Why is "-doro-hagetseumnida" Always Added in Formal Settings?
I can't stand it when hosts on TV say this. Specifically, the first one: "……hadorok hagetseumnida" (I shall make it so that...). For example, they say things like "I shall make it so that the awards are presented," "I shall make it so that we see," or "I shall make it so that we hear the announcement." I don't understand why they stretch it out into "……hadorok hagetseumnida" when they could simply say "I will present the awards," "I will see," or "I will announce." If you watch year-end award ceremonies, they are overflowing with these monotonous, cookie-cutter hosting scripts. What exactly are they trying to "make it so that" happens? Have they never questioned these sentences? It's irritating to see such thoughtless usage, just because everyone else does it. (Yoo Sun-kyung, *The Adult's Vocabulary*, 2020)
One of the questions I receive most often from readers is whether "~doro" can be used when referring to oneself. In other words, expressions like "I shall make it so that I do it," "I shall make it so that I am careful," or "I shall make it so that I tell you." "~doro" is primarily used with a meaning similar to "so that" or "in order to," as in "I gave fertilizer so that the tree would grow well" or "I instructed them to check every day." Then why use "I shall make it so that I do it" when "I will do it" would suffice? Some speculate that this happened because people were trying to express themselves politely. They believe that "I shall make it so that I do it" is a more courteous expression. (Bae Sang-bok, "[Correcting Our Language] Can '~doro' be used for oneself?", JoongAng Ilbo, 2023-03-06, accessed 2026-05-30,
https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/25144864
https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/25144864
)
There is a phrase frequently encountered at official events, interviews, and press conferences.
"Hadorok hagetseumnida." (I shall make it so that...)
Whether giving an award, apologizing, or making a suggestion, some people believe it is the etiquette or custom of formal settings to insert the "cushion" of "hadorok" instead of saying "hagetseumnida" (I will) directly. Yoo Sun-kyung expressed her blatant distaste for this monotonous phrasing, suggesting it is used thoughtlessly simply because others do. She even pointed out whether there is some unwritten rule that the longer a sentence is stretched, the more politeness it conveys. Bae Sang-bok speculated that this might be a more polite and courteous way of speaking, yet could not find the definitive reason for that speculation.
First, let's explore the literal meaning of "-doro." The Standard Korean Language Dictionary explains it as follows:
doro 5
[Reference Vocabulary]
-gekkeum
[Ending]
1 ((Attached to a verb stem, some adjective stems, or the ending '-eusi-'))
A connective ending indicating that the preceding content becomes the purpose, result, method, or degree of the situation referred to later. Auxiliary particles such as 'eun', 'do', or 'kkaji' may follow.
I gave fertilizer so that the tree would grow well.
We must be quiet so that the guest can sleep comfortably.
We must look after the children so that they can cross the road safely.
2 ((Attached directly to a verb stem)) Used in place of the imperative form to indicate a direction or command as a final ending.
Disperse now and gather here again by twelve o'clock.
The "-doro" in "hadorok hagetseumnida" corresponds to definition 1. In other words, the expression "hadorok hagetseumnida" indicates that the preceding content is the purpose, result, method, or degree of the action the speaker says they "will do."
Now, let's take "sishang-hadorok hagetseumnida" (I shall make it so that the awards are presented) as an example. Literally, rather than saying the speaker will present the award directly, it is closer to saying "I will make it so that the presentation of awards takes place." Of course, since the host at an actual event does not always personally hand out the awards, this expression can sound somewhat natural as the words of a facilitator. However, that alone cannot explain the usage of this expression. This is because the same format is used even when the host personally hands over the award, or for actions the speaker performs themselves, such as "I shall make it so that I speak" or "I shall make it so that I am careful."
Therefore, the core of this expression does not lie in whether the actual action is indirect or not. It lies in the fact that even a direct action is not spoken of directly, but is bypassed through a format of "making it so that the task is accomplished." In other words, the speaker does not say "I will achieve that task," but by saying "I will make it so that that task is achieved," they lower their own agency as the actor. From this perspective, it is understandable why Yoo Sun-kyung points it out as useless clutter.
However, our intuition is also drawn to the feeling that this expression actually feels more polite. Why is that? Yoo Sun-kyung criticized it by asking if stretching a sentence makes it more polite, but that actually captures a facet of the truth. To be precise, stretching the sentence does not inherently create politeness. Rather, the sentence becomes longer because the speaker is trying to reduce directness and express things indirectly.
Conversation is not simply the act of exchanging information. For a conversation to be established, the speaker and listener must cooperate to use language that the other can understand. Linguist Herbert Paul Grice called this the Cooperative Principle, and as one of its sub-principles, he proposed the Maxim of Manner. The Maxim of Manner requires avoiding obscure or ambiguous expressions and speaking as concisely and orderly as possible.
By this standard, "-doro hagetseumnida" is clearly inefficient. It takes a thought that could be said as "I will" and wraps it in an extra layer as "I shall make it so that I will." Therefore, this expression seems to conflict with the Maxim of Manner, specifically with conciseness. This is why Yoo Sun-kyung perceives this expression as clutter. However, if efficiency were everything in conversation, polite speech would be considered clutter from the start.
Conversation does not proceed by cooperation alone. Conversation is always an act of adjusting relationships. While conveying information, people simultaneously try not to offend the other person's "face" and adjust their speech so that their actions do not seem overly coercive or arbitrary. This is where the issue of politeness arises.
