Key Facts
- Hangul: 드리다 (deurida)
- Meaning: to give (humble)
- Level: B1
- Syllables: 3 (드 · 리 · 다)
- Stem: 드리
- Conjugation class: regular
- Object marking: transitive
- Polite present: 드려요
What Does 드리다 Mean?
The recipient takes 께 and the gift takes 을/를, as in 선생님께 선물을 드려요. After another verb, 드리다 makes that action humble too, as in 도와드리다 (to help someone you respect).
How Do You Pronounce 드리다?
Deurida has 3 syllables (드 · 리 · 다) and is said as it is spelled.
How Do You Use 드리다 in a Sentence?
선생님께 선물을 드려요.
I give a gift to my teacher.
드려요 is the polite present form.
어머니께 꽃을 드렸어요.
I gave flowers to my mother.
드렸어요 is the polite past form.
할머니께 드릴 거예요.
I will give it to my grandmother.
드릴 거예요 is the polite future (plan) form.
Usage Notes
Both 드리다 and 께 raise the receiver, so use them together, as in 어머니께 꽃을 드렸어요. Swapping them for the plain 주다 makes the sentence sound casual toward an elder. Do not mix it up with the similar-looking 드시다: 드시다 raises the person eating, while 드리다 lowers the giver. The future example 할머니께 드릴 거예요 leaves the gift unspoken because the context makes it clear.
How Does Deurida Conjugation Work?
드리다 is regular: 리 and the ending 어 contract to 려, giving 드려요 and 드렸어요.
The pattern behind 드리다 (to give) is taught step by step in polite present recipe.
드리다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 드려요 | ||
| Polite past | 드렸어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 드릴 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 드리겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 드립니다 | ||
| Formal past | 드렸습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 드릴 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 드려 | ||
| Casual past | 드렸어 | ||
| Casual future | 드릴 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 드리고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 드리세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 드려서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 드리면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 드리는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 드린 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 드릴 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 드려요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 드리지 않아요 |
Before a noun, 드리다 (to give) becomes 드리는 (present) or 드린 (past); as a link between clauses it is 드려서 for 'because' and 드리면 for 'if'.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 드렸어요 | [드려써요] |
| Future (plan) | 드릴 거예요 | [드릴꺼예요] |
| Future (guess) | 드리겠어요 | [드리게써요] |
| Formal present | 드립니다 | [드림니다] |
| Formal past | 드렸습니다 | [드렫씀니다] |
| Formal future | 드릴 것입니다 | [드릴꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 드렸어 | [드려써] |
| Casual future | 드릴 거야 | [드릴꺼야] |
| Want to | 드리고 싶어요 | [드리고 시퍼요] |
| Long negative | 드리지 않아요 | [드리지 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 선생님께 선물을 줘요.
Correct: ✓ 선생님께 선물을 드려요.
Why: For a respected receiver use 드리다 and 께, not 주다.
드리다 Versus Similar Words
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 주다 | 주다 is plain give; 드리다 is used when the receiver deserves respect. |
| 드시다 | 드시다 is the honorific of eating; 드리다 is the humble form of giving. |
Preparing a Gift for a Teacher
Two classmates are preparing a thank-you gift. They speak politely to each other while showing respect to the teacher who will receive it.
Mina
선생님께 꽃을 드렸어요?
Seonsaengnimkke kkocheul deuryeosseoyo?
Did you give the flowers to our teacher?
Jun
아직 안 드렸어요. 내일 드릴 거예요.
Ajik an deuryeosseoyo. Naeil deuril geoyeyo.
I haven’t given them yet. I’ll give them tomorrow.
Mina
저도 선물을 드리고 싶어요.
Jeodo seonmureul deurigo sipeoyo.
I’d like to give a gift too.
The classmates use the same humble verb whether asking about the past, planning tomorrow’s gift, or expressing a wish. The teacher remains the respected recipient throughout. 아직 means “yet” with the negative. The second speaker leaves out both the flowers and the teacher because the first question already identifies them.
Phrases for Giving More than Objects
말씀드리다 means to tell someone something respectfully. You may hear it when an employee explains a situation to a supervisor or a host gives a guest information. Nothing physical changes hands: the “giving” concerns words or information. It is written as one word.
