(으)세요 ②

do you, are you

Explanation

Politely ask about someone's action or state.

Korean Grammar in Use

-(으)세요 is used when politely asking about someone's action or state. When the verb stem ends in a vowel, -세요 is added, and when it ends in a consonant, -으세요 is added.

Details

When -(으)세요 is used in the imperative sense to give an order, it can only be used with verbs and not 이다 or adjectives.

의사이세요 ✕
→의사가 되세요. ✓
Please become a doctor.
기쁘세요 ✕
→기뻐하세요. ✓
Be happy.

(Adjective changed to its verb form)

However, there are a number of adjectives ending in used idiomatically that can be used with -으세요.

할아버지, 건강하세요. 오래 오래 사세요.
Grandpa, please be healthy. Live a long, long time.
민우 씨, 결혼 축하해요. 행복하세요.
Min-u, congratulations on your marriage. I wish you happiness.

Examples
지금 어디에 <span class='focus'>계세요</span>?
Where are you now?
무슨 일을 <span class='focus'>하세요</span>?
What do you do?
시간이 <span class='focus'>있으세요</span>?
Do you have time?

5 more sentences in the app — free account.