Honorific Verbs
All verbs and adjectives can be converted into an honorific form by adding the infix -시- (-si-) or -으시- (-eusi-) after the stem and before the ending. Thus, 가다 (gada, "to go") becomes 가시다 (gasida). A few verbs have special honorific equivalents:
| Base verb/adjective | Regular honorific | English translation |
|---|---|---|
| 가다 (gada) | 가시다 (gasida) | "to go" |
| 받다 (batda) | 받으시다 (badeusida) | "to receive" |
| 작다 (jakda) | 작으시다 (jageusida) | "(to be) small" |
| Base verb/adjective | Special honorific | English translation |
| 있다 (itda) | 계시다 (gyesida) | "to be" |
| 마시다 (masida) | 드시다 (deusida) | "to drink" |
| 먹다 (meokda) | 드시다 (deusida) | "to eat" |
| 먹다 (meokda) | 잡수시다 (japsusida) | "to eat" |
| 자다 (jada) | 주무시다 (jumusida) | "to sleep" |
| 배고프다 (baegopeuda) | 시장하시다 (sijanghasida) | "to be hungry" |
A few verbs have special humble forms, used when the speaker is referring to him/herself in polite situations. These include 드리다 (deurida) and 올리다 (ollida) for 주다 (juda, "give"). 드리다 (deurida) is substituted for 주다 (juda) when the latter is used as an auxiliary verb, while 올리다 (ollida, literally "raise up") is used for 주다 (juda) in the sense of "offer".
Read more about this topic: Korean Honorifics
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