감사드립니다 means “thank you” in a formal, respectful style. It is common in messages to customers, public acknowledgments, and workplace emails. The expression offers thanks rather than a gift. Its formal ending suits a written message, while 드려요 is common in ordinary polite conversation.
부탁드립니다 means “I ask for your help” or “please”, depending on the request around it. 잘 부탁드립니다 often appears in introductions or when beginning work with someone. It asks for goodwill and cooperation; a word-for-word translation about “giving a request” misses that social purpose.
Keep Track of Who Gives to Whom
드리다 respects the recipient through the giver’s humble action. If you are giving your teacher a book, you can use 드리다. If the teacher gives you a book, you do not choose 드리다 simply because the teacher is older. The direction of giving has changed.
For someone respected giving to you, 주시다 is the useful counterpart. It honors the giver. The difference is easier to remember with arrows: your gift goes toward the teacher with 드리다; the teacher’s gift comes toward you with 주시다. The listener can be a third person in either situation.
This also explains why the casual form 드려 is possible. Two close friends may speak casually while discussing a gift for a respected parent. The ending addresses the friend; the verb choice concerns the parent receiving the gift. Respect for the recipient and politeness to the listener are separate choices.
Where Will You Meet 드리다?
In shops and offices, staff use 드리다 for handing over documents, change, or information to customers. The choice reflects the service relationship, so the customer need not be older. At home, it is useful when giving something to parents or grandparents.
In formal notices, 드립니다 can accompany thanks or an apology. In family conversation, 드렸어요 can report a completed gift. The humble meaning stays the same across these endings. A negative such as 안 드려요 still uses the respectful giving relationship even though the gift is not being given.
The contraction in 드려요 comes from 리 plus 어. Keep 드리 visible before endings such as 면 and 는: 드리면 and 드리는. 드릴 거예요 has a space before 거예요. The future ending attaches to the verb; the following expression remains a separate word.
Words for Respectful Exchanges
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 선물 | gift | A common object of 드리다. |
| 께 | to a respected person | Marks the recipient in the examples above. |
| 받다 | to receive | Describes the same exchange from the recipient’s side. |
| 주시다 | to give, honorific | Honors the giver when the respected person gives. |
The humble forms lesson explains these exchanges and other actions done for someone you respect.
Mini Drill: Follow the Gift
- Give the polite past of 드리다.
- Complete the recipient marker: 선생님____ 선물을 드려요.
- Give the future plan form from the table.
- Choose 드리다 or 주시다 when your teacher gives you a gift.
Show drill answers
- 드렸어요.
- 께: 선생님께.
- 드릴 거예요.
- 주시다 honors the teacher as the giver.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 드리다 honor the giver or the recipient?
- Can 드려 be used between close friends discussing a gift for a parent?
- Does 감사합니다 or 감사드립니다 describe handing over a physical object?
Show answers
- It shows respect to the recipient through a humble giving action.
- Yes. The casual ending addresses the friend, while 드리다 respects the parent.
- No. Both express thanks.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Say 'I Give a Gift to My Teacher' in Korean?
선생님께 선물을 드려요. The teacher takes 께 and the gift takes 을.
How Is 드리다 (to give) Different from 주다?
주다 is plain give; 드리다 is used when the receiver deserves respect, such as a teacher, a parent or a customer.
How Is 드리다 (to give) Different from 드시다?
드시다 is the honorific of eating and raises the eater; 드리다 is the humble form of giving and lowers the giver.
Is 선생님께 선물을 줘요 Correct Korean?
It mixes levels. With 께 for a respected receiver, use 드려요: 선생님께 선물을 드려요.
What Is the Polite past of 드리다?
For 'to give', the polite past is 드렸어요; the polite present is 드려요 and the formal present is 드립니다.
How Do You Say 'Not Give' with 드리다?
For 'not give', the short negative is 안 드려요 and the long one is 드리지 않아요.
Which Words Are Related to 드리다?
- 주다 (to give)
- 받다 (to receive)
- 도와주다 (to help)
- 빌려주다 (to lend)
- Korean verb dictionary
What Should You Learn Next?
Try other forms of 드리다 in the Korean verb conjugator, then continue with 주다 (to give). More entries like 드리다 (to give) sit together in the Korean verb dictionary.