드리다 (humble giving) - Give Respectfully

드리다 is the humble counterpart to 주다. In English, "give" is just "give." In Korean, the word changes for the recipient. If you give a bone to a dog, use 주다. If you give a gift to grandma, use 드리다. It can be a standalone verb. It can also attach to other verbs. When attached, you do an action for someone. It means "I humbly do this for you." It lowers your status to lift them up. Think of it like a grammar traffic light. 주다 is green for friends. 드리다 is the caution light for elders. It keeps your social interactions safe and smooth.

1. 1Using 드리다 is quite simple to learn.
2. 2Identify the action verb stem you want to use.
3. 3Add -아/어 based on the last vowel.
4. 4If the vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ, use -아.
5. 5For all other vowels, use -어.
6. 6Attach the word 드리다 to the end.
7. 7Conjugate 드리다 for the final sentence ending.
8. 8For example, 돕다 (to help) becomes 도와 드리다. 전화하다 (to call) becomes 전화해 드리다. If you just give an object, use 드리다 alone. 선물을 드려요 means "I give a gift."

Use this whenever the recipient deserves high respect.

• At work: Use it when giving reports to bosses.
• At home: Use it for parents and grandparents.
• In public: Use it for strangers or elders.
• Job interviews: Use it to show your professionalism.

Imagine you are at a restaurant with a grandparent. You should say 제가 물을 따라 드릴게요. This means "I will pour water for you." It shows you care about their status. In a job interview, use 최선을 다해 드리겠습니다. This means "I will give you my best effort." It makes you look like a top candidate. It is better to be too polite than rude.

Do not use 드리다 for yourself. This is a very common trap! You cannot say "The teacher gave me a book" using 드리다. Why? Because 드리다 lowers the person who is giving. You should not lower a teacher to yourself. Also, do not use it for friends. Do not use it for younger siblings either. Using it with your brother would be very weird. He might think you are being sarcastic. Do not use it for your pets. Your cat does not need humble grammar. Unless your cat pays the rent, use 주다.

The "Self-Humble" mistake is the most frequent. People often say 선생님이 저에게 선물을 드렸어요. This is wrong because it lowers the teacher. Another mistake is using the wrong particle. Use ~께 instead of ~에게 for extra respect. 할머니께 드려요 sounds much better than 할머니에게 드려요. Some people forget to conjugate the main verb correctly. Always check your -아/어 connections before adding 드리다. If you mess up, don't worry. Even Koreans sometimes trip over their own honorifics. Just smile and try again next time.

Let us look at the "Giving Trio." These are 주다, 주시다, and 드리다. 주다 is the neutral base for friends. 주시다 is when a respected person gives to you. The respect goes to the giver here. 드리다 is when you give to a respected person. The respect goes to the recipient here. Think of it like a spotlight. 주시다 puts the light on the giver. 드리다 puts the light on the receiver. If you mix them up, you might insult someone. It is like giving a trophy to the wrong person. Always track who is giving and who is receiving.