Travel Phrases — Entry No. 0138
주세요
juseyo · expression
주세요
juseyo
[JOO-seh-yo]
expressionbeginner
Meaning
주세요 is a polite expression meaning ‘please give me’ or ‘please [do this],’ formed from 주다 (to give) in the formal polite style. It is one of the first phrases any Korean learner needs, used when making a request from a stranger, shopkeeper, or server. For K-Drama fans it is audible in virtually every café, restaurant, and shopping scene.
K-Pop & K-Drama Context
BTS members say 주세요 constantly in their reality content — from ordering food on In the SOOP to requesting items during games on Run BTS! — making it one of the most fan-imitated everyday phrases. In ‘Crash Landing on You,’ Yoon Se-ri’s repeated use of 주세요 while adapting to unfamiliar surroundings shows how this single word signals both politeness and determination. Knowing 주세요 is considered the gateway phrase for any K-Pop fan visiting Korea.
Example Sentences
물 주세요.
Mul juseyo.
Please give me water. (Essential at any Korean restaurant — polite, clear, and immediately understood by everyone)
사인 주세요!
Sain juseyo!
Please give me your autograph! (Every fan’s dream phrase to shout at a K-Pop fan sign event — pure desperation in three syllables)
이거 주세요.
Igeo juseyo.
Please give me this one. (Point-and-say shopping phrase perfect for Myeongdong or idol merch stores when words fail you)
⚠️ Don’t use juseyo when…
Fans often swap 주세요 with 제발 (jebal), but 제발 is a desperate emotional plea — using it to order coffee sounds melodramatic and strange. Also, beginners sometimes use 줘요 (jwoyo), which is the informal version and can sound impolite or rude when speaking to staff, strangers, or elders.
🎵 Heard In
- K-Drama: Crash Landing on You — Yoon Se-ri uses 이것 주세요 while attempting to buy everyday items in a North Korean village, cementing the phrase as a survival-level travel essential in any unfamiliar setting.
- K-Pop: EXO — ‘Tell Me What Is Love’ (the Korean title 사랑이 무엇인지 알려주세요 ends with 주세요, framing the entire song as a longing request to be taught what love is)
💡 Did You Know? 주세요 is so ingrained in Korean service culture that children learn it as one of their very first polite phrases — it compresses the English concepts of ‘please,’ ‘may I have,’ and ‘could you give me’ into a single three-syllable word.
ℹ️ Editorial Note: The cultural context and example usage are for educational reference only. Artist names, song titles, and drama references are used descriptively to illustrate vocabulary in context. This content is AI-assisted and reviewed for accuracy. For official information, please refer to the respective artists’ or studios’ official channels.