Middle School - Grade 6
Lesson 2: The Honorific Infix -(으)시-
Politeness vs. Honorifics
This is the most important concept in this lesson!
Politeness (Lesson 1): Shows respect to your LISTENER. (e.g., `해요` vs. `합니다`)
Honorifics (This Lesson): Shows respect to the SUBJECT of the sentence (the person doing the action).
Listener vs. Subject
Politeness
"Who are you talking TO?"
Example: Talking TO your teacher.
"제 친구가 가요."
"My friend is going."
Honorifics
"Who are you talking ABOUT?"
Example: Talking ABOUT your teacher.
"선생님이 가세요."
"The teacher is going."
How to Conjugate: The `-(으)시-` Infix
You add this *inside* the verb, right after the stem and *before* the politeness ending.
Rule 1: Stem ends in a VOWEL
Add -시- to the stem.
가다 가 + 시 가시- (Honorific Stem)
Rule 2: Stem ends in a CONSONANT
Add -으시- to the stem.
읽다 읽 + 으시 읽으시- (Honorific Stem)
Putting It All Together: Honorifics + Politeness
Now you just add your politeness ending (like `-아요/어요` or `-습니다`) to the new honorific stem!
| Verb | Honorific Stem | Informal Polite (Daily) | Formal Polite (Public) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 가다 (to go) | 가시- | 가세요 (가시 + 어요) | 가십니다 (가시 + ㅂ니다) |
| 읽다 (to read) | 읽으시- | 읽으세요 (읽으시 + 어요) | 읽으십니다 (읽으시 + 습니다) |
| 만들다 (to make) | 만드시- (ㄹ drops) | 만드세요 | 만드십니다 |
The "Aha!" Moment!
You've probably seen -세요 (e.g., `가세요`, `하세요`) and thought it was just a polite ending. Now you know the truth: it's the Honorific Infix `-(으)시-` combined with the Informal Polite `(-아요/어요)` ending!
Coming Up Next...
This rule works for *most* verbs, but just like in English (we say "eat" but a king "dines"), Korean has special, completely different verbs for ultimate respect.
What's the honorific version of "eat" (`먹다`) or "be at home" (`있다`)? That's our next lesson!