Preference · a reason to speak · LESSON 3 / 4

-고 싶어요: say what you want to do

Attach -고 싶어요 to familiar action stems to express your own wish.

Quick phrase

저는 한국에 가고 싶어요.

I want to go to Korea.

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Remove 다 from a familiar action verb and attach 고 싶어요: 가다 → 가고 싶어요 (want to go), 먹다 → 먹고 싶어요 (want to eat), 공부하다 → 공부하고 싶어요 (want to study). This expresses a wish; it does not confirm a booking, decision or plan.

저는 한국에 가고 싶어요.

I want to go to Korea.

물을 마시고 싶어요.

I want to drink water.

한국어를 공부하고 싶어요.

I want to study Korean.

Examples in this unit are text-based. No pronunciation recording or automatic speaking score is used.

Useful basics on this page

먹어요, 가요, 해요: polite everyday verbs →밥을 먹어요.

I eat a meal. / I am eating a meal, in context.

-(으)ㄹ 거예요: say a simple plan →내일 학교에 갈 거예요.

I am going to go to school tomorrow.

Notice the pattern

Keep 고 attached to the action stem, then a space before 싶어요. Unlike 아요/어요, this ending uses the dictionary stem directly: 마시다 → 마시고 싶어요, not 마셔고 싶어요. These statements express your own wish. Asking a listener about a wish is common too; describing another person’s internal wish needs additional context or a different construction and is outside this lesson.

Try it yourself

Start with 마시다. Choose “I want to drink”.

Choose the wish form of 공부하다.

I say 한국에 가고 싶어요. What have I expressed?

Build “I want to drink water.”

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From Unit 6: which is a personal plan form rather than the wish form taught here?

RETRIEVE BEFORE YOU REVEAL

Say it in your own time.

Say that you want to go to Korea and study Korean.

Resolve each question and make a recall self-check to save completion. Unit menus remain available for browsing.

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