Subject Honorific (으)시

This grammar point is all about the subject. It focuses on the person performing the action. It does not matter who you are talking to. It only matters who you are talking about. This is a common point of confusion for many. For example, you talk about your grandmother to a friend. You still use (으)시 because she is the subject. You are honoring her status, not your friend's. It is like wearing a nice suit for an interview. It shows you recognize the importance of the person. If you talk about yourself, never use this! That would be like giving yourself a high-five. It feels very awkward to native speakers. Keep the honor for others and stay humble.

1. 1Find the basic verb or adjective stem.
2. 2Look at the very last character of the stem.
3. 3Does the stem end in a vowel? Add 시 directly.
4. 4Example: 가다 (to go) becomes 가시.
5. 5Does the stem end in a consonant? Add 으시.
6. 6Example: 읽다 (to read) becomes 읽으시.
7. 7Handle the ㄹ irregular stems carefully. Drop the ㄹ first, then add 시.
8. 8Example: 살다 (to live) becomes 사시.
9. 9For ㄷ irregulars, change ㄷ to ㄹ then add 으시.
10. 10Example: 듣다 (to listen) becomes 들으시.
11. 11Finally, add your desired sentence ending like -어요 or -습니다.

Use this when speaking about anyone higher in status. This includes your grandparents and your parents. Use it for your professors and your managers. Even a stranger older than you deserves this honor. It is very common in professional job interviews. You should use it when ordering food from older staff. Use it when asking for directions from a local resident. It shows you have good manners and social awareness. Think of it as a bridge between status levels. It helps maintain social harmony in Korean society. You will notice it everywhere in Korean dramas and news. It is the gold standard for polite social interaction.

Never use (으)시 when you are the subject. This is the most important rule to remember. Do not use it for your younger siblings. Avoid it when talking to or about close friends. You do not need it for children or pets. Using it for a cat would be quite funny! It would sound like the cat is a king. Also, avoid using it for inanimate objects in most cases. Some people say 'the coffee came out-honorific'. This is actually a common mistake among native speakers. Only honor people, not things like bags or drinks. Stay natural and keep the respect focused on humans. It keeps the language clear and meaningful for everyone.

Many learners forget the ㄹ drop rule. They might say 살으시다, which sounds very strange. Always remember to let the ㄹ go away. Another mistake is mixing honorifics with informal endings. Using 가셔 (honorific) with informal speech is very rare. It only happens in specific family or close dynamics. Most students should stick to 가세요 or 가십니다. Some people try to honor their own items too. 'My phone is expensive-honorific' is a big no-no. Your phone does not have social status! Keep your respect levels logical and human-centered. Even native speakers might slip up with 'over-honorification'. Be smarter than the average speaker by avoiding these traps.

Do not confuse (으)시 with polite endings like -요. The -요 ending shows respect to the listener. The (으)시 suffix shows respect to the subject. You can use both in one single sentence. Example: 선생님이 오세요 (The teacher is coming). Here, 시 honors the teacher (subject). The 요 honors the person you are telling. You can also use (으)시 with formal -습니다. Example: 사장님이 가십니다 (The boss is going). This is the highest level of polite speech. There are also special verbs that replace (으)시. Instead of 먹으시다, we always use the special word 드시다. Instead of 자시다, we use the special word 주무시다. Learning these replacements is your next big step.