In linguist Geoffrey Leech's Politeness Principle, the important point is that conversation adjusts the burdens and benefits of each party. Polite speech is organized in a way that reduces the burden on the listener and lowers the benefit or self-display for the speaker. Penelope Brown and Stephen Levinson also explained politeness strategies centered on the concept of "face." Humans have "negative face," the desire not to be impeded or constrained, and "positive face," the desire to be liked and respected. Utterances that affect the relationship between speaker and listener—such as requests, directions, apologies, promises, or announcements—can threaten this face, so speakers reduce directness in various ways. The less the form of the speech exposes the "I," the less the action interferes with the other person's face.
"-doro hagetseumnida" can be understood at this exact point. This expression does not actually hand over the decision-making power to the listener. Saying "I shall make it so that the awards are presented" does not mean the audience decides whether the awards are given. However, this expression bypasses the direct declaration of action "I will do it" into the format of "I will make it so that it happens." Rather than placing themselves at the forefront of the action, the speaker presents themselves as someone coordinating the event to happen. This detour reduces directness, and for that reason, it sounds more polite in formal settings.
That said, speaking indirectly does not always make one more polite. In promises, in particular, a different principle operates than in commands or requests. Since a command is an act of imposing a burden on the listener, expressing it indirectly can reduce that burden. However, a promise is an act where the speaker voluntarily takes on a burden to do something in the future. In this case, speaking directly makes the speaker's responsibility clearer and increases the benefit or peace of mind for the listener.
Problems arise when one thinks that directness must be reduced unconditionally in formal settings without considering this point. This happens when someone says "I shall make it so that I fix it" or "I shall make it so that I correct it" in a situation where they should say "I will fix it" or "I will correct it" after being pointed out for a mistake. This expression steps back from the action even at a moment when a responsible promise must be made. It becomes closer to "I will make it so that it gets fixed" rather than "I will fix it." Therefore, such words can sound less like politeness and more like an attempt to blur responsibility. Even if it is a widely used idiomatic expression, it may have contributed to the growing distrust that there is a lack of sincere apologies in Korean society.
Then, is Yoo Sun-kyung's advice wrong because it overlooks the context of utterance—or in academic terms, the problem of pragmatics? Not necessarily. In writing, clear expression can be more important. Let's look at another example. Lee Kang-ryong, in *Korean Language Study for Translators*, listed expressions like "I love you, valued customer," "Anyway, thank you in advance," and "Thank you for using it cleanly" as bad sentences. He argues that the persuasiveness of the sentence drops because it assumes things that haven't happened yet as if they have already occurred.
The interesting point is that these expressions can also be explained as politeness strategies. "I love you, valued customer" is a ritual signal to treat the customer positively; "Anyway, thank you in advance" is an expression that wraps a request in the form of gratitude; and "Thank you for using it cleanly" is a direction transformed into the form of gratitude. All are attempts to avoid directly touching the other person's face.
However, that is exactly why problems occur. Politeness strategies do not always succeed. If you thank someone in advance for something they haven't done yet, the other person may feel not that they are being considered, but that the speaker has blocked their path to refuse. Even if the speaker didn't say "Please use it cleanly" directly, the pressure of "You won't be able to not use it cleanly" may be felt more clearly. In other words, the polite form is read as a hidden coercion.
In this regard, speaking and writing are different. In speech, intonation, facial expressions, gestures, and immediate reactions complement the utterance. Even if a request is made indirectly, the listener can feel the consideration depending on the tone and attitude. However, once writing leaves the author's hand, it stands alone. Writing has no intonation or facial expression, and the author cannot correct it immediately based on the reader's reaction. Therefore, overly indirect politeness in writing is easily seen as calculated pressure rather than consideration. This is why the sentence "Anyway, thank you in advance" is read not as gratitude, but as a demand not to refuse.
This is where the warnings of Yoo Sun-kyung and Lee Kang-ryong meet. Expressions that consider politeness and face can become excessive and disproportionate in writing. Especially in writing, clarity and honesty are often more important. A reader who intentionally chooses to read a book is already a somewhat cooperative reader. There is no need to add buffers to the end of every sentence for such a reader. Rather, speaking accurately without beating around the bush can be a greater form of courtesy.
"-doro hagetseumnida" is not a meaningless redundancy, but a politeness strategy utilizing indirect speech. Things that seem like errors or clutter in everyday speech may contain a heart of consideration for the other person. However, politeness does not always come from indirectness. In some settings, speaking directly is more responsible, more honest, and therefore more polite. There is no mechanical strategy in speaking or writing. True politeness comes from speaking and writing in a way that fits the situation, fits the person, and contains one's sincerity.
Reference Materials
*The Adult's Vocabulary* (Yoo Sun-kyung, 2020)
A book that leads readers to find more accurate and vivid words by meticulously examining expressions used habitually in daily life. The criticism of "-doro hagetseumnida" cited in this text is contained in this book.
*Korean Language Study for Translators* (Lee Kang-ryong, 2014)
Although "for translators" is in the title, the focus is on the Korean language. Based on the premise that one must be able to write more clearly and rigorously in Korean to translate well, it meticulously points out common errors in Korean writing. Examples such as "Anyway, thank you in advance" cited in this text appear in this book.
*Pragmatics of Communication* (Lee Seong-beom, 2019)
While the previous two books are writing guides for general readers, this is an academic book closer to a university textbook. The theoretical foundations of Grice's Cooperative Principle, Leech's Politeness Principle, and Brown and Levinson's Face Theory discussed in this text were obtained from this book. It is recommended for readers who wish to explore more deeply why clear speech is important and why we still speak indirectly in daily life.
"[Correcting Our Language] Can '~doro' be used for oneself?" (Bae Sang-bok, 2023-03-06)
A JoongAng Ilbo article dealing with the meaning and usage of "~doro," the central theme of this text. While it doesn't use the term "politeness," it introduces various theories, including the intention for polite expression and the influence of the Japanese language.
Source: https://www.fmkorea.com/best/9894252980