Lesson 26: -고 싶다 I want to

Today, we’re diving into a crucial part of expressing yourself in Korean – the “고 싶다” (go sipda) grammar pattern. In this post, we will explore the construction and usage of “고 싶다”. You’ll learn how to attach it to various verbs, understand its nuances, and use it in different contexts.

Don’t you agree that this is probably one of the most useful grammar points to learn? I mean, who does not want to do something or be somewhere. I have many things myself I would want to do. I want to go travelling, I want to eat some delicious Korean food (who doesn’t!). The point here is, everyone has some wants and needs and need to be able to express them. So, let’s learn how to say “I want to” in Korean.

Conjugation

VERB STEM + 고 싶어요

1. Take a verb i.e. 가다
2. Drop “다” i.e. 가
3. Add 고 싶어요

• 먹다 –> 먹 + 고 싶어요 –> 먹고 싶어요
• 보다 –> 보 + 고 싶어요 –> 보고 싶어요
• 사다 –> 사 + 고 싶어요 –> 사고 싶어요
• 하다 –> 하 + 고 싶어요 –> 하고 싶어요

The phrase “고 싶다” is formed by adding “고 싶어요” (a polite ending) to the stem of an action verb. To find the verb stem, remove ‘다’ (da) from the dictionary form of the verb. For example, the stem of ‘하다’ (hada – to do) is ‘하’ (ha). Once you have the verb stem, simply attach “고 싶다” to it. For instance, ‘하다’ (to do) becomes ‘하고 싶다’ (hago sipda – want to do). This structure directly translates to “want to [verb].”

In its basic form, “고 싶다” still needs to be conjugated. To make it polite, commonly used in spoken Korean, you can say “고 싶어요” (go sipeoyo). For casual situations, you can use “고 싶어” (go sipeo). It uses the usual conjugation rules i.e. 고 싶 ends with a consonant so we add 어요 to make it polite present tense form = 고 싶어요.

Examples

• 사다 –> 사 –> 사 + 고 싶어요 –> 사고 싶어요 (I want to buy).
• 먹다 –> 먹 –> 먹 + 고 싶어요 –> 먹고 싶어요 (I want to eat).
• 보다 –> 보 –> 보 + 고 싶어요 –> 보고 싶어요 (I want to see/I miss).
• 하다 –> 하 –> 하 + 고 싶어요 –> 하고 싶어요 (I want to do).
• 오다 –> 오 –> 오 + 고 싶어요 –> 오고 싶어요 (I want to come).

You don’t have to change the verb, just drop the 다 and add 고 싶어요. Fairly straight forward! Now, the 고 싶어요 is actually already conjugated in the present tense. The basic form is 고 싶다. So, using our knowledge, we are able to conjugate this verb further.

Present tense – I want to

이 핸드폰 사고 싶어요 – I want to buy this phone.

한국 음식 먹고 싶어요 – I want to eat Korean food.

해리포터 보고 싶어요 – I want to see Harry Potter.

Past tense – I wanted to

We know, that the following rules apply if we want to conjugate a verb to a past tense. (If you haven’t studied the past tense then check out this post here).

VERB STEM + 고 싶었어요

The endings for past tense in Korean are as per below;

-았어요

-었어요

-였어요

To know which of the above you need to use, follow the rules below;

• If the last vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ, add 았어요
• If the last vowel is not one of the above, add 었어요
• Only 하 is followed by 였어요 and becomes 했어요 (always the case)

Since 고 싶다 hasㅣas the last consonant, the second rule applies. So let’s look at some examples.

Examples

보고 싶다 –> 보고 싶 –> 보고 싶었어요 (I wanted to see/I missed you).

놀고 싶다 –> 놀고 싶 –> 놀고 싶었어요 (I wanted to play).

읽고 싶다 –> 읽고 싶 –> 읽고 싶었어요 (I wanted to read).

알고 싶다 –> 알고 싶 –> 알고 싶었어요 (I wanted to know).

주고 싶다 –> 주고 싶 –> 주고 싶었어요 (I wanted to give).

Sample sentences

어제 같이 놀고 싶었어요 – I wanted to hang out together yesterday.

그 책 읽고 싶었어요 – I wanted to read that book.

언니의 생각 알고 싶었어요 – I wanted to know what you think.

생일 선물 주고 싶었어요 – I wanted to give you a birthday present.

Future tense – I will want to

The conjugation of the future tense follows the same rules as the past and present tense. (Check out this post if you want to learn more about future tense).

VERB STEM + 고 싶을 거예요

• If a verb ends with a vowel i.e. 가다 it’s followed by ㄹ 거예요 = 갈 거예요

• If a verb ends with a consonant i.e. 먹다 it’s followed by 을 거예요 = 먹을 거예요

• If a verb ends with a consonant “ㄹ” i.e. 놀다 it’s followed just by 거예요 = 놀 거예요

Since 고 싶다 ends with a consonant, we add 을 거예요 so it becomes 먹고 싶을 거예요.

Examples

자다 –> 자 +고 싶을 거예요 –> 자고 싶을 거예요 (I will want to sleep.)

전화하다 –> 전화하 + 고 싶을 거예요 –> 전화하고 싶을 거예요 (I will want to call).

