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🧡 Asking for Favors Politely in Korean (부탁하다/부탁드리다) — TOPIK 3–4

Updated Nov 20, 2025 • Continuous update

“Can you help me?” is easy to say in English, but in Korean you need the right level of politeness, tone, and softeners.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to ask for favors with 부탁하다 / 부탁드리다, plus natural patterns like -아/어 주시겠어요? and -(으)실 수 있을까요? that work in the office, at school, or with host families.

이 글에서는 부탁하다/부탁드리다와 혹시, 실례지만, 죄송하지만 같은 완충 표현을 이용해, 정중하게 부탁하는 방법을 연습해 볼 거예요.

📑 Table of Contents (open/close)

1. Learning Goals
2. Key Expressions & Vocabulary
3. Grammar Frames (Step-by-step)
4. Practice Dialogue & Quick Quiz
5. Teacher’s Tips
6. Say What? — 완곡하게 말하기
7. Did You Know?
8. It’s Your Turn
9. italki Lesson

🎯 Learning Goals

• Choose the right verb + register: 부탁하다 vs 부탁드리다.
• Build soft, indirect requests with -아/어 주시겠어요? and -(으)실 수 있을까요?
• Use softeners like 혹시 / 실례지만 / 죄송하지만 to sound polite from the start.
• Close your request with 감사 표현 so it feels complete and warm.

💡 Key Expressions & Vocabulary

Memorize these as “ready-made blocks” you can plug into emails, Kakao messages, or office conversations.

Korean	RR (Romanization)	Meaning / When to use
부탁드립니다	bu-tak-deu-rim-ni-da	Very polite “I kindly ask…” to seniors/clients or in emails.
부탁드려도 될까요?	bu-tak-deu-ryeo-do doel-kka-yo?	“May I ask a favor?” — safe opener before the main request.
혹시 / 실례지만 / 죄송하지만	hok-si / sil-lye-ji-man / joe-song-ha-ji-man	Softeners to reduce pressure: “by any chance / excuse me, but / I’m sorry, but…”
문 좀 닫아 주시겠어요?	mun jom da-da ju-si-ge-ss-eo-yo?	“Would you please close the door?” (polite, everyday)
사진 좀 찍어 주실 수 있을까요?	sa-jin jom jji-geo ju-sil su it-seul-kka-yo?	“Would you be able to take a photo for me?”
정말 감사합니다 / 큰 도움이 됩니다	jeong-mal gam-sa-ham-ni-da / keun do-u-mi doem-ni-da	“Thank you so much / This really helps.” — polite closing.

Tip: Highlight one or two expressions and use them three times this week in real messages.

🧩 Grammar Frames (Step-by-step)

1. Requesting a thing/service — N(을/를) 부탁드립니다
   자료 검토를 부탁드립니다.
   ja-ryo geom-to-reul bu-tak-deu-rim-ni-da — “I kindly request a review of the materials.”
2. Requesting an action (polite) — V-아/어 주시겠어요?
   메일로 보내 주시겠어요?
   me-il-lo bo-nae ju-si-ge-ss-eo-yo? — “Would you send it by email?”
3. Softer, more indirect — V-아/어 주실 수 있을까요?
   오늘 중으로 확인해 주실 수 있을까요?
   o-neul jung-eu-ro hwa-gin-hae ju-sil su it-seul-kka-yo? — “Would you be able to check it today?”
4. Softener + request — 혹시 / 실례지만 / 죄송하지만 + ② or ③
   죄송하지만, 내일까지 확인 부탁드려도 될까요?
   joe-song-ha-ji-man, nae-il-kka-ji hwa-gin bu-tak-deu-ryeo-do doel-kka-yo?
5. Closing with thanks — thanks + reassurance
   바쁘신데 감사합니다. 큰 도움이 됩니다.
   ba-bbeu-sin-de gam-sa-ham-ni-da. keun do-u-mi doem-ni-da.

Register 체크: 부탁드리다 is more formal than 부탁하다. With seniors, teachers, or clients → choose 부탁드리다.

💬 Practice Dialogue & Quick Quiz

Scene: Office — asking a colleague (slightly senior) for help.

