앉으세요
anjeuseyo
To say 'have a seat' in Korean, use 앉으세요 (anjeuseyo).
The phrase is used to tell someone to sit down.
Meaning: to sit down (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The root verb is 앉다, which means 'to sit'.
Which one should you use?
앉으세요 is a polite way to say 'sit down' and is suitable for most social situations. However, it is less formal than the highly formal version 앉으십시오 and more formal than the casual 앉아.
How does it change in a sentence?
앉으세요 is a polite imperative used to tell someone to sit down. The informal version of this phrase is 앉아.
How do you pronounce it?
anjeuseyo
Did you know?
- While 앉으세요 is polite, if you are inviting a much older person or a high-ranking guest to sit, you should avoid using the verb 'to sit' altogether. Instead, you would use a specialized honorific verb to show much higher respect.
- In many traditional Korean settings, you might not be encouraged to sit on a chair, but rather on the floor. In these cases, the way you sit down becomes a complex matter of etiquette involving your knee and leg positions.
- The concept of sitting is deeply tied to the hierarchy of a room. In traditional Korean social dynamics, the 'upper seat' is often the one furthest from the door, and guests are expected to wait to be told where to sit.
Examples in context
- 여기 앉아.Have a seat here.
- 이 의자는 편하니까 잠깐 앉아 봐.Sit here for a moment and try this comfortable chair.
- 여기에 앉으세요.yeogiye anjuseyo.Please sit here.
- 먼저 앉으세요.meonjeo anjuseyo.Please sit down first.
- 의자에 앉으세요.uijae anjuseyo.Please sit on the chair.
Example conversation
Seoyeon welcomes Hyunwoo into her office.
- 서연 Seo-yeon현우 씨, 어서 오세요.Hyunwoo ssi, eoseo oseyo.Hyunwoo, welcome.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo안녕하세요, 서연 씨.Annyeonghaseyo, Seoyeon ssi.Hello, Seoyeon.
- 서연 Seo-yeon편하게 앉으세요.Pyeonhage anjuseyo.Please have a seat comfortably.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo감사합니다.Gamsahamnida.Thank you.
