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주세요 & 부탁드려요: Polite Work Requests in Korean

Learn 주세요 & 부탁드려요 for polite workplace requests with templates, tone ladders, and what-not-to-say tips—master

#korean-grammar#beginner-korean#workplace-korean#please-in-korean#polite-speech
1/3/2026, 3:17:58 AM
주세요 & 부탁드려요: Polite Work Requests in Korean

Please-request patterns (주세요/좀/부탁드려요) taught via real-life mini templates: cafe, help, directions.

If you work with Korean teammates (or just want to sound smooth at a cafe), the fastest win is having a few copy/paste request lines that feel polite, not demanding.

Small cultural note: in Korean offices, people often soften requests even when the task is obvious—adding 좀jom and ending with 주세요juseyo can change the whole vibe.

Situation

You need to ask for a small favor at work: send a file, check something quickly, or tell you where something is (meeting room / printer / building directions).

Quick cheat sheet

#1
주세요
please (do/give) · juseyo
→
#2
좀
a bit (softener) · jom
→
#3
부탁드려요
I’d appreciate it · butak deuryeoyo
→

Expressions in this post

#1grammarLv 2
주세요
juseyo
please (do/give)

Use 주세요juseyo at the end of a request. Pair it with a noun (please give me X) or a verb phrase (please do X).

Copy/paste templates (3)

  • 파일 보내주세요.pail bonaejuseyo. — Please send me the file.
  • 잠깐 확인해 주세요.jamkkan hwaginhae juseyo. — Please check it for a moment.
  • 여기 앉아 주세요.yeogi anja juseyo. — Please sit here.

Tone ladder (neutral → more polite)

  • Casual: 파일 보내줘.pail bonaejwo. — Send me the file.
  • Polite: 파일 보내주세요.pail bonaejuseyo. — Please send me the file.
  • Very polite: 파일 보내주실 수 있을까요?pail bonaejusil su isseulkkayo? — Could you please send me the file?

Don’t say this (risky)

  • 파일 보내.pail bonae. — Sounds like an order.
  • 주세요juseyo (by itself, in a work message) — Can feel abrupt or unclear; in spoken situations where the context is obvious (e.g., pointing at an item), it can work, but in chat include what you want: 파일 주세요.pail juseyo. / 파일 보내주세요.pail bonaejuseyo.
  • 빨리 보내주세요.ppalri bonaejuseyo. — Can sound pushy; try 가능하면 오늘 보내주세요.ganeunghamyeon oneul bonaejuseyo. — If possible, please send it today.
자료 보내주세요.
jaryo bonaejuseyo.
Please send me the file.
이거 확인해 주세요.
igeo hwaginhae juseyo.
Please check this.
물 좀 주세요.
mul jom juseyo.
Please give me some water.
여기 앉아 주세요.
yeogi anja juseyo.
Please sit here.
#2grammarLv 2
좀
jom
a bit (softener)

Copy/paste templates (3)

  • 이거 좀 봐주세요.igeo jom bwajuseyo. — Please take a look at this.
  • 회의실이 어디인지 좀 알려주세요.hoeuisiri eodiinji jom alryeojuseyo. — Could you tell me where the meeting room is?
  • 이메일 좀 확인해 주세요.imeil jom hwaginhae juseyo. — Please check the email.

Tone ladder

  • Casual: 이거 좀 봐.igeo jom bwa. — Look at this (for a sec).
  • Polite: 이거 좀 봐주세요.igeo jom bwajuseyo. — Please take a look at this.
  • Very polite: 이거 좀 봐주실 수 있을까요?igeo jom bwajusil su isseulkkayo? — Could you please take a look at this?

Don’t say this

  • 좀!jom! — Sounds like you’re scolding someone (“Hey!”).
  • 좀 해.jom hae. (to a senior) — Can sound rude; attach a polite ending like 주세요juseyo.
  • 그거 좀.geugeo jom. (trailing off) — Too vague; say what you want them to do.
이거 좀 봐주세요.
igeo jom bwajuseyo.
Please take a look at this.
회의실이 어디인지 좀 알려주세요.
hoeuisiri eodiinji jom alryeojuseyo.
Could you tell me where the meeting room is?
잠깐만요, 이것 좀 도와주세요.
jamkkanmanyo, igeot jom dowajuseyo.
One moment—please help me with this.
이메일 좀 확인해 주세요.
imeil jom hwaginhae juseyo.
Please check the email.
#3grammarLv 3
부탁드려요
butak deuryeoyo
I’d appreciate it

부탁드려요butakdeuryeoyo is a humble workplace-friendly way to say you’d appreciate something. It usually follows what you’re asking for (for example, 검토 부탁드려요geomto butakdeuryeoyo).

