Day 23: Talking About the Future – How to Use the Future Tense in Korean

Welcome to Day 23 of your Korean language journey! Today, we’ll focus on how to talk about the future and express future actions in Korean.

Now that you’ve learned how to use the present tense and past tense, it’s time to tackle how to express what you will do in the future. Being able to talk about your plans, intentions, and predictions is an important skill for having complete conversations in Korean.

By the end of today’s lesson, you’ll be able to confidently use the future tense in Korean to describe things that will happen in the future.

1. Forming the Future Tense in Korean

In Korean, the future tense is typically formed by adding -ㄹ 거예요 (-l geoyeyo) or -을 거예요 (-eul geoyeyo) to the verb stem. The choice between the two depends on the final vowel of the verb stem.

-ㄹ 거예요 (-l geoyeyo) is used after verb stems that end in a vowel (except for -하다).
-을 거예요 (-eul geoyeyo) is used after verb stems that end in a consonant.

The structure is as follows:

[Verb Stem] + ㄹ/을 거예요 (-l/eul geoyeyo) – I will [verb].

Examples:

가다 (gada) – to go → 갈 거예요 (gal geoyeyo) – I will go.
먹다 (meokda) – to eat → 먹을 거예요 (meogeul geoyeyo) – I will eat.
하다 (hada) – to do → 할 거예요 (hal geoyeyo) – I will do.

2. Future Tense with Common Verbs

Let’s take a look at some common verbs and how they change in the future tense:

가다 (gada) – to go
- 갈 거예요 (gal geoyeyo) – I will go.
- 저는 내일 학교에 갈 거예요. (Jeoneun naeil hakgyoe gal geoyeyo.) – I will go to school tomorrow.
먹다 (meokda) – to eat
- 먹을 거예요 (meogeul geoyeyo) – I will eat.
- 저는 저녁에 피자를 먹을 거예요. (Jeoneun jeonyeoge pijareul meogeul geoyeyo.) – I will eat pizza for dinner.
하다 (hada) – to do
- 할 거예요 (hal geoyeyo) – I will do.
- 저는 운동을 할 거예요. (Jeoneun undongeul hal geoyeyo.) – I will exercise.
자다 (jada) – to sleep
- 잘 거예요 (jal geoyeyo) – I will sleep.
- 저는 10시에 잘 거예요. (Jeoneun yeol-si-e jal geoyeyo.) – I will sleep at 10 o'clock.
보다 (boda) – to see, to watch
- 볼 거예요 (bol geoyeyo) – I will watch.
- 저는 영화를 볼 거예요. (Jeoneun yeonghwareul bol geoyeyo.) – I will watch a movie.

3. Expressing Future Intentions and Plans

You can also use the future tense to express intentions or plans. In these cases, the verb -려고 하다 (-ryeogo hada) is often added after the verb stem to indicate an intention to do something.

[Verb Stem] + -려고 하다 (-ryeogo hada) – I am planning to [verb].

Examples:

가다 (gada) – to go → 가려고 해요 (garyeogo haeyo) – I am planning to go.
- 저는 내일 친구와 영화를 보려고 해요. (Jeoneun naeil chinguwa yeonghwareul boryeogo haeyo.) – I am planning to watch a movie with my friend tomorrow.
먹다 (meokda) – to eat → 먹으려고 해요 (meogeuryogo haeyo) – I am planning to eat.
- 저는 점심에 샌드위치를 먹으려고 해요. (Jeoneun jeomsime saendeuwicheul meogeuryogo haeyo.) – I am planning to eat a sandwich for lunch.
하다 (hada) – to do → 하려고 해요 (haryeogo haeyo) – I am planning to do.
- 저는 운동을 하려고 해요. (Jeoneun undongeul haryeogo haeyo.) – I am planning to exercise.

4. Talking About Future Predictions

When expressing predictions or future possibilities, you can also use the future tense along with words like 아마 (ama) – probably, 여기서 (yeogiseo) – here, or ~을지도 몰라요 (~euljido mollayo) – might.

Examples:

아마 내일 비가 올 거예요. (Ama naeil biga ol geoyeyo.) – It will probably rain tomorrow.
저는 아마 학교에 갈 거예요. (Jeoneun ama hakgyoe gal geoyeyo.) – I will probably go to school.
그는 아마 나와 함께 올지도 몰라요. (Geuneun ama nawa hamkke oljido mollayo.) – He might come with me.

5. Practice Using the Future Tense

Now it’s time to practice using the future tense. Let’s form some sentences about your plans for the future:

I will study Korean tomorrow.
저는 내일 한국어를 공부할 거예요. (Jeoneun naeil hangugeoreul gongbuhal geoyeyo.)
We will eat dinner at 7 o'clock.
우리는 7시에 저녁을 먹을 거예요. (Urineun chil-si-e jeonyeogeul meogeul geoyeyo.)
She will visit her grandparents next week.
그녀는 다음 주에 할머니 댁에 갈 거예요. (Geunyeoneun daeum jue halmeoni daege gal geoyeyo.)
They are planning to travel to Japan.
그들은 일본에 여행할 거예요. (Geudeureun Ilbone yeohaenghal geoyeyo.)

6. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Confusing Present and Future Tense:
Be sure to use the correct conjugation for the future tense. The -ㄹ 거예요 (-l geoyeyo) or -을 거예요 (-eul geoyeyo) ending is used specifically for future actions. Avoid using the present tense when talking about future events.
Using "가다" vs "오다" for Directions:
In the future tense, remember that 가다 (gada) means "to go" and 오다 (oda) means "to come." Use the right verb depending on the direction of the action.
Overusing “-려고 하다 (-ryeogo hada)”:
While -려고 하다 is a useful way to express intention, make sure you're using it in the appropriate context when expressing plans. Using it too frequently in casual conversation may sound unnatural.

What’s Next? (다음은 무엇인가요?)

Tomorrow, in Day 24, we will learn about honorifics and formal speech in Korean. You will understand how to speak politely and respectfully, which is very important in Korean culture!