-거라
-거라: Do It — Blunt Command (가거라 Type)
Plain-style command ending; feels more archaic than -어라.
How to form it
| When | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Common fixed / taught verbs | -거라 | 가거라 / 있거라 / 자거라 |
| Compared with the command ending -어라 | -어라 | 먹어라 / 앉아라 |
-거라 is a blunt command ending on certain verb types — the classic 가거라 shape.
It sounds old-fashioned, literary, or sharply intimate depending on scene. It is not the everyday polite command -으세요.
Why this is hard
Learners meet -아/어 and -세요 and then find -거라 in dramas, novels, or fixed phrases. They either overuse it as “cool command” or avoid it entirely. The hard part is register: grandparents in fiction, historical tone, or very blunt speech — not café politeness.
Attachment is also limited in classroom focus (가다-type patterns are the poster child). Do not spray -거라 on every verb you know.
What it does
It orders an action in a bare, often archaic-tinged imperative.
어서 가거라.
그리 하지 말거라.
밥 먹거라.
조심하거라.Forms
Classroom highlight: stems that take -거라 in the blunt imperative set (e.g. 가거라). Treat examples as models; do not invent freely on every stem.
When not to use it
Do not use it with strangers, teachers, or service staff. Choose -으세요 or a soft request.
Do not treat it as a neutral textbook default imperative — -아/어 or -세요 carry modern speech.
Do not confuse it with declarative lookalikes; this slot is command.
Neighbours — and why they differ
| Form | Why it is not this slot |
|---|---|
| -으세요 | Polite modern command / request. |
| -아라/어라 | Another plain imperative family; different shape/register mix. |
| -읍시다 | Inclusive let’s; not a blunt order. |
Ask: do I need a blunt / literary command like 가거라? If yes, -거라. If you need polite real-life orders, use -으세요.
Do not confuse it with
Taught alongside this
On the jabi learning path, this appears in 종결어미 (final ending) — Advanced Korean 1, Unit 3, on the theme of final ending. These come with it:
Words used above
Quick check
No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.
1. You order them to go, in the blunt older command, not polite 세요 and not let's-go.
2. You order them to eat, in the 거라 command, not the modern polite request.
3. You order them to be careful, in the older blunt command, not 해라 and not 합시다.
Common questions
Dictionary?
우리말샘 -거라 「001」: plain command; more archaic feel than -어라.
Which verbs?
Classic classroom examples: 가거라, 있거라, 자거라. Distribution is narrower than -어라 — learn from models.
Vs -어라?
-어라 is the general plain command. -거라 is a special blunt/older command shape.
Drama/fiction?
Common in period speech, songs, and stylized lines.