Copy/paste templates (3)

  • 검토 부탁드려요.geomto butakdeuryeoyo. — Please review it.
  • 이 부분 확인 부탁드려요.i bubun hwagin butakdeuryeoyo. — Please check this part.
  • 시간 되실 때 답변 부탁드려요.sigan doesil ttae dapbyeon butakdeuryeoyo. — When you have time, please reply.

Tone ladder

  • Casual: 부탁해.butakhae. — Do me a favor.
  • Polite: 검토 부탁드려요.geomto butakdeuryeoyo. — I’d appreciate it (work chat).
  • Very polite: 검토 부탁드립니다.geomto butakdeuripnida. — I would appreciate it (more formal).

Don’t say this

  • 검토해.geomtohae. — Too direct at work.
  • 부탁인데요, 지금 당장 해주세요.butagindeyo, jigeum dangjang haejuseyo. — Polite words + urgent order can feel contradictory; try 가능하시면 오늘 안에 부탁드려요.ganeunghasimyeon oneul ane butakdeuryeoyo.
  • 부탁해요.butakhaeyo. (to clients/seniors) — Not wrong, but less humble than 부탁드려요butakdeuryeoyo in workplace contexts.
검토 부탁드려요.
geomto butakdeuryeoyo.
Please review it.
이 부분 확인 부탁드려요.
i bubun hwagin butakdeuryeoyo.
Please check this part.
시간 되실 때 답변 부탁드려요.
sigan doesil ttae dapbyeon butakdeuryeoyo.
When you have time, please reply.
내일까지 부탁드려요.
naeilkkaji butakdeuryeoyo.
Please do it by tomorrow.

Next steps

Mini practice: rewrite 3 direct sentences into polite Korean.

  1. Send me the file.
  2. Check this quickly.
  3. Tell me where the printer is.

Possible rewrites (many answers are okay):

    1. 파일 보내주세요.pail bonaejuseyo. / 파일 좀 보내주세요.pail jom bonaejuseyo. / 파일 보내주실 수 있을까요?pail bonaejusil su isseulkkayo?
    1. 이거 잠깐 확인해 주세요.igeo jamkkan hwaginhae juseyo. / 이거 좀 봐주세요.igeo jom bwajuseyo.
    1. 프린터가 어디인지 알려주세요.peurinteoga eodiinji alryeojuseyo. / 프린터가 어디인지 좀 알려주세요.peurinteoga eodiinji jom alryeojuseyo.

Copy/paste mini-dialogues (work chat)

Dialogue 1 (asking for a file)

A: 파일 좀 보내주실 수 있을까요?
B: 네, 지금 보내드릴게요.
A: pail jom bonaejusil su isseulkkayo? B: ne, jigeum bonaedeurilgeyo.

Meaning:

  • A: Could you send me the file?
  • B: Sure, I’ll send it now.

Dialogue 2 (requesting a check)

A: 이 부분 확인 부탁드려요.
B: 네, 확인하고 답드릴게요.
A: i bubun hwagin butakdeuryeoyo. B: ne, hwaginhago dapdeurilgeyo.

Meaning:

  • A: Please check this part.
  • B: Sure, I’ll check and get back to you.

Dialogue 3 (asking for directions)

A: 프린터가 어디인지 좀 알려주세요.
B: 복도 끝에서 왼쪽이에요.
A: peurinteoga eodiinji jom alryeojuseyo. B: bokdo kkeuteseo oenjjogieyo.

Meaning:

  • A: Could you tell me where the printer is?
  • B: It’s on the left at the end of the hallway.

Mini quiz (fill in the blank)

  1. Make this request softer: 이거 ___ 봐주세요.igeo ___ bwajuseyo.
  2. Workplace-friendly: 검토 ___.geomto ___.
  3. Polite upgrade (same meaning): 파일 보내___?pail bonae___?

Answers:

  1. 좀jom
  2. 부탁드려요butakdeuryeoyo / 부탁드립니다butakdeuripnida
  3. 주실 수 있을까요jusil su isseulkkayo

Notes:

  • Q1: 좀jom works as a softener, making the request feel less pushy.
  • Q2: 부탁드려요butakdeuryeoyo fits everyday workplace chat; 부탁드립니다butakdeuripnida is more formal and safer for seniors/clients.
  • Q3: 주실 수 있을까요jusil su isseulkkayo turns the request into a polite “could you” question: 파일 보내주실 수 있을까요?pail bonaejusil su isseulkkayo?

What to watch for:

  • Add 좀jom when you want the request to feel softer.
  • Use 부탁드려요butakdeuryeoyo for review/check/respond requests in workplace chat.
  • If you feel you’re sounding too direct, switch ...주세요....juseyo. → ...주실 수 있을까요?...jusil su isseulkkayo? for an instant politeness upgrade.
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