Home Agony Column How to Express ‘I Want to’ in Korean- Mastering the Basics of Korean Desire Phrases

How to Express ‘I Want to’ in Korean- Mastering the Basics of Korean Desire Phrases

by liuqiyue

How to Say “I Want to” in Korean

Learning a new language can be an exciting and rewarding experience. One of the first phrases many learners want to master is “I want to.” In Korean, expressing this desire is quite straightforward. Here’s a guide on how to say “I want to” in Korean and some useful variations.

The most common way to say “I want to” in Korean is “저는 (jeh-an) [verb]하고 싶어요 (had-oh-go si-peo-eyo).” In this sentence, “저는” means “I,” “하고 싶어요” means “want to,” and “[verb]” is the action you want to perform. For example, if you want to say “I want to eat,” you would say “저는 먹고 싶어요” (jeh-an meok-go si-peo-eyo).

If you want to be more specific about what you want to do, you can add a noun or adjective after “하고 싶어요.” For instance, “저는 한국어 공부하고 싶어요” (jeh-an han-guk-eo gong-bu-go si-peo-eyo) means “I want to study Korean.”

In a more formal context, you can say “저는 (jeh-an) [verb]하고 싶습니다” (had-oh-go si-peo-sit). The word “습니다” is a formal verb ending that indicates politeness. For example, “저는 한국어 공부하고 싶습니다” (jeh-an han-guk-eo gong-bu-go si-peo-sit) means “I want to study Korean” in a formal tone.

If you’re planning to express your desire in the future, you can use the future tense. The future tense in Korean is formed by adding “-고 싶다” (go si-da) to the verb. For example, “저는 한국어 공부할 거야 싶다” (jeh-an han-guk-eo gong-bu-hal geo-ya si-da) means “I want to study Korean in the future.”

In summary, here are some key phrases to express “I want to” in Korean:

– 저는 [verb]하고 싶어요 (jeh-an [verb] had-oh-go si-peo-eyo): I want to [verb]
– 저는 [verb]하고 싶습니다 (jeh-an [verb] had-oh-go si-peo-sit): I want to [verb] (formal)
– 저는 [verb]할 거야 싶다 (jeh-an [verb] hal geo-ya si-da): I want to [verb] in the future

Remember that Korean is a language with a rich vocabulary, so there are many ways to express your desires. Practice these phrases and you’ll be well on your way to mastering the art of expressing “I want to” in Korean.

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