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Questions & Answers about eoje seonsaengnimkke jilmuneul dowadallago butakhaesseoyo.
What role does 께 play in 선생님께, and how is it different from 에게?
께 is an honorific dative particle that marks the indirect object (“to” or “for” someone) when you’re showing respect—here, to the teacher. 에게 can also mean “to” or “for,” but it’s neutral. With figures of authority or in polite contexts, you switch 에게 → 께.
How does the structure -아/어 달라고 work in 질문을 도와달라고?
Breakdown:
- 도와-: verb stem of “to help”
- 달라고: contracted indirect-quote marker + “give” (주다) in bound form.
Together, 도와달라고 means “(I) asked (someone) to help.” It’s the way Korean embeds a request in reported speech: “asked that (you) help.”
What does the -라고 ending indicate in this sentence?
The -라고 after 달아 (from 달아 + 고) is the indirect quotation marker for commands or requests. It tells us we’re reporting the content of what was asked (“help with the question”).
Why is it 도와달라고 부탁했어요 instead of just 도와달라고 말했어요 or 도와달라고 요청했어요?
- 부탁했어요 specifically means “made a favor-request,” so it’s warm and polite.
- 말했어요 just means “said,” lacking the nuance of seeking a favor.
- 요청했어요 is more formal/legal (“requested”).
Using 부탁했어요 emphasizes that you asked kindly for help.
In 질문을 도와달라고 부탁했어요, what is 질문을 doing?
질문을 is the direct object of 도와주다 (“to help”). You literally “asked (the teacher) to help the question,” i.e., help you with your question.
Could I change the word order, for example putting 어제 at the end?
Yes. Korean allows flexible adverb placement.
- Default: 어제 선생님께 질문을 도와달라고 부탁했어요.
- Also natural: 선생님께 질문을 도와달라고 어제 부탁했어요.
- Or: 질문을 도와달라고 어제 선생님께 부탁했어요.
Moving 어제 doesn’t change meaning; it’s just a time adverb.
What level of politeness is this sentence using?
The sentence ends with -했어요, which is polite (해요 form) but not overly formal. You also show respect via 께. Overall it’s appropriate for general polite conversation—respectful but not deeply formal.
Since I’m talking about asking a teacher, should I use more honorific verbs like 부탁드렸어요?
You can!
- 부탁했어요 is polite, but neutral regarding your status.
- 부탁드렸어요 uses 드리다 (honorific “give”), so it elevates the respect even more.
Both are correct; choose 부탁드렸어요 when you want extra deference.