KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › -께
Korean Grammar “-께”: Meaning and Usage (TOPIK 1)
How to attach it
This particle does not change: it attaches to every noun in the same way, whatever the last sound is.
| Korean | Meaning | With the particle | Romanization |
|---|---|---|---|
| 할머니 | grandmother | 할머니께 | halmeonikke |
| 부모님 | parents | 부모님께 | bumonimkke |
| 손님 | guest, customer | 손님께 | sonnimkke |
Explanation
저는 할머니께 선물을 드렸어요.
“-께” is the honorific form of “-에게/-한테” and means “to” when the recipient is an elder or a superior. It pairs with the humble verb “드리다” instead of “주다,” so the sentence means “I gave my grandmother a present.” Using “-한테” for someone you must respect sounds impolite.
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 저는 할머니께 선물을 드렸어요.
In natural speech, sounds link and shift across words. The table below reads each word separately, as it sounds when said on its own.
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 저는 | ||
| 저 | ㅈ+ㅓ | jeo |
| 는 | ㄴ+ㅡ+ㄴ | neun |
| 할머니께 | ||
| 할 | ㅎ+ㅏ+ㄹ | hal |
| 머 | ㅁ+ㅓ | meo |
| 니 | ㄴ+ㅣ | ni |
| 께 | ㄲ+ㅔ | kke |
| 선물을 | ||
| 선 | ㅅ+ㅓ+ㄴ | seon |
| 물 | ㅁ+ㅜ+ㄹ | [무] mu |
| 을 | ㅇ+ㅡ+ㄹ | [를] reul |
| 드렸어요 | ||
| 드 | ㄷ+ㅡ | deu |
| 렸 | ㄹ+ㅕ+ㅆ | [려] ryeo |
| 어 | ㅇ+ㅓ | [써] sseo |
| 요 | ㅇ+ㅛ | yo |
A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.
Sound changes in this phrase
- Linking: when a syllable ending in a consonant (patchim) is followed by a syllable that starts with a vowel, the consonant moves over to the next syllable. 물을 → [무를]
Politeness level of the example
Ends in -요. The everyday polite style, and a safe choice with shop staff, colleagues, strangers and anyone older than you.
Words in the example sentence
These words from the TOPIK vocabulary lists appear in the phrase (shown in dictionary form).
| Korean | Part of speech | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 할머니 | noun | grandmother | TOPIK level 1 |
| 선물 | noun | gift | TOPIK level 1 |
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 저는 할머니____ 선물을 드렸어요.
Show the answer
Answer: 저는 할머니께 선물을 드렸어요.
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