-(으)ㄹ 거예요 / -겠어요 / -(으)ㄹ게요
Future Expressions
These three endings all express the future but have different nuances:
• -ㄹ 거예요: General future, plan, or guess. (Most common)
• -겠어요: Speaker's strong will or a formal guess.
• -ㄹ게요: Speaker's decision made in response to the situation or listener.
How It Works
While all three forms translate to 'will' or 'going to' in English, their usage in Korean is distinct and depends heavily on context and speaker intent. They attach to verb stems.
1. -ㄹ/을 거예요 (Future Plan / Supposition)
This is the most common and neutral way to talk about the future. It can be used for:
- Stating a future plan or intention: This is a simple statement of fact about what is planned.
(e.g., 내일 도서관에 갈 거예요. - I'm going to the library tomorrow.) - Making a prediction or supposition: This is used when you are guessing about a future event or a current situation based on some evidence.
(e.g., 비가 올 거예요. - It's probably going to rain.)
It can be used with any subject (I, you, he/she, they, it).
2. -겠어요 (Strong Will / Formal Guess)
This form is stronger and often more formal than -ㄹ 거예요. It has two main uses:
- Expressing the speaker's strong will or intention (First Person Only): This shows a firm decision or commitment from the speaker. It's often used in formal settings like business or announcements.
(e.g., 제가 하겠습니다. - I will do it.) - Making a polite guess or assumption (Any Person): This is used to make a conjecture about someone's state or a situation, often sounding softer and more polite than -ㄹ 거예요.
(e.g., 맛있겠어요! - That looks delicious! / 피곤하겠어요. - You must be tired.)
When used for intention, it is only for the first person ('I' or 'we').
3. -ㄹ/을게요 (Responsive Decision / Promise)
This form is used only by the speaker (first person) and expresses a decision or promise made in reaction to what someone else has said or to the current situation. It implies that the speaker's action is relevant to the listener.
- Making a promise or stating a decision: The speaker is informing the listener of their decision, which often affects the listener.
(e.g., A: 너무 추워요. B: 그럼 문을 닫을게요. - A: It's too cold. B: Then I'll close the door.) - It cannot be used for statements of fact that are independent of the listener. For example, you wouldn't say "내일 시험을 잘 볼게요" (I'll do well on the test tomorrow) as a promise to a friend, because your performance isn't directly for them. You would say "내일 시험을 잘 볼 거예요" (I'm going to do well on the test tomorrow).
Because it's about the speaker's decision, you cannot use it to ask a question about the listener's intentions. For instance, to ask 'What will you do tomorrow?', you must say '내일 뭐 할 거예요?' and not '내일 뭐 할게요?'
Examples (6)
- 주말에 친구하고 영화를 볼 거예요.
I'm going to watch a movie with my friend this weekend.
Word by Word: Weekend-on friend-with movie watch will.
This uses -ㄹ 거예요 to state a simple, neutral future plan.
- 하늘에 구름이 많으니까 곧 비가 올 거예요.
There are a lot of clouds in the sky, so it will probably rain soon.
Word by Word: Sky-in clouds are many so soon rain will come.
This uses -ㄹ 거예요 to make a prediction or supposition based on evidence (the clouds).
- 제가 그 일을 책임지고 끝내겠습니다.
I will take responsibility and finish that task.
Word by Word: I that work take responsibility and will finish.
This uses -겠습니다 (the formal version of -겠어요) to show the speaker's strong will and commitment in a formal context.
- 와, 이 케이크 정말 맛있겠어요!
Wow, this cake must be really delicious!
Word by Word: Wow, this cake really delicious must be.
This uses -겠어요 to make a polite and strong assumption about the cake's taste based on its appearance.
- A: 전화벨이 울려요. B: 제가 받을게요.
A: The phone is ringing. B: I'll get it.
Word by Word: A: Telephone bell rings. B: I will receive.
This uses -ㄹ게요 because speaker B is making a decision in direct response to the situation (the phone ringing).
- A: 너무 무거워요. B: 제가 도와줄게요.
A: It's too heavy. B: I'll help you.
Word by Word: A: Too heavy. B: I will help you.
This uses -ㄹ게요 to make a promise or offer of help in response to what speaker A said. It shows the action is for the listener's benefit.
Common Mistakes
Using -ㄹ게요 for a third person's actions.
Not Quite내일 제 친구가 여기 올게요.Better내일 제 친구가 여기 올 거예요.-ㄹ게요 can only be used when the speaker ('I' or 'we') is the subject. For anyone else, you must use -ㄹ 거예요 to state a future plan or prediction.
Using -겠어요 for a simple, pre-decided plan.
Different Meaning저는 다음 주에 제주도에 가겠어요.Better저는 다음 주에 제주도에 갈 거예요.While not grammatically wrong, using -겠어요 for a simple plan like a trip can sound overly formal, dramatic, or like you just made a very firm decision. -ㄹ 거예요 is much more natural for stating a regular plan.
Confusing the nuance of -ㄹ게요 and -ㄹ 거예요.
Different MeaningA: 문 좀 열어주세요. B: 네, 문을 열 거예요.BetterA: 문 좀 열어주세요. B: 네, 문을 열게요.When responding to a request, -ㄹ게요 is the correct choice because your action is a direct response to the listener. Using -ㄹ 거예요 sounds like you are stating an independent fact ('I am going to open the door'), which can feel disconnected and slightly unnatural in this context.
Related Patterns
- -(으)ㄹ 거(예요/야)Will, Probably
This is the base pattern for one of the most common future tense forms, used for general plans and predictions.
- -겠-Will, (I) Intend to
This is the core infix for -겠어요, used to express strong will or supposition. Understanding its function is key to using -겠어요 correctly.
- -(으)ㄹ게Will Do
This is the base pattern for -ㄹ게요, used to express a responsive decision or promise. It highlights the interactive nature of this future form.
- -(으)려고 하다Intend to, Plan to
Similar to the 'intention' meaning of the future tenses, -려고 하다 specifically means 'to intend to' or 'plan to'. It's useful to compare this with -ㄹ 거예요 for expressing plans.
- -(으)ㄹ 예정이다Be Scheduled to, Plan to
This means 'to be scheduled to' or 'to be planned to'. It's a more formal way to state a plan than -ㄹ 거예요 and is often used in writing or formal announcements.
- Tense concepts
Provides the overall framework for understanding how Korean expresses time, including the future, past, and present.