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안녕하세요! Welcome to "My Korean Lesson." A place where you can learn Korean from a native Korean teacher with more than 10 years of experience! Yes, that is me! Haha.
I recently got reviews that my blog seems AI spun because I don't put much information about myself. So, instead of just giving you only facts in a lesson, 제 얘기를 더 하려고 해요. I decide to put more about me!
I just showed you my decision, plan, and intention in that sentence using our target grammar of the day! At the end of the lesson, you will be able to talk about your plan as well. So, let's begin your lesson!
<Table of Contents>
1. V으려고 하다 grammar
(으)려고 하다 is an ending to show your plan or intention. Since it is about "plan", you can attach it only to a verb stem, not an adjective stem. It will be awkward to plan to be 'pretty or 'tall,' so to speak.
In English, (으)려고 하다 will be translated as 'will', but the hidden meanings are 'decide to', 'trying to', 'plan to', or 'intend to'. I know, a lot of meanings, right? That is a fun part of Korean endings! Anyway, (으)려고 하다 can show what you decide to do in the future.
저녁에 한국어를 공부하려고 해요.
I'll study Korean in the evening. = I plan to study Korean in the evening.
점심에 샌드위치를 먹으려고 해요.
I'll eat a sandwich for lunch. = I plan to eat a sandwich for lunch.
2. Conjugation information
This ending consists of two parts; (으)려고 and 하다. I will divide the two here and present them separately to help your understanding!
1. (으)려고
As the grammar is written (으)려고 하다, it means that there are two forms; 으려고 하다 and 려고 하다. Also, this means the final consonant (받침) is the key to deciding which one to use! I hope you are getting used to this fact by now!
A. Regular rules
1. 받침 O + 으려고 하다
If a stem ends with a final consonant, you can simply attach 으려고 하다 to it!
읽다 → 읽으려고 하다 decide to read
먹다 → 먹으려고 하다 decide to eat
찾다 → 찾으려고 하다 decide to find
2. 받침 X / ㄹ받침 + 려고 하다
If a stem ends with a vowel, or even if it has the final consonant, but if it is ㄹ, we need to use this rule.
가다 → 가려고 하다 decide to go
자다 → 자려고 하다 decide to sleep
보다 → 보려고 하다 decide to see
만들다 → 만들려고 하다 decide to make
놀다 → 놀려고 하다 decide to play (hang out)
살다 → 살려고 하다 decide to live
B. Irregular rules
1. ㄷ verbs
If a stem ends with the final consonant ㄷ. Do you remember the first step? Yes, we always change that ㄷ to ㄹ first! Then, in this ending, you will add 으려고 하다. Do you know why? It is because it has the final consonant!
듣다 → 들으려고 하다 decide to listen
걷다 → 걸으려고 하다 decide to walk
2. ㅅ verbs
The irregular ㅅ words always start with getting rid of that ㅅ first. But you will still attach 으려고 하다 because, originally, the word had the final consonant! (Even though we erased it!)
긋다 → 그으려고 하다 decide to draw lines
잇다 → 이으려고 하다 decide to connect
3. ㅂ verbs
If you encounter the irregular ㅂ, what do you have to do first? Yes, you have to get rid of that ㅂ! However, ㅂ always has its own special form! You have to attach "우"려고 해요 not "으"려고 해요 like others!
돕다 → 도우려고 하다 decide to help
줍다 → 주우려고 하다 decide to pick up
4. ㅡ verbs
I have good news for you! You don't have to worry about the irregular 'ㅡ' this time. Please simply attach "려고 하다" to the stems!
쓰다 → 쓰려고 하다 decide to write
부르다 → 부르려고 하다 decide to call
If you studied an irregular 'ㅡ' conjugation with me, you are probably able to explain why. Remember? The words with 'ㅡ' are changed irregularly only when they are followed by the consonant 'ㅇ'!
But as you see, those 'ㅡ' words don't have the final consonant. That means you attach "려고 하다" after it. 려 starts with the consonant 'ㄹ' That's why we don't need to worry about changing it irregularly. If you want to know more or review it, please check out my post about "ㅡ" conjugation.
