Day 29: Expressing Wishes and Desires in Korean – How to Talk About What You Want

 Day 29: Expressing Wishes and Desires in Korean – How to Talk About What You Want

Welcome to Day 29 of your Korean language journey! Today, we’ll focus on how to express your wishes, desires, and hopes in Korean.

Talking about wants and wishes is a common part of everyday conversation, whether you’re talking about personal desires, hopes for the future, or wishes for others. Learning how to express these ideas is essential for communicating more naturally and expressing your feelings in Korean.

By the end of today’s lesson, you’ll be able to talk about what you want, express your wishes, and talk about hopes for yourself and others in Korean.

1. Expressing Wants in Korean (원하다 사용하기)

To express wants in Korean, the verb 원하다 (wonhada) – to want is commonly used. It’s used to talk about things you wish to have or actions you want to take.

Structure:
[Subject] + [Object] + 원하다 (wonhada) – I want [object].

Examples:

  1. 저는 책을 원해요. (Jeoneun chaekeul wonhaeyo.) – I want a book.

  2. 저는 커피를 원해요. (Jeoneun keopireul wonhaeyo.) – I want coffee.

  3. 저는 휴가를 원해요. (Jeoneun hyugareul wonhaeyo.) – I want a vacation.

Note: 원하다 (wonhada) can also be used with verbs to express what you want to do:

Structure:
[Verb Stem] + 고 싶다 (go sipda) – I want to [verb].

Examples:

  1. 가고 싶어요. (Gago sipeoyo.) – I want to go.

  2. 먹고 싶어요. (Meokgo sipeoyo.) – I want to eat.

  3. 보고 싶어요. (Bogo sipeoyo.) – I want to see/watch.

2. Using “-고 싶다 (go sipda)” for Desires

The most common way to express desires in Korean is by using the verb -고 싶다 (go sipda) after the verb stem. This structure shows that you want to do something or wish to do something in the future.

Structure:
[Verb Stem] + 고 싶다 (go sipda) – I want to [verb].

Examples:

  1. 여행 가고 싶어요. (Yeohaeng gago sipeoyo.) – I want to travel.

  2. 영화 보고 싶어요. (Yeonghwa bogo sipeoyo.) – I want to watch a movie.

  3. 운동하고 싶어요. (Undonghago sipeoyo.) – I want to exercise.

You can use this structure with informal or polite endings based on the level of respect.

  • Informal: -고 싶어 (go sipheo)

  • Polite: -고 싶어요 (go sipeoyo)

3. Expressing Wishes with “-면 좋겠다 (-myeon joketda)”

If you want to express a wish for the future or something you hope will happen, you can use the structure -면 좋겠다 (myeon joketda), which means "I wish..." or "I hope..." This form is often used when you are hoping for something to happen.

Structure:
[Verb] + 면 좋겠다 (myeon joketda) – I wish / I hope [verb].

Examples:

  1. 내일 날씨가 좋으면 좋겠어요. (Naeil nalssiga joeumyeon jokesseoyo.) – I hope the weather is good tomorrow.

  2. 다음 주에 시간이 있으면 좋겠어요. (Daeum jue sigani isseumyeon jokesseoyo.) – I hope I have time next week.

  3. 그녀가 행복하면 좋겠어요. (Geunyeoga haengbokhamyeon jokesseoyo.) – I wish she is happy.

4. Expressing Desires for Others (다른 사람의 소망 표현하기)

You can also use the -면 좋겠다 structure to express your desires for others or wishes for other people’s well-being.

Examples:

  1. 그가 성공하면 좋겠어요. (Geuga seonggonghamyeon jokesseoyo.) – I hope he is successful.

  2. 친구가 건강했으면 좋겠어요. (Chinguga geonganghaesseumyeon jokesseoyo.) – I hope my friend stays healthy.

  3. 모두가 행복했으면 좋겠어요. (Moduga haengbokhaesseumyeon jokesseoyo.) – I wish everyone would be happy.

This is a polite way to express your wishes or hopes for others in Korean.

5. Using “-고 싶다 (go sipda)” with Nouns

To express your desire for a thing or something that you want, you can also use -고 싶다 (go sipda) after nouns.

Structure:
[Noun] + 이/가 + 고 싶다 (i/ga go sipda) – I want [noun].

Examples:

  1. 저는 새로운 집이 갖고 싶어요. (Jeoneun saeroun jibi gajgo sipeoyo.) – I want a new house.

  2. 저는 자동차가 갖고 싶어요. (Jeoneun jadongchuga gajgo sipeoyo.) – I want a car.

  3. 저는 그 책을 갖고 싶어요. (Jeoneun geu chaegeul gajgo sipeoyo.) – I want that book.

6. Practice Expressing Your Wishes and Desires

Now it’s time to practice. Try forming sentences using the structures for expressing wishes and talking about what you want:

  1. I want to eat sushi.
    저는 스시를 먹고 싶어요. (Jeoneun seushireul meokgo sipeoyo.)

  2. I wish for good health.
    저는 건강을 원해요. (Jeoneun geongangeul wonhaeyo.)

  3. I hope we can go on a trip soon.
    우리가 빨리 여행을 가면 좋겠어요. (Uriga ppalli yeohaengeul gamyeon jokesseoyo.)

  4. I want a new phone.
    저는 새로운 핸드폰을 갖고 싶어요. (Jeoneun saeroun haendeupon-eul gajgo sipeoyo.)

  5. I wish for peace in the world.
    세상에 평화가 오면 좋겠어요. (Sesange pyeonghwaga omyeon jokesseoyo.)

7. Common Mistakes to Avoid

  1. Mixing “원하다” and “-고 싶다”:
    원하다 (wonhada) is used for things (like objects), while -고 싶다 (go sipda) is for actions. Make sure to use the correct structure based on what you are talking about.

  2. Using Informal Speech for Wishes:
    When talking about wishes and hopes, always use polite speech (-어요/아요 or -세요) unless you are talking to a close friend or someone younger than you.

  3. Confusing “-면 좋겠다” with “-고 싶다”:
    -면 좋겠다 (myeon joketda) is for expressing wishes for the future, while -고 싶다 (go sipda) is for talking about things you want to do. Make sure you are using the right structure for your sentences.

What’s Next? (다음은 무엇인가요?)

Tomorrow, in Day 30, we’ll wrap up the program by learning about reviewing and summarizing things you’ve learned in Korean. You’ll practice putting everything together and start applying it in real-life conversations!