기억하다 –> 기억하 + 고 싶을 거예요 –> 기억하고 싶을 거예요 (I will want to remember).

보다 –> 보 + 고 싶을 거예요 –> 보고 싶을 거예요 (I will want to see you/I will miss you).

Sample sentences

내일 하루종일 자고 싶을 거예요 – I will want to sleep all day tomorrow.

떠나면 매일 전화하고 싶을 거예요 – I will want to call you everyday when you leave.

많이 보고 싶을 거예요 – I will miss you a lot.

Activity 1

Conjugate these using the 고 싶다 in the present tense.

1. 사랑하다 – (To love)
2. 있다 – (To be/to stay)
3. 찾다 – (To find)
4. 오다 – (To come)
5. 먹다 – (To eat)

Activity 2

Conjugate these using the 고 싶다 in the past tense.

1. 자다 – (To sleep)
2. 마시다 – (To drink)
3. 기다리다 – (To wait)
4. 다니다 – (To attend)
5. 공부하다 – (To study)

Activity 3

Conjugate these using the 고 싶다 in the future tense.

1. 만나다 – (To meet)
2. 만들다 – (To make)
3. 고백하다 – (To confess)
4. 고치디 – (To fix)
5. 걷다 – (To walk)

Activity 4

Fill the blanks with the correctly conjugated word.

1. 너무 _________________________(너무 – a lot) I want to sleep.
2. 집 ___________________________(집 – home/house) I wanted to go home.
3. 친구 _________________________(친구 – friend) I want to meet a friend.
4. 밥 ___________________________(밥 – food) I will want to eat food.
5. 여기 _________________________(여기 – here) I want to stay here/I want to be here.
6. 옷 ___________________________(옷 – clothes) I will want to buy clothes.
7. 그 영화 _________________________(그 – that,영화 – movie) I wanted to watch that movie.

Choose from the following: 가다, 보다, 먹다, 자다, 만나다, 사다, 있다

Activity 1 Answers

Conjugate these using the 고 싶다 in the present tense.

1. 사랑하다 – (To love) = 사랑하고 싶어요.
2. 있다 – (To be/to stay) = 있고 싶어요.
3. 찾다 – (To find) = 찾고 싶어요.
4. 오다 – (To come) = 오고 싶어요.
5. 먹다 – (To eat) = 먹고 싶어요.

Activity 2 Answers

Conjugate these using the 고 싶다 in the past tense.

1. 자다 – (To sleep) = 자고 싶었어요.
2. 마시다 – (To drink) = 마시고 싶었어요.
3. 기다리다 – (To wait) = 기다리고 싶었어요.
4. 다니다 – (To attend) = 다니고 싶었어요.
5. 공부하다 – (To study) = 공부하고 싶었어요.

Activity 3 Answers

Conjugate these using the 고 싶다 in the future tense.

1. 만나다 – (To meet) = 만나고 싶을 거예요.
2. 만들다 – (To make) = 만들고 싶을 거예요.
3. 고백하다 – (To confess) = 고백하고 싶을 거예요.
4. 고치디 – (To fix) = 고치고 싶을 거예요.
5. 걷다 – (To walk) = 걷고 싶을 거예요.

Activity 4 Answers

Fill the blanks with the correctly conjugated word.

1. 너무 자고 싶어요. – I really want to sleep.
2. 집 가고 싶었어요. – I wanted to go home.
3. 친구 만나고 싶어요. – I want to meet my friends.
4. 밥 먹고 싶을 거예요. – I will want to eat food.
5. 여기 있고 싶어요. – I want to stay here/I want to be here.
6. 옷 사고 싶을 거예요. – I will want to buy clothes.
7. 그 영화 보고 싶었어요. – I wanted to watch that movie.

Conclusion

We’ve journeyed through the intricacies of the “고 싶다” grammar pattern in Korean, uncovering its essential role in expressing desires and intentions. This pattern is more than just a linguistic tool; it’s a bridge to sharing your aspirations and connecting with others in Korean. Whether it’s about the places you dream of visiting, the hobbies you wish to pursue, or simply everyday activities you enjoy, mastering “고 싶다” enriches your conversations with depth and authenticity.

Remember, language learning is an ongoing adventure. Each new grammatical concept, like “고 싶다”, opens up fresh avenues for expression and understanding. Embrace these learning opportunities with enthusiasm and curiosity. Practice regularly, experiment with new sentences, and most importantly, try using “고 싶다” in real-life conversations or Korean writing exercises. The more you use it, the more natural it will become.

Your Thoughts and Experiences:

• We’d love to hear from you! What aspects of “고 싶다” do you find most interesting or challenging?
• Share your experiences: Have you used “고 싶다” in a conversation? What did you express wanting to do?
• Any creative sentences you’ve come up with using “고 싶다”? Feel free to leave them in the comments below. It’s a great way for us all to learn and grow together in our Korean language journey.

Your insights and experiences are valuable to us and to fellow learners. By sharing, we can all support each other in our quest to become more fluent and confident in Korean.

감사합니다 (Gamsahamnida) for joining us on this linguistic exploration. Keep practicing, stay curious, and let your desires and wishes be heard in Korean. 화이팅 (Hwaiting)!