Korean is probably the only language that has an honorific grammatically.
1. In honorific sentence 시 (shi) added to the verb.
Go – 가다 (ga-da) – 가시다 (ga-shi-da)
Come -오다 (oh-da) – 오시다 (oh-shi-da)
Wear – 입다 (ib-da) – 입으시다 (ib-eu-shi-da)
Shoot – 쏘다 (sso-da) – 쏘시다 (sso-shi-da)
Do – 하다 (ha-da) – 하시다 (ha-shi-da)
Example:
I go to school. – 나는 학교에 갑니다
(na-neun-hak-gyo-eh-gam-ni-da)
My Mother goes to the market. – 나의 어머니는 시장에 가십니다.
(na-eui-uh-mu-ni-neun shi-jang-eh-ga-shim-ni-da)
In this sentence, note that present tense verb 갑니다(gam-ni-da) changes to
가십니다 (ga-shim-ni-da)
2. My friend came. – 내 친구가 왔습니다.
(nae-chin-goo-ga-wat-seum-ni-da)
My Father came. – 내 아버지께서 오셨습니다.
(nae-ah-bu-ji-gge-su-oh-shut-sem-ni-da)
In this sentence, note that subject-particle 가(ga) changes to
께서 (gge-su) and past tense verb 왔습니다 (wat seum-ni-da) changes to 오셨습니다.(oh-shut-sem-ni-da)
3. Some of the pronouns change to an honorific too.
When you speak to older people,
I –나는 (na-neun) has to change to 저는(ju-neun)
We-우리들은(woo-li-deul-eun) has to change to 저희들은(ju-hee-deul-eun)
4. Some verbs changes irregular way.
Eat-먹다 (muk-da) -드시다 (deu-shi-da)
Talk-말하다(mal-ha-da)-말씀하시다(mal-sseum-ha-shi-da)
Example:
I talked to my father. – 나는 나의 아버지께 말했습니다.
(na-neun-na-eui-ah-bu-ji-gge-mal-haet-seum-ni-da)
My father talked to me. – 나의 아버지께서 내게 말씀하셨습니다.
(na-eui-ah-bu-ji-gge-su-nae-ge-mal-sseum-ha-shut-sem-ni-da)
Annyeong! I’m Romanian and try to learn a bit Korean and noticed that , that’s right, when youngsters are talking to older people, they are talking at the 3rd perso, even the person is in front and it should be the 2nd or , at least these are the translations :” X is a very warm person “. and they are talking to that person. Why is that ? We have the personal pronoun of politeness which have the 2nd person.Doesn’t it exist in Korean? Thank you very much! Kamsahamnida!
Right. Honorific should be used even when you are speaking in 3rd person.
hi, i am a filipino, i am a frustrated larner of korean, pls. help me..
i am studying now the tenses of verbs but its a bit difficult for me coz i have to memorize the different honorifics,
아녕하새요