How to say “Please” in Korean
- 주세요juseyo
Please (give me)
"Please" in Korean is usually 주세요 (juseyo), added to the end of a request, as in 물 주세요 (mul juseyo, "water, please"). Korean has no single word that works exactly like English "please", so politeness comes from how you end the sentence.
Ways to say it
| Korean | Level | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| 주세요 juseyo | Polite | "Please give me" or "please do it for me". Put it after a noun (커피 주세요) or after a verb (기다려 주세요). |
| 좀 jom | Any | A small softener, like "please" or "a bit". 물 좀 주세요 sounds gentler than 물 주세요. |
| 부탁합니다 butakhamnida | Formal | "I ask you a favor." A formal way to say please when you ask someone to do something for you. |
| 부탁해요 butakhaeyo | Polite | A softer, everyday way to ask a favor. |
| 부탁해 butakhae | Casual | "Please, I'm counting on you" to a close friend. |
| 제발 jebal | Any | "Please!" when begging or pleading. Too strong for ordinary requests. |
Examples
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Ordering at a cafe
Asking a passerby to take your photo
Begging a friend to come with you
Tips
To ask someone to do something, use the verb plus 주세요: 기다려 주세요 (please wait), 도와주세요 (please help). This is the most useful pattern for beginners.
제발 is for pleading, like "please, I'm begging you". Using it when ordering food would sound strange.
좀 is tiny but powerful. Koreans add it to requests all the time to sound softer.
Questions learners ask
Does Korean have a word for please?
Not one single word. Most of the time you end a request with 주세요 (juseyo), and you can add 좀 (jom) to soften it.
What does jebal mean?
제발 (jebal) means "please" in the sense of begging or pleading, for example 제발 가지 마 ("please don't go").
How do you say "yes, please" in Korean?
Say 네, 주세요 (ne, juseyo), which means "yes, please give it to me".