주다 → 드리다: When "to give" Needs Respect

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

The Rule

In Korean, "to give" 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 give": • 반말 (casual): 줘 • 해요체 (polite): 줘요 • 합쇼체 (formal): 줍니다 • 존칭 (honorific): 드리다

Why English Speakers Get It Wrong

English has one word for "to give" 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. 주다 and 드리다 don't even look related, but they mean the same thing at different politeness levels.

How It Works

Giving a gift to your teacher 드리다 = humble form of 주다. Also use 께 instead of 한테 for honored recipients. The hierarchy: 1. 반말 (줘) — Friends your age, younger people 2. 해요체 (줘요) — Default safe level, strangers, colleagues 3. 합쇼체 (줍니다) — Business settings, news, presentations 4. 존칭 (드리다) — About/to elders, customers, respected figures

Real Examples

• 줘 (jwo) — "give" (to friends, casual) • 줘요 (jwoyo) — "give" (polite daily conversation) • 줍니다 (jupnida) — "give" (formal settings) • 드리다 (deurida) — "give" (about respected people) Correct usage: 선생님께 드렸어요. (seonsaengnimkke deuryeoteoyo.)

Common Mistakes

❌ 선생님한테 줬어요. (seonsaengnimhante jwoteoyo.) ✅ 선생님께 드렸어요. (seonsaengnimkke deuryeoteoyo.) → 드리다 = humble form of 주다. Also use 께 instead of 한테 for honored recipients. ❌ Using 줘 to someone older or a stranger ✅ Default to 줘요 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 (줘요). It's polite enough for almost every situation and won't offend anyone. Only use 반말 (줘) when someone explicitly tells you it's okay. For the honorific form 드리다, 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: 줘요. When talking about elders: 드리다.

Examples

줘 — jwo — give (casual)

줘요 — jwoyo — give (polite)

줍니다 — jupnida — give (formal)

드리다 — deurida — give (honorific)

선생님께 드렸어요. — seonsaengnimkke deuryeoteoyo. — Correct honorific usage