📘 Grammar 9: How to Use ~고 싶어요 – Expressing Desire in Korean

📘 How to Use ~고 싶어요 – Expressing Desire in Korean

Do you want to eat? Want to go? Want to sleep?

In Korean, when you want to express your desire to do something, you can use the grammar structure: Verb stem + 고 싶어요.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to say what you want to do in Korean using “~고 싶어요”, 

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🧠 What Does ~고 싶어요 Mean?

“~고 싶어요” literally means “I want to...”

You attach it to the stem of an action verb to express that you want to do that action.

Structure:

Verb stem + 고 싶어요 → “I want to (verb)”

Examples:

• 먹다 (to eat) → 먹고 싶어요 – I want to eat
• 가다 (to go) → 가고 싶어요 – I want to go
• 자다 (to sleep) → 자고 싶어요 – I want to sleep

💬 Sentence Patterns

1) Basic:

저는 + [verb stem + 고 싶어요]

• 저는 쉬고 싶어요 – I want to rest

2) With object:

[object + 을/를] + [verb stem + 고 싶어요]

• 김밥을 먹고 싶어요 – I want to eat gimbap

3) Negative:

고 싶지 않아요 → “I don’t want to...”

• 가고 싶지 않아요 – I don’t want to go

📘 Common Verbs + ~고 싶어요

Verb (Base)	Desire Form	Meaning	Romanization
가다	가고 싶어요	I want to go	ga-go sip-eo-yo
보다	보고 싶어요	I want to see/watch	bo-go sip-eo-yo
자다	자고 싶어요	I want to sleep	ja-go sip-eo-yo
사다	사고 싶어요	I want to buy	sa-go sip-eo-yo

📙 Example Sentences

• 오늘은 집에서 쉬고 싶어요 – I want to rest at home today
  o-neul-eun jib-e-seo swi-go sip-eo-yo
• 친구를 만나고 싶어요 – I want to meet a friend
  chin-gu-reul man-na-go sip-eo-yo
• 한국에 가고 싶어요 – I want to go to Korea
  han-guk-e ga-go sip-eo-yo

⛔ Common Mistakes

• ❌ 먹다 싶어요 → ✅ 먹고 싶어요
• ❌ 나는 가 싶어요 → ✅ 나는 가고 싶어요
• Always use the **고** connector between the verb and 싶어요.

🧪 Mini Quiz – Try It!

1. What is the correct way to say “I want to eat”?
   a) 먹다 싶어요
   b) 먹고 싶어요
   
   Click to Show Answer

   ✅ b) 먹고 싶어요

2. Translate: “I want to buy this.”
   a) 이거 사고 싶어요
   b) 이거 살고 싶어요
   
   Click to Show Answer

   ✅ a) 이거 사고 싶어요

3. How do you say “I don’t want to go”?
   a) 가고 싶지 않아요
   b) 가지고 않아요
   
   Click to Show Answer

   ✅ a) 가고 싶지 않아요

✅ Conclusion

Now you can express what you want to do in Korean with confidence! 🎯

• Use ~고 싶어요 to say “I want to...”
• Use ~고 싶지 않아요 to say “I don’t want to...”
• Combine with objects, time, and locations for full sentences

Practice your own sentences every day like:

• “I want to sleep” → 자고 싶어요
• “I want to watch a Korean drama” → 한국 드라마를 보고 싶어요

📘 Coming Up Next

Next lesson: “How to Use ~ㄹ/을 거예요 – Talking About the Future”
You’ll learn how to say “I will go”, “I will study”, “I will meet my friend” in Korean!

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Related Keywords:
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