A (KR): 실례지만, 내일까지 이 문서를 확인해 주실 수 있을까요?
A (RR): sil-lye-ji-man, nae-il-kka-ji i mun-seo-reul hwa-gin-hae ju-sil su it-seul-kka-yo?
A (EN): Excuse me, but would you be able to check this document by tomorrow?

B (KR): 네, 가능하면 오늘 중으로 검토해서 보내 드릴게요.
B (RR): ne, ga-neung-ha-myeon o-neul jung-eu-ro geom-to-hae-seo bo-nae deu-ril-ge-yo.
B (EN): Sure, if possible I’ll review it today and send it to you.

A (KR): 바쁘신데 감사드립니다. 한 가지 더 부탁드려도 될까요?
A (RR): ba-bbeu-sin-de gam-sa-deu-rim-ni-da. han ga-ji deo bu-tak-deu-ryeo-do doel-kka-yo?
A (EN): Thank you even though you’re busy. May I ask one more favor?

B (KR): 네, 말씀하세요.
B (RR): ne, mal-sseum-ha-se-yo.
B (EN): Sure, go ahead.

📝 Quick Quiz (open)

1. Fill in a soft opener:
     _____, 자리 좀 바꿔 주실 수 있을까요?
   → Choose: 혹시 / 실례지만 / 죄송하지만
2. Make a formal thing-request with N = 자료 검토:
     “자료 검토를 ____________.”
3. Politer version of “도와 줄래요?” → “______ 주실 수 있을까요?”

Answers: 1) any of the three (e.g. 실례지만) · 2) 자료 검토를 부탁드립니다 · 3) 도와

👩‍🏫 Teacher’s Tips

• Don’t forget the “object” of 부탁.
  Many learners say only 부탁드려요. Add what you are asking: 예약 변경을 부탁드립니다.
• Match the register to the person.
  Friends: 부탁해. Co-workers: 부탁해요 / 부탁드려요. Seniors/clients: 부탁드립니다.
• Add one softener at the beginning.
  “혹시/실례지만/죄송하지만” + request can completely change the feeling of your sentence.
• Practice with email templates.
  Save 2–3 Korean email lines (opening + request + thanks) and copy–edit them for real life.

🗯 Say What? — 완곡하게 말하기

완곡하게 말하다 means “to speak indirectly / in a softened way.” In Korean culture, people often prefer indirect requests over direct orders.

예를 들어, “이거 해 주세요”라고 직접 말하기보다
“혹시 이 부분 한 번만 더 봐 주실 수 있을까요?”처럼 완곡하게 말하면 훨씬 부드럽게 들려요.

Try changing your direct English-style requests into softer Korean versions using 오늘 배운 패턴.

🌏 Did You Know?

In many Korean workplaces, people rarely say “No” directly. Instead, they use soft phrases like:

• 조금 어려울 것 같습니다 — “I think it might be a bit difficult.”
• 다른 일정과 겹쳐서요 — “It overlaps with another schedule.”
• 다음에 한 번 도와드릴게요 — “I’ll try to help next time.”

When you understand these “soft no” patterns, you can read the situation better and also respond politely.

✍️ It’s Your Turn

Write 4 sentences in the comments using today’s patterns:

1. 2 sentences with 부탁드립니다 / 부탁드려도 될까요?
2. 2 sentences with -아/어 주시겠어요? or -(으)실 수 있을까요?

Example:
혹시, 오늘 회의록을 메일로 보내 주실 수 있을까요?
hok-si, o-neul hoe-ui-rok-eul me-il-lo bo-nae ju-sil su it-seul-kka-yo?

🎓 italki Lesson

Want to check if your Korean requests sound natural and polite?
Book a 1:1 lesson with me on italki and practice real situations like:

• Asking your boss for a day off
• Requesting a favor from your host family
• Sending polite email requests in Korean

💬 Stay connected for new updates:
Save this post, share with a friend learning Korean, and comment which request situation you want to practice next!

Your feedback helps me create more lessons that match real Korean life and TOPIK needs. 🙏

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