고 싶다

Overview

The Korean grammar pattern -고 싶다 is used to express the speaker's desire or wish to perform an action. It directly translates to "to want to do something" or "would like to do something" in English. This is a fundamental expression for conveying personal aspirations and intentions.

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Usage

-고 싶다 is attached to the stem of a verb. It is most commonly used in the first person (I want to...) to state one's own desires, or in the second person (Do you want to...?) to inquire about the listener's desires.

• First Person (Speaker's Desire):
  • 저는 한국어를 배우고 싶어요. (I want to learn Korean.)
  • 저는 지금 집에 가고 싶어요. (I want to go home now.)
• Second Person (Asking Listener's Desire):
  • 주말에 뭐 하고 싶어요? (What do you want to do on the weekend?)
  • 커피 마시고 싶어요? (Do you want to drink coffee?)

Important Note for Third Person: When talking about a third person's desire (he/she/they want to...), you generally cannot use -고 싶다 directly. Instead, you should use -고 싶어하다. The suffix -어하다 is added to adjectives or desire expressions to describe someone else's feelings or states.

• 그는 한국어를 배우고 싶어해요. (He wants to learn Korean.)
• 제 친구는 영화를 보고 싶어했어요. (My friend wanted to watch a movie.)

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Conjugation Rules

The conjugation for -고 싶다 is straightforward:

1. Take the verb stem.
2. Attach -고 싶다 directly to the verb stem, regardless of whether the stem ends in a consonant or a vowel.

To make the expression negative, you can use -고 싶지 않다 (to not want to do something) or -기 싫다 (to dislike doing something).

• 저는 밥을 먹고 싶지 않아요. (I don't want to eat rice.)
• 저는 밥 먹기 싫어요. (I don't feel like eating rice / I dislike eating rice.)

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Knowledge Plus

While -고 싶다 expresses a desire, it's important to distinguish it from other expressions of intention or future plans. -고 싶다 specifically conveys a personal longing or wish. For general future plans or intentions, other grammar patterns like -(으)ㄹ 거예요 or -(으)려고 하다 might be more appropriate.

Remember the distinction between -고 싶다 (for 1st/2nd person) and -고 싶어하다 (for 3rd person) to use this pattern correctly and naturally. The -어하다 suffix effectively turns the desire into an observable action or state, making it suitable for describing others.