Verbs - Want

Verbs - Want [~고 싶다]

Informal Written Form
Present
Past
Positive
하고 싶다
하고 싶었다
Negative
하고 싶지 않다
하기 싫다
하고 싶지 않았다
하기 싫었다

Informal Spoken Form
Present
Past
Positive
하고 싶어
하고 싶었어
Negative
하고 싶지 않아
하기 싫어
하고 싶지 않았어
하기 싫었어

Note: 하고 싶지 않다 and 하기 싫다 both mean "I don't want to do." However, In written Korean, 하고 싶지 않다 is more commonly used whereas in spoken Korean, 하기 싫어 is more commonly used. 하기 싫어 literally means "I hate to do."

The bold letters indicate which one is more commonly used.

Rule

Take 다 off a plain form of verbs and attach 고 싶다/고 싶었다/기 싫다/기 싫었다/고 싶어/고 싶었어 etc.

Examples (Written Form)
  • 하다 → 하고 싶다 = I want to do.
  • 먹다 → 먹고 싶다 = I want to eat.
  • 날다 → 날고 싶었다 = I wanted to fly.
  • 놀다 → 놀고 싶지 않았다 = I did't want to play. 
  • 마시다 → 마시고 싶지 않았다 = I didn't want to drink.
  • 바나나가 먹고 싶지 않았다 = I didn't want to eat a banana.
  • 하늘에서 날고 싶지 않았다 = I didn't want to fly in the sky.


    Examples (Spoken Form)
    • 하다 → 하고 싶어 = I want to do.
    • 먹다 → 먹고 싶어 = I want to eat.
    • 날다 → 날고 싶었어 = I wanted to fly.
    • 놀다 → 놀기 싫어 = I don't want to play.
    • 마시다 → 마시기 싫었어 = I didn't want to drink.
    • 바나나 먹기 싫어 = I don't want to eat a banana.
    • 하늘 날기 싫었어 = I didn't want to fly in the sky.

      Questions (Spoken Form)
      • 자고 싶어? = Do you want to sleep?
      • 어. 자고 싶어. = Yes, I want to sleep.
      • 뭐 먹고 싶어? = What do you want to eat?
      • 라면 먹고 싶어. = I want to eat noodles. 
      • 어디 가고 싶어? = Where do you want to go?
      • 공원에 가고 싶어. = I want to go to a park.

        Formal Form

        Formal
        Written Form
        Present
        Past
        Positive
        하고 싶습니다
        하고 싶었습니다
        Negative
        하고 싶지 않습니다
        하기 싫습니다
        하고 싶지 않았습니다
        하기 싫었습니다
         

        Formal
        Spoken Form
        Present
        Past
        Positive
        하고 싶어요
        하고 싶었어요
        Negative
        하고 싶지 않아요
        하기 싫어요
        하고 싶지 않았어요
        하기 싫었어요

        Note: The informal spoken form is used between close friends or when older people are talking to younger people in informal situations. The formal form is used commonly between adults, by people in formal situations or when younger people are speaking to older people.

        Rules
        For the formal written form, the suffix , 다, is replaced by 습니다.
        For the formal spoken form, attach 요 at the end of a sentence.

        Examples (Written Form)
        • 하다 → 하고 싶습니다 = I want to do.
        • 먹다 → 먹고 싶습니다 = I want to eat.
        • 날다 → 날고 싶었습니다 = I wanted to fly.
        • 놀다 → 놀고 싶지 않았습니다 = I did't want to play.
        • 마시다 → 마시고 싶지 않았습니다 = I didn't want to drink.

        Examples (Spoken form)
        • 하다 → 하고 싶어요 = I want to do.
        • 먹다 → 먹고 싶어요 = I want to eat.
        • 날다 → 날고 싶었어요 = I wanted to fly.
        • 놀다 → 놀기 싫었어요 = I did't want to play.
        • 마시다 → 마시기 싫었어요 = I didn't want to drink.

        More examples
        • 자고 싶어요? = Do you want to sleep?
        • 네. 자고 싶어요. = Yes, I want to sleep.
        • 뭐 먹고 싶어요? = What do you want to eat?
        • 라면 먹고 싶어요. = I want to eat noodles. 
        • 어디 가고 싶어요? = Where do you want to go?
        • 공원에 가고 싶어요. = I want to go to a park.

        In addition:
        When talking about a third person, '고 싶어 한다' is used instead of 고 싶다, and '고 싶어해' instead of 고 싶어.

        Examples
        • 가다 → 가고 싶어 한다
        • 루크는 극장에 가고 싶어 한다 = Luke wants to go to the theatre.
        • 선미는 사과주스 마시고 싶어해 = Sunmi wants to drink an apple juice.

        22 comments:

        1. I've come from zkorean this is a very useful korean source..cheer u on

          ReplyDelete
        2. This was super helpful--thanks a million.

          ReplyDelete
        3. It is such a joy to find people who find my blog helpful. You're all welcome.

          ReplyDelete
        4. Thank you Luke for such a useful site. I have found here a lot of good expressions and I hope that this site will help me to imrove my Korean language skills as well.

          ReplyDelete
        5. hi, is this a typo?


          하늘에서 날고 싶지 않았다 = I wanted to fly in the sky.


          just wanted to double check. thanks!

