Korean Pattern ~아/어 주다: How to Say "do ~ for someone"

Verb stem + 아/어 주다. Doing a favor for someone. 주세요 makes it a polite request.

The Rule

~아/어 주다 = "do ~ for someone" Verb stem + 아/어 주다. Doing a favor for someone. 주세요 makes it a polite request. This is one of the essential Korean grammar patterns. Mastering it unlocks the ability to express "do ~ for someone" naturally in conversation — something you'll need almost every day.

Why English Speakers Get It Wrong

In English, "do ~ for someone" is expressed with separate words (auxiliary verbs, modals). In Korean, ~아/어 주다 is a grammatical ENDING attached to the verb stem. You can't just translate word-by-word. The common mistake: trying to combine Korean words the way English does instead of attaching the pattern to the verb stem. Korean grammar works by stacking endings, not by adding separate helper words.

How It Works

Formation: Verb stem + 아/어 주다 Verb stem + 아/어 주다. Doing a favor for someone. 주세요 makes it a polite request. Step by step: 1. Take any verb (e.g., 가다 = to go) 2. Remove 다 to get the stem (가) 3. Add the pattern: 가아/어 주다 This works with virtually any Korean verb.

Real Examples

• 사진 찍어 주세요. (sajin jjikeo juseyo.) — "Please take a photo (for me)." • 설명해 줄 수 있어요? (seormyeonghae jur su iteoyo?) — "Can you explain (for me)?"

Common Mistakes

❌ Trying to translate "do ~ for someone" word-by-word from English ✅ Use the pattern ~아/어 주다 attached to the verb stem → Korean expresses "do ~ for someone" as a single grammatical construction, not separate words. ❌ Forgetting vowel harmony or consonant rules ✅ Check if the verb stem ends in a vowel or consonant — the pattern may change form → Pay attention to the verb stem's final sound when attaching the pattern.

Quick Tip

Practice ~아/어 주다 with 5 verbs you already know. Write them out: • 가다 (go) → 가아/어 주다 • 먹다 (eat) → 먹아/어 주다 Repetition with familiar verbs builds the pattern into muscle memory. Once automatic, you can use it with ANY verb.

~아/어 주다 = "do ~ for someone"

Examples

사진 찍어 주세요. — sajin jjikeo juseyo. — Please take a photo (for me).

설명해 줄 수 있어요? — seormyeonghae jur su iteoyo? — Can you explain (for me)?