들다 (들어가다/들어오다) → 들어오시다: When "to come in" Needs Respect

In Korean, to come in has completely different words depending on who you're talking to or about.

The Rule

In Korean, "to come in" 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 come in": • 반말 (casual): 들어와 • 해요체 (polite): 들어와요 • 합쇼체 (formal): 들어옵니다 • 존칭 (honorific): 들어오시다

Why English Speakers Get It Wrong

English has one word for "to come in" 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. 들다 (들어가다/들어오다) and 들어오시다 don't even look related, but they mean the same thing at different politeness levels.

How It Works

Inviting your director into the office 들어오세요 (polite command). 들어오십시오 (formal command, used in announcements). The hierarchy: 1. 반말 (들어와) — Friends your age, younger people 2. 해요체 (들어와요) — Default safe level, strangers, colleagues 3. 합쇼체 (들어옵니다) — Business settings, news, presentations 4. 존칭 (들어오시다) — About/to elders, customers, respected figures

Real Examples

• 들어와 (deureowa) — "come in" (to friends, casual) • 들어와요 (deureowayo) — "come in" (polite daily conversation) • 들어옵니다 (deureoopnida) — "come in" (formal settings) • 들어오시다 (deureoosida) — "come in" (about respected people) Correct usage: 들어오세요. / 들어오십시오. (deureooseyo. / deureoosipsio.)

Common Mistakes

❌ 들어와요. (deureowayo.) ✅ 들어오세요. / 들어오십시오. (deureooseyo. / deureoosipsio.) → 들어오세요 (polite command). 들어오십시오 (formal command, used in announcements). ❌ Using 들어와 to someone older or a stranger ✅ Default to 들어와요 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 (들어와요). It's polite enough for almost every situation and won't offend anyone. Only use 반말 (들어와) when someone explicitly tells you it's okay. For the honorific form 들어오시다, 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: 들어와요. When talking about elders: 들어오시다.

Examples

들어와 — deureowa — come in (casual)

들어와요 — deureowayo — come in (polite)

들어옵니다 — deureoopnida — come in (formal)

들어오시다 — deureoosida — come in (honorific)

들어오세요. / 들어오십시오. — deureooseyo. / deureoosipsio. — Correct honorific usage