2. 하다
하다 is the basic form. So, you can't just use it like that when you talk! We can change it in so many ways depending on the tense, tone, politeness, etc.
Informal Ending
Present Tense: 해요
Paste Tense: 했어요
책을 읽으려고 해요. I plan to read a book.
책을 읽으려고 했어요. I planned to read a book.
Formal Ending
Present Tense: 합니다.
Past Tense: 했습니다.
영화를 보려고 합니다. I plan to watch a movie.
영화를 보려고 했습니다. I planned to watch a movie.
Future Tense?
Do you wonder why I didn't put future tense above? Since (으)려고 하다 already includes a meaning of "future," you don't have to attach the "future" ending (으)ㄹ 것이다 or 겠. If you do, it'll rather mean "guess" about someone else's plan or intention.
민수는 영화를 보려고 할 거예요. (I think) Minsu will try to watch a movie.
젠 씨는 책을 읽으려고 하겠어요. (I think) Jen will try to read this book.
3. Sentence Information
1. Other words
으려고 is the standard word, but in daily conversations, people also use "을려고," "을려구," "을라고," or "을라구" as well.
점심에 불고기를 먹으려고 해요.
=점심에 불고기를 먹을려고 해요.
=점심에 불고기를 먹을라고 해요.
2. (으)ㄹ 것이다 Vs. (으)려고 하다
Yes, you've learned another way to express your intention before, (으)ㄹ 것이다. When you talk about your intentions, it is okay to use them as an alternative. However, there is a really slightly different tone behind it.
Usually, (으)려고 하다 is a more certain decision or determination. While (으)ㄹ 것이다 is close to guessing about your uncertain future. Take a look at the chart below.
(으)ㄹ 것이다 | (으)려고 하다 |
You talk about your (unsure) future. | You have an intention to do that action. |
점심에 불고기를 먹을 거예요. - I think I will get bulgogi for lunch. (But it can be changed.) | 점심에 불고기를 먹으려고 해요. - I (certainly) decided to eat bulgogi for lunch. |
You only can express about future. | It can be conjugated with the past tense. You can show you planned something in the past. However, if you use this ending, it has a tone that you had a 'plan' but you didn't actually fulfill it. |
주말에 산에 갈 거예요. I'll go to the mountains on the weekend. | 어제 산에 가려고 했어요. I planned to go mountains yesterday. (But I didn't go.) |
4. Examples
1
이번 주말에 친구를 만나려고 해요. I will meet my friend this weekend.
↳ 주 means week and 말 means end. Together, 주말 is weekend. When you specify it, "this weekend" you will say "이번 주말".
2
Q: 이번 주말에 뭐 할 거예요? What will you do this weekend?
A: 한국어를 공부하려고 해요. I will study Korean. (=I made up my mind to study Korean.)
↳ Of course, you can say "한국어를 공부할 거예요." But "공부하려고 해요" has a more certain determination tone. It is a very subtle and hidden difference. 여러분은 이번 주말에 뭐 할 거예요? What about you? What will you do this weekend? Can you say your answer in Korean? Leave a comment, if you want me to check your writing!
3
어제 산에 가려고 했어요. I planned to go to the mountain yesterday.
하지만 비가 와서 못 갔어요. But it rained, so I couldn't go.
↳ If you use "으려고 하다" in the past tense "으려고 했어요," you can tell about your past plan. But it also adds a meaning that you planned, but you didn't or couldn't do it.
5. Wrap-up & Worksheets
You can show your decision about what to do in the future by using "(으)려고 해요."
The final consonant of the stem decides 으려고 or 려고.
You can also express what you've decided in the past "(으)려고 했어요."
I removed the "quiz" and "summary" parts from my blog and decided you to provide the free printable PDF worksheet. 학습지를 제공하기로 했어요. Writing the words will help you to understand and memorize! Don't forget to read aloud as you write. If you have any questions, please feel free to let me know! I'll be happy to help you. 도와드릴게요!
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