movie?").
• Do not use -자 to an elder. To a senior, say 같이 가실래요? ("Would you like to go together?") or 같이 가시겠어요?
• Negative forms. 가지 마 means "do not go," and 가지 말자 means "let us not go." Both attach to the verb stem.
• Tone matters. A command with a smile is friendly. The same words in a sharp voice are rude, even between friends.

An honest limit: this lesson covers the main casual forms, not every indirect or quoted command, such as 가라고 했어 ("he said to go"). Those belong to quotation lessons. A short dialogue shows the forms working together.

What Does a Casual Command Dialogue Sound Like?

A casual dialogue mixes commands, suggestions and bans in a few lines. Read this exchange between two friends who plan to meet for a meal.

• A: 지금 어디야? 빨리 와. (jigeum eodiya? ppalli wa.) = "Where are you now? Come quickly."
• B: 거의 다 왔어. 조금만 기다려. (geoui da wasseo. jogeumman gidaryeo.) = "I am almost there. Wait a little."
• A: 알겠어. 오면 같이 밥 먹자. (algesseo. omyeon gachi bap meokja.) [알게써 오면 가치 밥 먹짜] = "Okay. When you come, let us eat together."
• B: 좋아. 너무 많이 시키지 마. (joa. neomu mani sikiji ma.) [조아 너무 마니 시키지 마] = "Good. Do not order too much."

Each ending matches a purpose. 와 and 기다려 are commands built with -아/어, 먹자 is a suggestion, and 시키지 마 is a ban. None of them uses 요, and all of them sound natural between friends. In a polite version of the same chat, the endings would be 오세요, 기다리세요, 먹어요 and 시키지 마세요. Hearing the forms together helps you pick the right purpose quickly, and the mistakes below show what to avoid.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with Casual Commands?

Learners most often choose the wrong strength or the wrong listener. Four mistakes appear again and again.

1. Using -아/어라 to a friend. Learners often assume that -아/어라 is the standard command, as it is in textbooks. Actually, 먹어라 sounds like a parent giving an order. With a friend, say 먹어.
2. Using -자 with an elder. 같이 가자 to a senior sounds too direct. Use a polite invitation instead.
3. Forgetting the contraction. 오 + 아 is 와, not 오아. Likewise, 보 + 아 is 봐, and 주 + 어 is 줘.
4. Confusing a command with a suggestion. 가 means "you go," and 가자 means "we go." Mixing them changes who acts.

A quick check for any casual command: Is the listener a friend, a younger person or a child? Is the ending -아/어 and not -아/어라? Is the verb contracted? 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. You invite a friend to eat together. Complete: 같이 ___. (먹어라 / 먹자)
2. Fix the error. A learner says 먹어라 to a friend who is late for lunch. What would be better?
3. Translate. "Do not go." Use 가다 and banmal.
4. Write your own. Write one command and one suggestion for a friend, using any verbs you know.

Answer key

1. 먹자. The speaker is part of the action, so the suggestion -자 fits: 같이 먹자.
2. 먹어 or 빨리 먹어. -아/어라 sounds like a parent's order, and the bare -아/어 is friendly.
3. 가지 마. (gaji ma.) The negative command attaches -지 마 to the stem.
4. Answers vary. Check that the command is -아/어 and the suggestion ends in 자. An example: 여기 앉아. 같이 먹자. (Sit here. Let us eat together.)

If you can complete items 1 to 3 without the key, you can give casual commands and suggestions. The final section points to the next lessons.

Next Lessons after Banmal Commands and Suggestions -아/어 -자

After banmal commands and suggestions -아/어 -자, learn the formal and polite commands, then the -자 ending in detail. This lesson teaches the casual forms and does not cover quoted commands or indirect speech. Those live on separate pages.

1. Start with formal commands -(으)십시오, which covers the formal side of the same ladder.
2. Compare the polite forms in -(으)세요 vs -아요/어요.
3. Learn the suggestion ending in depth on -자 grammar.
4. Return to Casual Speech (Banmal) to see every lesson in this set.

With these steps, the forms become automatic: -아/어 for a friendly command, -자 for "let us," and -지 마 for "do not."

Frequently Asked Questions

What are casual commands?

Casual commands are the ways to give an order or make a suggestion in banmal, the casual speech style. A command uses -아/어 or the stronger -아/어라: 앉아, 앉아라. A suggestion uses -자: 같이 가자 means "let us go together." They are for close friends, younger people and children, not for elders.

How do I form casual commands?

For a command, use the casual -아/어 form of the verb: 먹다 becomes 먹어, and 오다 becomes 와. For a firmer command, add 라: 먹어라. For a suggestion, add 자 to the stem: 먹자. For a ban, use -지 마: 가지 마. For "let us not," use -지 말자: 가지 말자.

What is the most common mistake with casual commands?

The most common mistake is using -아/어라 with a friend. 먹어라 sounds like a parent or a teacher giving an order. With a friend, say 먹어. A second mistake is using -자 with an elder: 같이 가자 to a senior sounds too direct, so use 같이 가실래요? or 같이 가시겠어요? instead.

How do I soften a casual command?

Add 좀 ("a little") or turn the order into a favour with 주다: 문 좀 닫아 줘 ("Close the door for me"). A friendly tone also helps. For a joint action, use a suggestion with 우리 or 같이 (같이 가자), or ask with -(으)ㄹ까? or -(으)ㄹ래?: 지금 갈까? and 영화 볼래? sound gentler than a bare command.

Do I use casual commands in speech, writing or both?

Mostly in speech and in messages between friends. The plain -아/어라 form appears in stories, proverbs and quoted orders, and written instructions use the related -(으)라, as in 다음 물음에 답하라. The suggestion -자 is common in friends' messages, for example 내일 만나자 ("Let us meet tomorrow").