-(으)ㄹ까 하다
Wonder if, Think About
Used to express a vague intention or thought about doing something, like 'I'm thinking of...' or 'I'm considering...'.
How It Works
This pattern is used to express a speaker's vague or undecided intention. It's less firm than -려고 하다 (to intend to) and suggests the speaker is still mulling over the idea.
Conjugation:
- Verb stems ending in a vowel or ㄹ: Add -ㄹ까 하다.
- 가다 (to go) → 갈까 하다
- 만들다 (to make) → 만들까 하다 - Verb stems ending in a consonant: Add -을까 하다.
- 먹다 (to eat) → 먹을까 하다
- 찾다 (to find) → 찾을까 하다
Usage Nuances:
This expression is perfect for when you have an idea but aren't committed to it. It's softer and more indirect than stating a firm plan.
It's often used in the past tense, -(으)ㄹ까 했다, to talk about something you considered doing but ultimately did not do.
Example: 이사할까 했는데 그냥 지금 집에 계속 살기로 했어요. (I was thinking of moving, but I decided to just keep living in my current house.)
Examples (4)
- 주말에 영화나 볼까 해요.
I'm thinking of watching a movie or something this weekend.
Word by Word: Weekend-on movie or watch-shall I-do.
The speaker is considering watching a movie, but it's not a definite plan.
- 날씨가 좋아서 공원에 산책하러 갈까 해요.
The weather is nice, so I'm thinking of going for a walk in the park.
Word by Word: Weather-is good-so park-to walk-to go-shall I-do.
- 저녁으로 뭘 먹을까 하다가 피자를 시켰어요.
I was wondering what to eat for dinner, and then I ordered pizza.
Word by Word: For dinner what eat-shall I-do-while pizza ordered.
Here, it's used with -다가 to show a transition from thinking/wondering to making a decision.
- 회사를 그만둘까 했는데, 좋은 프로젝트가 생겨서 계속 다니기로 했어요.
I was thinking about quitting my job, but a good project came up, so I decided to keep working.
Word by Word: Company-object quit-shall I-did but, good project-subject appeared-so continuously attend-decided to.
This past tense form, -ㄹ까 했다, is very common for expressing an intention that was considered but not acted upon.
Common Mistakes
Using -ㄹ까 하다 for a definite, confirmed plan.
Different Meaning다음 달에 결혼할까 해요. 청첩장도 다 보냈어요.Better다음 달에 결혼해요. 청첩장도 다 보냈어요.-ㄹ까 하다 expresses uncertainty. Since the wedding invitations have already been sent, the plan is definite. In this case, you should use a simple present/future tense like -아요/어요 or -ㄹ 예정이에요.
Learn This First
To express 'wonder if, think about', you need conjugation, -(으)ㄹ까, and 하다 knowledge.
Related Patterns
- -(으)려고 하다Intend to, Plan to
Contrast: -려고 하다 expresses a more definite intention or plan ('I intend to...'), while -ㄹ까 하다 expresses a more tentative thought or consideration ('I'm thinking about...').
- -(으)ㄹ까 말까Whether to or Not
Similar but more specific: -ㄹ까 말까 하다 explicitly expresses indecision ('to wonder whether to do something or not'). -ㄹ까 하다 just expresses the thought of doing it, without necessarily emphasizing the 'or not' part.
- -ㄴ/는/ㄹ까 보다I Guess, I Think
Very similar meaning: -ㄹ까 보다 is often interchangeable with -ㄹ까 하다. It also expresses a tentative thought, sometimes with a nuance of making a soft decision on the spot, like 'I guess I might as well...'.