Learn Hardcore Korean: sajangnimi jikjeop dowajusyeoseo munjereul geumbang haegyeolhaesseoyo. - Because the boss helped me directly, I solved the problem quickly.

이/가 marks the grammatical subject: 사장님이 = “the boss (as subject).”
께서 is the honorific subject marker. 사장님께서 sounds more respectful/formal than 사장님이.
In this sentence, honorifics are already shown by -시- in 도와주셔서, so both are natural. Choose 께서 if you want extra politeness or formality.

Why is it 도와주셔서 with -셔서? What’s the breakdown?

Base verb: 돕다 (to help) → ㅂ-irregular: 도와.
Benefactive auxiliary: 주다 (“to give,” here “do (for someone)”) → 도와 주다 → often written together 도와주다.
Honorific for the subject: -시- → 도와 주시-.
Causal connective: -어서/아서 → -시어서 contracts to -셔서.
Result: 도와주셔서 = “because (the boss) helped (for us).”

Can I say 도와줘서 instead of 도와주셔서?

도와줘서 is non-honorific and fine when the helper is a peer, younger person, or someone you don’t need to honor.
With someone you should respect (like a boss), use the honorific: 도와주셔서.
Example contrast:
- Friend: 도와줘서 고마워.
- Boss: 도와주셔서 감사합니다.

Shouldn’t it be 도와 드려서 or 도와 드셔서?

주시다 vs 드리다:
- 주시다: honorific of 주다 when the GIVER is higher (the boss gives help). → 도와주셨어요 / 도와주셔서.
- 드리다: humble of 주다 when the SPEAKER gives to someone higher. → 제가 사장님께 도와 드렸어요.
So here, because the boss is the helper (giver), 도와주셔서 is correct. Not 도와 드셔서.

Why use -아서/어서 here? Could I use -니까 or -기 때문에 instead?

All three can express reason, but nuance differs:
- -아서/어서: neutral cause/background reason; sounds smooth and natural here.
- -니까: more direct/explicit cause, often speaker’s judgment or justification. Also common here: 도와주시니까…
- -기 때문에: more formal/explicit, slightly heavier: 도와주셨기 때문에…
Note: -아서/어서 typically isn’t used with commands/promises in the main clause; -니까 can be.

Why no past marker in 도와주셔서? Why not 도와주셨어서?

In causal -아서/어서 clauses, Korean normally uses the non-past form even when the cause happened before the result.
도와주셔서 already means “since (s/he) helped,” and the main clause carries the past: 해결했어요.
Forms like …였/었어서 are generally avoided. If you need explicit past in the cause, use:
- 도와주셨기 때문에, or
- 도와주신 덕분에.

Is 돕다 irregular? How did we get 도와-?

Yes, 돕다 is a ㅂ-irregular verb. Before a vowel, ㅂ → ㅗ/우 depending on the verb:
- 돕다 → 도와요, 도왔어요.
- With 주다: 도와 주다 → 도와줘요 / 도와주셔서.

How should I space 도와주셔서? Is 도와 주셔서 more correct?

With auxiliary verbs (like -아/어 주다), the principle is to write them separately, but writing them together is widely accepted.
So both 도와 주셔서 and 도와주셔서 are correct. Be consistent within a text.

What exactly does 직접 mean here? Is it the same as 스스로? Can I move it?

직접 = “personally/in person,” emphasizing no intermediary. Here it modifies the boss’s action: the boss personally helped.
스스로 = “by oneself,” subject does the action without help. 스스로 도와주다 is odd because “help” normally targets someone else.
Placement matters:
- 사장님이 직접 도와주셔서… = the boss personally helped.
- 직접 문제를 해결했어요 = I/we personally solved the problem (without others).

What does 금방 mean? Is it the same as 방금 or 바로?

금방 can mean “in no time/soon” or “just now,” depending on context. Here, 문제를 금방 해결했어요 ≈ “we solved it quickly/in no time.”
방금 = “just now” (past only): 방금 해결했어요 = “we solved it just now.”
바로/곧바로 = “immediately/right away.”
곧 = “soon (in a short while),” not “quickly.”
Regional/speaker variation exists, but the above is a safe guide.

Difference between 해결하다, 풀다, and 해결되다 with 문제?

Who is the subject of 해결했어요? Is it “I” or “we”? How do I make it explicit?

Korean often drops obvious subjects. Here it’s most naturally “I” or “we,” depending on context.
To be explicit:
- “I”: 제가 문제를 금방 해결했어요.
- “We”: 우리가 문제를 금방 해결했어요.

Could I rewrite this with 덕분에?

Yes, very natural and slightly more appreciative:
- 사장님이 직접 도와주신 덕분에 문제를 금방 해결했어요.
덕분에 implies gratitude: “Thanks to (someone/something), …”

Is 도와서 okay instead of 도와주셔서?

돕다 is fine, but it usually takes a person as its object: 사장님이 저를 도와서…
In everyday speech, 도와주다 is more idiomatic when helping someone out, and here you also need honorifics for the boss: 도와주셔서 is the most natural choice.

Why 문제를 and not 문제는?

문제를 uses the object marker -를: it just marks “problem” as the thing solved.
문제는 topicalizes/contrasts “the problem.” It could work if you’re contrasting it with something else:
- 사장님이 직접 도와주셔서 문제는 금방 해결했어요 (하지만…)

What about formality? Is 해결했어요 polite enough? What are alternatives?

해결했어요: polite informal (standard in most situations).
More formal/polite: 해결했습니다.
Casual/plain: 해결했다.
Match the style across the sentence:
- 사장님께서 직접 도와주셔서 문제를 금방 해결했습니다. (formal)