To say/tell (polite) in Korean 🇰🇷

말해요 info.

Tips to remember:
• Notice that “말” sounds like “mall” in English; imagine someone saying “mall” to remember that it relates to speaking.
• “하다” means “to do” so “말하다” literally means “to do speech.” Think of it as “to put words into action.”

Explanations:
• “말해요” is the polite present tense form of the verb “말하다” (to say/tell).
• The form is used in conversational situations when speaking politely.
• The ending “-해요” comes from the conjugation of 하다 in a polite style.

Other words that mean the same thing:
• “말씀하세요” – the honorific form used when showing respect.
• “이야기해요” – means “to talk/storytell” with a nuance of conversation compared to just “to say.”

Different conjugations of “말하다”:
• Dictionary form: 말하다 (malhada)
• Present (polite): 말해요 (malhaeyo)
• Past (polite): 말했어요 (malhaesseoyo)
• Future (polite): 말할 거예요 (malhal geoyeyo)
• Present (informal low): 말해 (malhae)
• Past (informal low): 말했어 (malhaesseo)
• Future (informal low): 말할 거야 (malhal geoya)

Examples of sentences:
1. 현재 시제 (Present):
– Korean: 뭐라고 말해요?
– Romanized: Mweorago malhaeyo?
– English: What do you say?

2. 과거 시제 (Past):
– Korean: 어제 친구에게 뭐라고 말했어요?
– Romanized: Eoje chinguege mweorago malhaesseoyo?
– English: What did you say to your friend yesterday?

3. 미래 시제 (Future):
– Korean: 내일 선생님께 뭐라고 말할 거예요?
– Romanized: Naeil seonsaengnimkke mweorago malhal geoyeyo?
– English: What will you say to the teacher tomorrow?

a few seconds ago