LEARN + KOREAN / 17 of 125 TOPIK I

I Want To -고 싶어요

You’ve finished work and want to go home: 집에 가고 싶어요. Add -고 싶다 to a verb stem to say you want to do that action. In polite conversation, finish with -고 싶어요.

jeoneun bibimbabeul meokgo sipeoyo.

I want to eat bibimbap.

jeoneun keipap konseoteureul bogo sipeoyo.

I want to watch a K-pop concert.

hangugeoreul baeugo sipeoyo.

I want to learn Korean.

For an ordinary statement about another person’s desire, use -고 싶어 하다: 동생은 쉬고 싶어 해요. When asking the listener what they want, -고 싶어요? is natural. Direct quotations and some narrative contexts can also contain another person’s -고 싶다; keep the ordinary conversation pattern clear first.

jaemin ssineun nongguleul hago sipeo haeyo.

Jaemin wants to play basketball.

anna ssineun jejudoe yeohaengeul gago sipeo haeyo.

Anna wants to travel to Jeju Island.

Hint · 힌트

Compare 저는 가고 싶어요, “I want to go,” 가고 싶어요?, “Do you want to go?”, and 동생은 가고 싶어 해요, “My younger sibling wants to go.” The statement, question, and third-person report use different perspectives.

je dongsaengeun gasuga doego sipeo haeyo.

My younger sibling wants to become a singer.

Hint · 힌트

되다 (to become) is the verb behind every career ambition: 가수가 되고 싶어요 is literally “want to become a singer,” not “want to do singer.” Watch for the particle in front of it: it’s 이/가, the same subject marker from 은/는 vs 이/가, not 을/를. You’re not doing the job yet, you’re becoming it.

Vocabulary

Korean	English
농구 nonggu	basketball
여행 yeohaeng	travel, trip
배우다 baeuda	to learn
되다 doeda	to become
케이팝 keipap	K-pop
꿈 kkum	dream
목표 mokpyo	goal
성공하다 seonggonghada	to succeed
도전하다 dojeonhada	to challenge, attempt
노력하다 noryeokhada	to make an effort
기대되다 gidaedoeda	to look forward to, to be excited about
궁금하다 gunggeumhada	to be curious
아쉽다 aswipda	to be a pity, unfortunate
대박 daebak	awesome, no way (slang exclamation)
관심사 gwansimsa	area of interest
결심하다 gyeolsimhada	to resolve, to make up one's mind
이루다 iruda	to achieve, fulfill
상상하다 sangsanghada	to imagine
열정 yeoljeong	passion
소원 sowon	wish

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