          ReplyDelete
        6. thanks for your website...it helps me a lot...

          ReplyDelete
        7. your blogs are really useful. i hope you can blog some homonyms (words that shares the same spelling and pronunciation but has different meaning)
          ex.
          fly - v. to levitate or float?
          fly - n. an insect

          hehe something like that.. i hope you can blog soon =)!

          ReplyDelete
        8. Like 파리?

          파리 = a fly (insect)
          파리 = Paris

          사과 = an apple
          사과 = an apology

          배 = a ship
          배 = a pear
          배 = a tummy/stomach
          배 = a counter for times
          - 두배 = 2 times (twice)
          - 세배 = 3 times
          - 네배 = 4 times

          It can be interesting. :)

          ReplyDelete
        9. How would one express negatives and past tense in the third person?

          example:
          Sunmi didn't want to drink an apple juice.

          Thanks for all you work on this blog. It's very helpful.

          ReplyDelete
        10. Hi,

          Here are four ways to express, "Sunmi didn't want to drink an apple juice."

          Sunmi didn't want to drink an apple juice.
          = 선미는 사과주스를 먹고 싶지 않았다. (informal written)
          = 선미는 사과주스를 먹고 싶지 않았습니다.(polite written)

          = 선미는 사과주스를 먹고 싶지 않았어. (informal spoken)
          = 선미는 사과주스를 먹고 싶지 않았어요. (polite spoken)

          Hope this helps. :)

          ReplyDelete
        11. So 선미는 사과주스를 먹고 싫어해 is not valid?
          Also why not 주스를 마시고 싶지 않았어? :)
          In Korean to say "eat liquids" is ok? :)

          ReplyDelete
          Replies
          1. 선미는 사과주스를 먹기 싫어해 would be valid.

            In Korean, 'eat' is often used like 'drink.'

            Therefore, 물을 먹다 is equivalent to 'drink water.'

            Delete
        12. What about wish for nouns? :)
          Can I say 난 주스 싶어
          or only 난 주스 원해 would make sense?
          or negative form 난 주스 싫어.

          Also how do say "will want to do something"? Do I blend "want to" and future tense learned earlier?

          Spoken polite:
          난 집에서 잠자고 싶을 거예요
          I will want to sleep at home
          (Lit. I in home, sleep, want, will)

          Or written polite negative:
          난 집에서 잠자고 싶지 않을 겁니다
          I will not want to sleep at home
          (Lit. I in home, sleep, want not, will)

          ReplyDelete
          Replies
          1. Hi Gregos,

            난 주스 원해 makes sense but 난 주스 싶어 doesn't.
            난 주스 싫어 is also possible.

            난 집에서 잠자고 싶을 거예요 makes sense grammatically but I don't think it's a common expression.

            Alternatively, you can say, 난 집에서 자고 싶어요 (= I want to sleep at home.).

            And 난 집에서 자고 싶지 않을 겁니다 makes sense grammatically but still it wouldn't be a common expression.

            Delete
        13. hi luke :D

          just want to ask if how should i pronounce this: 하기 싫어요 ?

          thanks a lot,

          ReplyDelete
          Replies
          1. Hi Anonymous,

            It would be like 하기 시러요.

            Cheers. :-)

            Delete
        14. Hey...newbie here.Just came across your blog and it really helps me a lot.I'm learning Korean Lang8(still in baby steps).So,I hope you can clarify this sentence for me:

          I want to eat ice-cream.So,in Korean it would be like this right:

          아이스크림 먹고싶다.[inf.]
          아이스크림 먹고싶습니다.[formal]

          Why I/저는/나는 is not used in that sentences??Is it used to past tense only?

          How'd I write the sentence; I want to eat ice-cream now.

          Is it like this informally? 아이스크림 먹고싶다 지금.


          Thanks..your reply is greatly appreciated!

          ReplyDelete
        15. Hi..I just want to ask if is there any difference between written and spoken for I am really happy right now!If I want to post it on Facebook/Twitter any other social web status..which one is more suitable??Written form or spoken form??I really confused right now since there are written and spoken form plus I am really happy right now is an expression it sounds more logic if I post it in a spoken form.Or not???I don't know..please help me~

          ReplyDelete
        16. your blog is the best
          so glad to found this blog to improve my korean

          ReplyDelete
        17. T.T i don't think you have been around for awhile Luke and i wanna say i wish you kept making these lessons or i am not sure if you moved from here but these lessons helped me a ton and i want to give you all my gratitude for this hard work you put into this blog to help other people learn this language <3~ 감사합니다!! ㅋㅋ

          ReplyDelete
        18. Hello Luke !

          First of all, I would like to thank you for everything. It really helps me out !

          I noticed something. In the lesson you first said that for the third person we must use the '~고 싶어 한다' pattern. But, in the comments above you replied this :

          Sunmi didn't want to drink an apple juice.
          = 선미는 사과주스를 먹고 싶지 않았다.

          But shouldn't we say : '선미는 사과주스를 먹고 싶어 안 했다' ?

          Thank you again

          ReplyDelete
        19. Thank you very much for the useful lesson it helped me a lot...
          But you didn't mention about how to say "I want a 'noun'"
          For example how can I say "I want an apple"?

          Thank you 😊😊😊

          ReplyDelete

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