The Rules of Korean Grammar V-(으)ㅂ시다 / 읍시다

Korean grammar -ㅂ시다 / 읍시다 is used to suggest or propose doing something with the listeners who are usually not your close friends or family. It is corresponds to ‘Let’s’ or ‘Shall we’ in English.

It’s commonly heard in office settings, such as when a boss addresses employees or when coworkers talk to each other. While it’s important to show respect to listeners in these situations, it’s generally acceptable to use “~ㅂ/읍시다”. However, it’s not recommended to use this form when speaking to someone who commands a high level of respect, such as your boss or teacher.

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Formal Polite V-(으)ㅂ시다 / 읍시다

Verb Ending in Vowel

가다 + ㅂ시다 → 갑시다

Verb Ending in Consonant

먹다 + 읍시다 → 먹읍시다

오다 → 옵시다 (Let’s come)
자다 → 잡시다 (Let’s sleep)
여행하다 → 여행합시다 (Let’s travel)
공부하다 → 공부합시다 (Let’s study)
만나다 → 만납시다 (Let’s meet up)
보다 → 봅시다 (Let’s see)

앉다 → 앉읍시다 (Let’s sit)
입다 → 입읍시다 (Let’s wear)
받다 → 받읍시다 (Let’s receive)
찾다 → 찾읍시다 (Let’s find)
씻다 → 씻읍시다 (Let’s wash)
벗다 → 벗읍시다 (Let’s take it off)

Casual Informal V-자

By attaching “~자” to the stem of a verb at the end of a sentence, you can propose doing that action together. In English, this usually corresponds to “Let’s…”

This ending is very straightforward because it’s always applied to present tense verbs, and it doesn’t affect any irregular forms due to its meaning. Furthermore, “~자” can be attached to stems ending in both consonants and vowels. For instance:

옵시다 (Let’s come) → 오자	앉읍시다 (Let’s sit) → 앉자
잡시다 (Let’s sleep) → 자자	입읍시다 (Let’s wear) → 입자
여행합시다 (Let’s travel) → 여행하자	받읍시다 (Let’s receive) → 받자
공부합시다 (Let’s study) → 공부하자	찾읍시다 (Let’s find) → 찾자
만납시다 (Let’s meet up) → 만나자	씻읍시다 (Let’s wash) → 씻자
봅시다 (Let’s see) → 보자	벗읍시다 (Let’s take it off) → 벗자

같이 갑시다! → 같이 가자!
Let’s play together!

밥을 먹읍시다!→ 밥을 먹자!
Let’s eat!

공부합시다! → 공부하자!
Let’s study!

However, ‘요’ cannot be added to -자 to form a casual polite form.
Therefore, the grammar V-자 can only be used to friends or anyone younger than the speaker.

Korean Grammar V-지 맙시다 or V-지 마요 Let’s not to -V

Formal Polite V-지 맙시다

옵시다 → 오지 맙시다 (Let’s not come)
잡시다 → 자지 맙시다 (Let’s not sleep)
여행합시다 → 여행하지 맙시다 (Let’s not travel)
공부합시다 → 공부하지 맙시다 (Let’s not study)
만납시다 → 만나지 맙시다 (Let’s not meet)
봅시다 → 보지 맙시다 (Let’s not see)

앉읍시다 → 앉지 맙시다 (Let’s not sit)
입읍시다 → 입지 맙시다 (Let’s not wear)
받읍시다 → 받지 맙시다 (Let’s not receive)
찾읍시다 → 찾지 맙시다 (Let’s not find)
씻읍시다 → 씻지 맙시다 (Let’s not wash)
벗읍시다 → 벗지 맙시다 (Let’s not take it off)

Casual Polite V-지 마요

옵시다 → 오지 마요 (Let’s not come)
잡시다 → 자지 마요 (Let’s not sleep)
여행합시다 → 여행하지 마요 (Let’s not travel)
공부합시다 → 공부하지 마요 (Let’s not study)
만납시다 → 만나지 마요 (Let’s not meet)
봅시다 → 보지 마요 (Let’s not see)

앉읍시다 → 앉지 마요 (Let’s not sit)
입읍시다 → 입지 마요 (Let’s not wear)
받읍시다 → 받지 마요 (Let’s not receive)
찾읍시다 → 찾지 마요 (Let’s not find)
씻읍시다 → 씻지 마요 (Let’s not wash)
벗읍시다 → 벗지 마요 (Let’s not take it off)

Casual Informal V-지 마

옵시다 → 오지 마 (Let’s not come)
잡시다 → 자지 마 (Let’s not sleep)
여행합시다 → 여행하지 마 (Let’s not travel)
공부합시다 → 공부하지 마 (Let’s not study)
만납시다 → 만나지 마 (Let’s not meet)
봅시다 → 보지 마 (Let’s not see)

앉읍시다 → 앉지 마 (Let’s not sit)
입읍시다 → 입지 마 (Let’s not wear)
받읍시다 → 받지 마 (Let’s not receive)
찾읍시다 → 찾지 마 (Let’s not find)
씻읍시다 → 씻지 마 (Let’s not wash)
벗읍시다 → 벗지 마 (Let’s not take it off)

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