Breakdown of seonsaengnimi dasi seolmyeonghae jusyeosseoyo.
~이~i
subject particle
선생님seonsaengnim
teacher
다시dasi
again
설명해 주다seolmyeonghae juda
to explain
Questions & Answers about seonsaengnimi dasi seolmyeonghae jusyeosseoyo.
What does the construction -아/어 주다 add in 설명해 주셨어요?
It’s the benefactive form meaning “do [the action] for someone.” 설명해 주셨어요 means “(the teacher) explained for someone’s benefit,” typically me/us in context. Without 주다, 설명했어요 is just “explained,” with no benefactive nuance.
Why is it 주셨어요 and not 줬어요?
Because the subject is a respected person (선생님), Korean adds the subject-honorific -시- to 주다, forming 주시다. In the past polite form, 주시었어요 contracts to 주셨어요.
- If you used 줬어요 (from 주었어요), you would not be honoring the subject.
Where does the honorific -시- go in 설명해 주셨어요? Why is it on 주다 and not on 설명하다?
In multi-verb constructions like V-아/어 주다, the honorific -시- attaches to the final (auxiliary) verb: 주다 → 주시다 → 주셨어요. You do not say 설명하시고 주다 or add -시- to both; one -시- on the last verb is the rule here.
Can I say 설명하셨어요 instead? What’s the difference?
Yes.
- 설명하셨어요: honors the teacher and simply states “explained.”
- 설명해 주셨어요: also honors the teacher but adds the sense “explained for us/for me,” which is often more natural and polite when the action benefits the listener.