아/어 주다

Overview

The grammatical pattern -아/어 주다 combines the connective ending -아/어서 with the verb 주다 (to give). It signifies that the action of the preceding verb is performed as a favor or service for someone else, or it is used to politely request someone to perform an action for the speaker or another person.

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Usage

This pattern is primarily used in two main contexts:

1. Expressing a favor or service: When the subject performs an action for the benefit of another person. The action is 'given' to the recipient. For example, '제가 숙제를 도와줄게요' (I will help you [as a favor]).
2. Making a polite request or command: When the speaker asks someone else to perform an action for them or for a third party. This is a very common and polite way to make requests in Korean. For example, '창문 좀 닫아 주세요' (Please close the window for me). It adds a nuance of 'doing something for someone's sake' or 'giving a service'.

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Conjugation Rules

The conjugation follows the standard -아/어 connective ending rules:

• If the verb stem's last vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ, attach -아 주다.
  • Example: 찾다 (to find) -> 찾아 주다
  • Example: 오다 (to come) -> 와 주다
• If the verb stem's last vowel is anything other than ㅏ or ㅗ, or if it ends in a consonant, attach -어 주다.
  • Example: 먹다 (to eat) -> 먹어 주다
  • Example: 읽다 (to read) -> 읽어 주다
• For verb stems ending in 하다, it changes to 해 주다.
  • Example: 공부하다 (to study) -> 공부해 주다

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Knowledge Plus

While -아/어 주다 generally implies a favor, it's the standard polite way to make requests, even for simple actions that aren't necessarily 'favors' in the Western sense. For instance, '물 좀 주세요' (Please give me some water) uses the same structure. The recipient of the favor or request is often marked with the particle -에게 or -한테 (to/for someone), though it can be omitted if clear from context. The honorific form for -아/어 주다 is -아/어 드리다, used when the recipient of the favor is someone of higher status. The opposite concept, receiving a favor, is expressed using -아/어 받다 or -아/어 지다 (when the action is done for oneself, passively).