Grammar Advanced TOPIK II · Level 5–6 Advanced Grammar Supplement · Curriculum gap

-어 주십사

-어 주십사: Please Do… for Me — Earnest Old Request

High-honorific request package -어 주십사 (하고): politely beg that someone do the favour.

Before this, make sure you know: -어 주다 , -으십시오

How to form it

When	Form	Example
Favour + 주십사	-어/아 주십사	도와 주십사 / 봐 주십사
With 하고 / 하여	-어 주십사 하고	참석해 주십사 하고 연락드렸다

-어 주십사 is an earnest old-style ask — please do this for me.

Heavier than café -어 주세요.

Why this is hard

English please also covers -어 주세요, -어 주시겠어요, -십시오. Learners pick one polite button. -어 주십사 is the formal beg-for-favour seat, often followed by 하고.

What it does

You carefully request a favour, often in writing or ceremony.

도와 주십사 하고 왔습니다.
참석해 주십사 연락드립니다.
한 번만 봐 주십사 부탁드려요.
읽어 주십사 하고 원고를 보냈습니다.

Forms

돕다 → 도와 주십사
보다 → 봐 주십사
참석하다 → 참석해 주십사
읽다 → 읽어 주십사

When not to use it

Do not use it for casual café asks.

Do not use it as a bald order — it is request colour.

Do not drop honourific care toward the listener.

Neighbours — and why they differ

Form	Why it is not this slot
-어 주다	Favour auxiliary — many endings.
-어 드리다	Humble favour toward elder/status.
-십시오	Formal imperative.

Ask: am I earnestly begging a favour in formal register? If yes, -어 주십사.

Do not confuse it with

-어 주다

doing something for someone else — the favour built into the verb

-어 드리다

doing something for someone you respect (humble benefactive)

-으십시오

formal command — signs, announcements, service speech

Taught alongside this

On the jabi learning path, this appears in 교재·표준 교육과정 밖의 문법 (Grammar outside of textbooks and standard curriculum) — Advanced Grammar Supplement, Unit 1, on the theme of Curriculum gap. These come with it:

-는 셈이다 amounts to / counts as — treating the situation as that result (-는 셈이다) -을 지경이다 to the point of… — an extreme state or plight (-을 지경이다) -기 십상이다 almost certain to… — nine times out of ten (-기 십상이다) -는 둥 마는 둥 half-doing it — barely, half-heartedly (-는 둥 마는 둥) -던 차에 just when… — at the very moment that was underway (-던 차에) 으로 말미암아 owing to… — formal written cause (으로 말미암아) -는답시고 under the pretext of… — claiming to, often critically (-는답시고) -는가 하면 and then again… — stacking contrasting cases (-는가 하면) -을 겸 while also… — doing it for that purpose too (-을 겸) -게끔 so that… — purpose with a firm push (-게끔) -을 턱이 없다 no reason whatsoever… — denying grounds flatly (-을 턱이 없다) -을 리 만무하다 utterly no chance… — impossibility stressed (-을 리 만무하다) -을 성싶다 seems likely to… — a soft forecast (-을 성싶다) -을지언정 even if… — conceding then holding the other line (-을지언정) -기 그지없다 endlessly… — extreme degree with no bound (-기 그지없다) -기 이를 데 없다 beyond words… — so much there is no way to say it (-기 이를 데 없다) -다 못해 unable to go on… — past the limit, then the sequel (-다 못해) -는 셈치고 pretending / counting it as… — provisional assumption (-는 셈치고) -는다 뿐이지 only that… — limiting the claim to just that (-는다 뿐이지) -는다손 치더라도 even granting that… — strong concession then pushback (-는다손 치더라도) -겠거니 thinking it would… — assumption that guides the next act (-겠거니) -으랴 -으랴 what with A and B… — piling pressures or tasks (-으랴 -으랴) -으려던 참이다 was just about to… — intention interrupted at the brink (-으려던 참이다) -는다기보다는 rather than saying… — reframing the label (-는다기보다는) -은 끝에 after all that… — only at the end of the ordeal (-은 끝에) -은 바 있다 have (once)… — formal experience on record (-은 바 있다) -건 간에 whether A or B… — it does not matter which (-건 간에)

Words used above

Tap the speaker to hear it read aloud by your browser.

-어 주십사-eo jusipsaplease do… for me

부탁butakrequest

드리다deuridahumble give — neighbour favour

십시오sipsioformal imperative — neighbour

청하다cheonghadato request formally

Quick check

No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.

1. A representative visits an elder to make an earnest, formal request for help. Which sentence carries that request colour?

2. You ask a café employee to check the receipt in ordinary polite speech. Which line avoids the ceremonial weight of -어 주십사?

3. Which sentence correctly uses -어 주십사 with 하고 to introduce the purpose of a formal letter?

Common questions

Dictionary?

High addressee-raising request ending — ask or beg politely that the favour be done.

Often with 하고?

Yes — 주십사 하고 부탁드리다 / 연락드리다 packages the ask.

Vs -십시오?

-십시오 can command. 주십사 leans request-for-favour.

Café soft?

도와 주세요 / 부탁드려요. Keep 주십사 for letters, speeches, careful asks.