Korean Elementary: Asking and Wanting Someone to Do Something
Learn Korean patterns for 'ask someone to do' and 'want someone to do' using -아/어 달라고 하다 and -아/어 주기를 바라다, with clear examples and a dialogue.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In Korean, when you want to say that someone asked or wanted another person to do something, you do not simply put two verbs together. You attach a request form to the action verb and then add a speech or desire verb. The most common elementary pattern for 'ask someone to do' is -아/어 달라고 하다. For 'want someone to do,' use -아/어 주기를 바라다. This lesson teaches both patterns step by step, with Hangul, Revised Romanization, and natural examples.
By the end, you can…
- use -아/어 달라고 하다 to say that someone asked another person to do something.
- use -아/어 주기를 바라다 to say that someone wants another person to do something.
- tell the difference between asking for myself and asking for someone else.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
기다려 달라고 했어요.
He/She asked me to wait.
gi-da-ryeo dal-la-go hae-sseo-yo
Use when the speaker is reporting that someone asked another person to wait. The request is directed at the speaker or a third person.
도와달라고 했어요.
He/She asked me to help (him/her).
do-wa-dal-la-go hae-sseo-yo
도와주다 becomes 도와달라고 하다. This is a common fixed request form meaning 'asked to be helped.'
전화해 달라고 했어요.
He/She asked me to call.
jeon-hwa-hae dal-la-go hae-sseo-yo
Use with action verbs ending in 하다. The speaker is the one who made the request.
기다려 주기를 바라요.
I hope you will wait.
gi-da-ryeo ju-gi-reul ba-ra-yo
This expresses a wish or desire, not a direct command. It is softer than giving an imperative.
도와주기를 바라요.
I hope he/she will help.
do-wa-ju-gi-reul ba-ra-yo
Use when you hope someone will do a favor. 주다 adds the meaning 'do for someone.'
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To say 'ask someone to do,' take the verb stem and add -아/어 달라고 하다. For example, 기다리다 'to wait' becomes 기다려 달라고 했어요 'asked (me) to wait.' The person being asked is marked with 에게 or 한테, but it is often omitted when clear. To say 'want/hope someone will do,' use -아/어 주기를 바라다. For example, 도와주다 'to help' becomes 도와주기를 바라요 'I hope you will help.' Here -기를 is a nominalizer attached to the verb, and the whole clause 주기를 is the object of 바라다; the particle 를 after 주기 marks that object.
When to use it
Use -아/어 달라고 하다 when reporting a request: 엄마가 나에게 청소해 달라고 했어요 'Mom asked me to clean.' Use -아/어 주기를 바라다 when expressing a polite wish: 선생님은 학생들이 열심히 공부해 주기를 바라세요 'The teacher hopes the students will study hard.' Note that 바라다 is a regular verb, so the honorific -시- appears as 바라세요. Do not use these patterns for direct commands. For direct requests, use -아/어 주세요, as in 기다려 주세요 'Please wait.'
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
민수 씨가 뭐라고 했어요?
What did Minsu say?min-su ssi-ga mwo-ra-go hae-sseo-yo?저에게 기다려 달라고 했어요.
He asked me to wait.jeo-e-ge gi-da-ryeo dal-la-go hae-sseo-yo.그래서 어떻게 했어요?
So what did you do?geu-rae-seo eo-tteo-ke hae-sseo-yo?저는 그냥 기다려 주기를 바랐어요.
I just hoped he would wait (for me).jeo-neun geu-nyang gi-da-ryeo ju-gi-reul ba-ran-neo-yo.A little context goes a long way
Korean has different levels of politeness. The patterns here are neutral and polite when you use -요 at the end. When speaking to close friends, you can drop -요 and say 기다려 달라고 했어. When speaking to someone older or in a formal setting, use the polite -습니다 style: 기다려 달라고 했습니다. Also, 주기를 바라다 is softer and more indirect than a direct request, so it is common in letters, speeches, and polite conversation.
One thing to watch for
Using -아/어 주세요 for reported speech, as in 그가 저에게 기다려 주세요 했어요.
Try this instead: For reported requests, use -아/어 달라고 하다: 그가 저에게 기다려 달라고 했어요. Save -아/어 주세요 for direct polite requests: 기다려 주세요.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'She asked me to call' using 전화하다?
Show a sample answer
전화해 달라고 했어요.
전화하다 becomes 전화해 before -달라고 하다. This reports that she asked the speaker to call. You could also say 전화해 달라고 했어 in casual speech.
2What is the difference between 기다려 주세요 and 기다려 달라고 했어요?
Show a sample answer
기다려 주세요 is a direct polite request meaning 'Please wait.' 기다려 달라고 했어요 reports that someone asked someone to wait, meaning 'asked me to wait.'
The first is a direct request; the second is reported speech. Both use the same verb but different endings.
3Translate: 'I want him to help.' Use 도와주다.
Show a sample answer
도와주기를 바라요.
도와주다 becomes 도와주기를 바라요. The particle 를 marks the object of 바라다. You can also say 도와주길 바라요 as a shortened form.
Use -아/어 달라고 하다 to report that someone asked another person to do something, and -아/어 주기를 바라다 to express that someone wants another person to do something. Keep direct requests separate with -아/어 주세요.
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