Special honorific verbs: 드시다/잡수시다 (eat)

Think of these verbs as "polite upgrades" for your vocabulary. In English, we might say "dine" instead of "eat" to sound fancy. In Korean, it is not just about being fancy; it is about social hierarchy. 드시다 is the most common honorific for eating. It is actually a combination of 들다 (to lift/take) and the honorific suffix -시-. Interestingly, 드시다 also covers the verb "to drink" (마시다). So, whether someone is enjoying a steak or a latte, you use 드시다. Then there is 잡수시다. This is an even higher level of respect. It comes from the older verb 잡수다. While 드시다 is your everyday polite go-to, 잡수시다 is like the heavy artillery of politeness. You use it for the most senior people in your life. It is like a grammar traffic light. Green means use 먹다 with friends. Yellow means use 드시다 for most adults. Red-hot respect means use 잡수시다 for very elderly people.

1. 1Using these verbs requires a little bit of conjugation magic. Since they both end in -시다, they follow the standard honorific conjugation rules. Here is how you break it down:
2. 2For 드시다, the dictionary form is 드시다.
3. 3In the polite present tense (해요체), it becomes 드세요.
4. 4In the formal present tense (하십시오체), it becomes 드십니다.
5. 5In the past tense, it becomes 드셨어요 or 드셨습니다.
6. 6Now for the extra-polite 잡수시다:
7. 7The dictionary form is 잡수시다.
8. 8In the polite present tense, it becomes 잡수세요.
9. 9In the formal present tense, it becomes 잡수십니다.
10. 10In the past tense, it becomes 잡수셨어요 or 잡수셨습니다.
11. 11Pro-tip: You will rarely hear people use these in the "plain" form without the -시- suffix when talking about elders. Always stick to the conjugated honorific forms to stay safe.

When should you pull these out of your linguistic toolkit? Use them whenever the subject of the sentence is someone you need to respect. If your boss is having lunch, she is 드시는 것 (eating). If your grandfather is drinking tea, he is 드시는 것 or 잡수시는 것. You should use these in restaurants when the server asks if you have finished. You also use them when inviting someone older to start eating. A classic phrase is 많이 드세요, which means "Please eat a lot." Use 드시다 with parents, teachers, older colleagues, and strangers. Use 잡수시다 specifically for very elderly people like grandparents or great-grandparents. It sounds very traditional and incredibly respectful. It is like giving them a linguistic bow every time you mention their meal. Using these correctly in a job interview or a formal dinner will make you look like a pro.

This is where many learners trip up. Never use 드시다 or 잡수시다 for yourself. Korean honorifics are for lifting others up, not yourself. If you say 제가 드셨어요 (I ate - honorific), you are basically calling yourself a king. Unless you are actually royalty in a historical K-drama, don't do this. People will probably laugh, but it sounds quite arrogant. Use the humble verb 먹다 or 먹었습니다 when talking about your own actions. Also, don't use these for your friends or people younger than you. It would sound incredibly sarcastic or weirdly formal. Imagine calling your younger brother "The Great Eater of Sandwiches." It just doesn't fit. Keep it for the elders. Also, avoid using these for animals. Your dog doesn't 드시다, no matter how much you love him. He just 먹다.

Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes when they are in a rush. The biggest mistake is the "self-honorific" we just mentioned. Another common slip is forgetting that 드시다 also means "to drink." Some learners try to say 마시세요 to be polite, but 드세요 is much more natural and common for drinking too. Another mistake is mixing levels. If you use a polite subject like 할아버지 (grandfather), don't finish the sentence with the casual 먹어. Use 드세요. It is all about consistency. Lastly, don't over-honor. Using 잡수시다 for a 30-year-old manager might make them feel like they are 80 years old. Stick to 드시다 for general workplace respect. Think of it like a volume knob; don't turn the politeness up to 11 unless you really need to.

How do these compare to other eating verbs? You have 먹다 (casual/neutral), 들다 (polite/intermediate), 드시다 (honorific), and 잡수시다 (highly honorific). 들다 is a bit of a middle ground. You might see it in menus or signs. But in speech, 드시다 is king. Compared to 마시다 (to drink), 드시다 is the all-in-one upgrade. While 마시다 is fine for peers, 드시다 is required for elders. There is also the word 진지 which is the honorific word for "meal/rice" (밥). Usually, 진지 and 드시다 go together like peanut butter and jelly. You ask 진지 드셨어요? (Have you had your meal?) instead of 밥 먹었어?. It is a complete package of politeness. Learning the difference between these levels is what separates a beginner from a truly natural speaker.