줘
chwuh
jwo
regular
주다
To say to give politely in the present tense, use 줘요 (chwuh-yoh) · jwoyo. Below is the full conjugation of 주다 across the three tenses and three everyday speech levels.
Grammar note (regular): Regular verbs and adjectives conjugate predictably. Before 어-series suffixes, vowels may contract (가 + 아 → 가, 보 + 아 → 봐), but no consonant in the stem changes. If the final vowel of the stem is ㅏ or ㅗ, use 아; otherwise use 어. Consonant-final stems: 먹 + 어 → 먹어; vowel-final: 가 + 아 → 가.
Conjugation table
pron. = pronunciation guide · RR = Revised Romanization
| Tense | Casual (반말) | Polite (요) | Formal (합니다) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present | 줘요 chwuh-yoh jwoyo | 줍니다 choom-nee-dah jumnida | |
| Past | 줬어 chwuh-ssuh jwosseo | 줬어요 chwuh-ssuh-yoh jwosseoyo | 줬습니다 chwuh-sseum-nee-dah jwosseumnida |
| Future | 줄 거야 chool guh-yah jul geoya | 줄 거예요 chool guh-yae-yoh jul geoyeyo | 줄 겁니다 chool guhm-nee-dah jul geomnida |
Example sentences
- casual present그거 나 줘.Give me that.
- polite present부모님이 매달 용돈을 줘요.My parents give me spending money every month.
- formal present이 카페는 커피를 사면 쿠키를 하나 줍니다.This café gives you a cookie when you buy a coffee.
- casual past누가 이 꽃 줬어?Who gave you these flowers?
- polite past친구가 생일 선물로 책을 줬어요.A friend gave me a book for my birthday.
- formal past회사가 직원들에게 보너스를 줬습니다.The company gave its employees a bonus.
- casual future이거 동생한테 줄 거야.I’m going to give this to my younger sibling.
- polite future남은 음식은 강아지한테 줄 거예요.I’m going to give the leftovers to the dog.
- formal future참가자 모두에게 기념품을 줄 겁니다.We will give every participant a souvenir.
- honorific -(으)세요물 좀 주세요.Some water, please.
How it’s used
주다 means to give, and 주세요 is the standard way to ask for something: 이거 주세요 (“this one, please”). After the -아/어 form of another verb, 주다 means doing something for someone: 도와주세요 (“please help me”), 사 줄게 (“I’ll buy it for you”). When giving to someone senior, use the humble 드리다 instead.
Common mistake
Using 주다 when the receiver is senior to you: ✗ 할머니께 선물을 줬어요 → ✓ 할머니께 선물을 드렸어요.
Other useful forms
Honorific / Command Polite (-(으)세요)
주세요
choo-sae-yoh
juseyo
Suggestion / Let's Polite (요)
줘요
chwuh-yoh
jwoyo
Question Polite (요)
줘요?
chwuh-yoh-?
jwoyo?
Connective "and" — (고)
주고
choo-goh
jugo
Conditional "if" — (면)
주면
choo-myuhn
jumyeon
Progressive (고 있어요)
주고 있어요
choo-goh ee-ssuh-yoh
jugo isseoyo
Want to (고 싶어요)
주고 싶어요
choo-goh shee-puh-yoh
jugo sipeoyo
Can / Able to ((으)ㄹ 수 있어요)
줄 수 있어요
chool soo ee-ssuh-yoh
jul su isseoyo
Because / So (아/어서)
줘서
chwuh-suh
jwoseo
Noun form — (기)
주기
choo-gee
jugi
Noun form — (음)
줌
choom
jum