Learn Korean for Free | Beginner Korean Grammar #35
Lesson 14 introduced the everyday polite form -고 싶어요. This lesson looks at the base construction V-고 싶다 and shows how it changes for time, negation, and another person’s desire.
What Does V-고 싶다 Mean?
V-고 싶다 means “to want to do.” 싶다 carries the tense and speech ending: 싶어요 for a polite present wish, 싶었어요 for a past wish, and 싶지 않아요 for a negative wish.
The Rule
Add -고 싶다 to an action-verb stem: 가다 → 가고 싶다, 배우다 → 배우고 싶다. In conversation, conjugate 싶다: 가고 싶어요, 가고 싶었어요, 가고 싶지 않아요. To describe another person’s observed desire, use -고 싶어 하다.
Useful Korean Words
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 여행하다 | to travel |
| 배우다 | to learn |
| 만나다 | to meet |
| 쉬다 | to rest |
| 먹다 | to eat |
| 해 보다 | to try doing |
| 어렸을 때 | when young |
| 나중에 | later |
Korean Grammar Examples
저는 한국에서 공부하고 싶어요.
I want to study in Korea.
어렸을 때 의사가 되고 싶었어요.
I wanted to become a doctor when I was young.
오늘은 밖에 나가고 싶지 않아요.
I do not want to go outside today.
무슨 음식을 먹고 싶어요?
What food do you want to eat?
민수 씨는 제주도에 가고 싶어 해요.
Minsu wants to go to Jeju Island.
A Short Dialogue
A: 나중에 무엇을 배우고 싶어요? — What do you want to learn later?
B: 한국 요리를 배우고 싶어요. — I want to learn Korean cooking.
A: 어떤 요리를 만들고 싶어요? — What dish do you want to make?
B: 김치찌개를 만들어 보고 싶어요. — I want to try making kimchi stew.
A Common Mistake to Avoid
Do not use -고 싶어요 directly as an objective statement about a third person’s private feeling. 민수 씨가 가고 싶어 해요 presents an observable desire. In a direct question to Minsu, however, 민수 씨도 가고 싶어요? is natural because the listener can answer about their own wish.
Quick Quiz 🎯
Choose the suitable form: ① I want to rest. ② I wanted to travel. ③ I do not want to eat. ④ Jina wants to learn Korean.
Answers and Explanation
① 쉬고 싶어요. ② 여행하고 싶었어요. ③ 먹고 싶지 않아요. ④ 지나 씨는 한국어를 배우고 싶어 해요.
Try It in Your Own Life
Write two original sentences using V-고 싶다 about your experience, schedule, ability, plan, or Korean study. Read them aloud, change one detail, and say them again. Check both the grammar form and the spacing before comparing your work with the model sentences.
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