-고 싶다
Want to
Use -고 싶다 to say 'I want to...' do an action.
How It Works
This pattern is used to express the speaker's wish or desire. It's very straightforward to use.
How to form:
Take the verb stem (the dictionary form minus -다) and add -고 싶다.
- 가다 (to go) → 가 + -고 싶다 → 가고 싶다 (want to go)
- 먹다 (to eat) → 먹 + -고 싶다 → 먹고 싶다 (want to eat)
- 보다 (to see/watch) → 보 + -고 싶다 → 보고 싶다 (want to see/watch)
Usage Notes:
1. First and Second Person: -고 싶다 is primarily used for the first person ('I want to...') or when asking a question to the second person ('Do you want to...?').
2. Third Person: When talking about someone else's desire (he, she, they), you should use the pattern -고 싶어하다 instead.
Conjugation:
Like other verbs, -고 싶다 conjugates based on the politeness level.
Examples (4)
- 한국에 가고 싶어요.
I want to go to Korea.
Word by Word: To Korea go want to.
- 뭐 먹고 싶어요?
What do you want to eat?
Word by Word: What eat want to?
- 주말에 영화를 보고 싶어요.
I want to watch a movie on the weekend.
Word by Word: On the weekend a movie watch want to.
- 저는 의사가 되고 싶습니다.
I want to become a doctor.
Word by Word: I a doctor become want to.
Common Mistakes
Using -고 싶다 with adjectives (descriptive verbs).
Not Quite저는 예쁘고 싶어요.Better저는 예뻐지고 싶어요.-고 싶다 attaches to action verbs, not adjectives. To express wanting to be in a certain state, you often need to use a verb like 되다 (to become) or the pattern -아/어지다 (to become/get).
Using -고 싶다 to talk about a third person's desire.
Not Quite제 동생은 아이스크림을 먹고 싶어요.Better제 동생은 아이스크림을 먹고 싶어해요.-고 싶다 is for the speaker's own feelings or when asking the listener directly. To describe someone else's desire, you must use -고 싶어하다.
Learn This First
To express 'want to', you need to understand conjugation and the connector 고.
Related Patterns
- -고 싶어하다Want to Do
This is the third-person version of -고 싶다. Use -고 싶어하다 when talking about someone else's desire (e.g., 'he wants to,' 'she wants to').
- Verb stems
-고 싶다 attaches directly to the verb stem. Understanding how to find the stem is the first step to using this pattern correctly.
- -아/어야 하다Must/should
This pattern expresses obligation ('must do' or 'have to do'). It contrasts with -고 싶다, which expresses desire ('want to do').
- -고 있다Be -ing
Both patterns use -고 attached to a verb stem. However, -고 있다 expresses an ongoing action ('be -ing'), while -고 싶다 expresses a desire ('want to').
- -(으)ㄹ래Going to, Will
-(으)ㄹ래 is a more casual and sometimes stronger way to express intention or ask about someone's preference ('wanna...?'). It's less formal than -고 싶어요.
- -고 싶다 / -고 싶어하다Wanting Expressions
Learn when to use -고 싶다 (your own wants) vs -고 싶어하다 (others' wants).