데리고 가다 → 모시고 가다: When "to take (a person)" Needs Respect

In Korean, to take (a person) has completely different words depending on who you're talking to or about.

The Rule

In Korean, "to take (a person)" isn't just one word — it changes based on your relationship with the listener and the person you're talking about. This isn't just about being polite; using the wrong level can be genuinely offensive. The four key levels for "to take (a person)": • 반말 (casual): 데리고 가 • 해요체 (polite): 데리고 가요 • 합쇼체 (formal): 데리고 갑니다 • 존칭 (honorific): 모시고 가다

Why English Speakers Get It Wrong

English has one word for "to take (a person)" regardless of who you're talking to. You might add "please" or change your tone, but the verb itself stays the same. In Korean, the entire word changes. This isn't like French "tu/vous" — Korean has MORE levels and the honorific forms can be completely different words, not just different endings. 데리고 가다 and 모시고 가다 don't even look related, but they mean the same thing at different politeness levels.

How It Works

Taking your grandmother somewhere 모시다 is the humble form of 데리다. Use when escorting someone of higher status. The hierarchy: 1. 반말 (데리고 가) — Friends your age, younger people 2. 해요체 (데리고 가요) — Default safe level, strangers, colleagues 3. 합쇼체 (데리고 갑니다) — Business settings, news, presentations 4. 존칭 (모시고 가다) — About/to elders, customers, respected figures

Real Examples

• 데리고 가 (derigo ga) — "take (a person)" (to friends, casual) • 데리고 가요 (derigo gayo) — "take (a person)" (polite daily conversation) • 데리고 갑니다 (derigo gapnida) — "take (a person)" (formal settings) • 모시고 가다 (mosigo gada) — "take (a person)" (about respected people) Correct usage: 할머니를 모시고 갔어요. (harmeonireur mosigo gateoyo.)

Common Mistakes

❌ 할머니를 데리고 갔어요. (harmeonireur derigo gateoyo.) ✅ 할머니를 모시고 갔어요. (harmeonireur mosigo gateoyo.) → 모시다 is the humble form of 데리다. Use when escorting someone of higher status. ❌ Using 데리고 가 to someone older or a stranger ✅ Default to 데리고 가요 when unsure → When in doubt, go one level higher. Koreans appreciate over-politeness from foreigners more than under-politeness.

Quick Tip

When you're unsure which level to use, default to 해요체 (데리고 가요). It's polite enough for almost every situation and won't offend anyone. Only use 반말 (데리고 가) when someone explicitly tells you it's okay. For the honorific form 모시고 가다, practice using it when talking ABOUT (not just to) respected people. Even when grandma isn't in the room, you should use the honorific form when mentioning her.

Safe default: 데리고 가요. When talking about elders: 모시고 가다.

Examples

데리고 가 — derigo ga — take (a person) (casual)

데리고 가요 — derigo gayo — take (a person) (polite)

데리고 갑니다 — derigo gapnida — take (a person) (formal)

모시고 가다 — mosigo gada — take (a person) (honorific)

할머니를 모시고 갔어요. — harmeonireur mosigo gateoyo. — Correct honorific usage