What does 주세요 (juseyo) mean?
- 주세요juseyo
Please give me
Polite: safe with most people
주세요 (juseyo) means "please give me" in Korean. You put it after the thing you want, so 물 주세요 means "water, please." It is the word you will use most when ordering food, shopping or asking for help.
Where it comes from
It comes from the verb 주다 (juda), "to give," plus the polite request ending 세요. So it literally means "please give."
How to use 주세요
Say the item first and 주세요 last: 이거 주세요 (this one, please), 커피 주세요 (coffee, please). It is polite enough for shops, restaurants, taxis and strangers.
주세요 also attaches to verbs to mean "please do this for me." 도와주세요 is "please help me" and 기다려 주세요 is "please wait."
With friends, the casual version is 줘 (jwo). In very formal settings, such as announcements, you will hear 주십시오.
Examples
Tap a word to see what it means and save it to your flashcards.
Ordering at a café
Pointing at something in a shop
Asking a server at a restaurant
Other ways to say it
| Korean | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|
| 줘 | Give me | Casual, for friends and family. |
| 주시겠어요? | Could you give me? | Softer and more polite. |
| 주십시오 | Please give | Formal, used in announcements and notices. |
| 도와주세요 | Please help me | Verb + 주세요 asks someone to do something for you. |
| 하나 더 주세요 | One more, please | Handy when ordering. |
Questions learners ask
How do you say please in Korean?
Korean does not have one word for "please." When asking for something, you add 주세요 after it, like 물 주세요 (water, please). 좀 softens a request further.
What is the difference between juseyo and jebal?
주세요 is the everyday "please give me" for ordering and asking. 제발 is a pleading "please, I beg you" used when you really want something.
Is juseyo rude?
No. It is polite and fine with strangers and staff. Only with someone much older or in a formal setting might you choose 주시겠어요 to sound softer.