Expressing a Desire with '고 싶다' — Korean Grammar

To express a desire to perform an action, attach the ending (go sip·dago sip·dago sip·dako sip·ta) to the stem of a verb. This pattern corresponds to the English phrase "want to".

The helper adjective (sip·dasip·dasip·dasip·ta) is conjugated to match the politeness level of the conversation.

한국에 가고 싶어요.
han·gug·e ga·go sipʰ·ŏ·yo.han·gug·e ga·go sipʰ·eo·yo.han·gug·e ga·go sipʰ·ŏ·yo.han·kug·ey ka·ko sipʰ·e·yo.
I want to go to Korea.
김밥을 먹고 싶어.
gim·bab·ŭl mŏg·go sipʰ·ŏ.gim·bab·eul meog·go sipʰ·eo.gim·bab·ŭl mŏg·go sipʰ·ŏ.kim·pab·ul meg·ko sipʰ·e.
I want to eat gimbap.
새 차를 사고 싶습니다.
sæ chʰa·rŭl sa·go sip·sŭm·ni·da.sae cha·reul sa·go sip·seum·ni·da.sae ch'a·rŭl sa·go sip·sŭm·ni·da.say cha·lul sa·ko sip·sum·ni·ta.
I want to buy a new car.

Subject Restrictions

The form (go sip·dago sip·dago sip·dako sip·ta) is generally used only when the subject is the speaker (first person "I") in statements, or the listener (second person "you") in questions. You are expressing your own internal feeling, or asking about the listener's feeling.

뭐 하고 싶어요?
mwŏ ha·go sipʰ·ŏ·yo?mwŏ ha·go sipʰ·eo·yo?mwŏ ha·go sipʰ·ŏ·yo?mwŏ ha·ko sipʰ·e·yo?
What do you want to do?
집에 가고 싶어요.
jib·e ga·go sipʰ·ŏ·yo.jib·e ga·go sipʰ·eo·yo.jib·e ga·go sipʰ·ŏ·yo.cib·ey ka·ko sipʰ·e·yo.
I want to go home.

Desires of a Third Person

When talking about what someone else wants (he, she, they, my friend, etc.), you cannot use (go sip·dago sip·dago sip·dako sip·ta). Instead, you must use the verb form (go sip·ŏ·ha·dago sip·eo·ha·dago sip·ŏ·ha·dako sip·e·ha·ta). This adds the nuance that the person is showing signs of wanting to do something, rather than stating their internal feeling directly.

제 친구는 피자를 먹고 싶어해요.
je chʰin·gu·nŭn pʰi·ja·rŭl mŏg·go sipʰ·ŏ·hæ·yo.je chin·gu·neun pi·ja·reul meog·go sipʰ·eo·hae·yo.je ch'in·gu·nŭn p'i·ja·rŭl mŏg·go sipʰ·ŏ·hae·yo.cey chin·ku·nun phi·ca·lul meg·ko sipʰ·e·hay·yo.
My friend wants to eat pizza.
아기는 자고 싶어해요.
a·gi·nŭn ja·go sipʰ·ŏ·hæ·yo.a·gi·neun ja·go sipʰ·eo·hae·yo.a·gi·nŭn ja·go sipʰ·ŏ·hae·yo.a·ki·nun ca·ko sipʰ·e·hay·yo.
The baby wants to sleep.

Past Tense

To say you "wanted" to do something in the past, conjugate (sip·dasip·dasip·dasip·ta) into the past tense (sip·ŏss·dasip·eoss·dasip·ŏss·dasip·ess·ta). The main verb remains in its stem form followed by (gogogoko).

너를 만나고 싶었어.
nŏ·rŭl man·na·go sipʰ·ŏss·ŏ.neo·reul man·na·go sipʰ·eoss·eo.nŏ·rŭl man·na·go sipʰ·ŏss·ŏ.ne·lul man·na·ko sipʰ·ess·e.
I wanted to meet you.
여행을 가고 싶었어요.
yŏ·hæng·ŭl ga·go sipʰ·ŏss·ŏ·yo.yeo·haeng·eul ga·go sipʰ·eoss·eo·yo.yŏ·haeng·ŭl ga·go sipʰ·ŏss·ŏ·yo.ye·hayng·ul ka·ko sipʰ·ess·e·yo.
I wanted to go on a trip.

Negation

To express that you do "not" want to do something, use the long negation pattern (ji an·daji an·daji an·daci an·ta) attached to (sip·dasip·dasip·dasip·ta). The resulting form is (go sip·ji an·dago sip·ji an·dago sip·ji an·dako sip·ci an·ta).

일하고 싶지 않아요.
il·ha·go sipʰ·ji an·a·yo.il·ha·go sipʰ·ji an·a·yo.il·ha·go sipʰ·ji an·a·yo.il·ha·ko sipʰ·ci an·a·yo.
I don't want to work.
오늘은 나가고 싶지 않아.
o·nŭl·ŭn na·ga·go sipʰ·ji an·a.o·neul·eun na·ga·go sipʰ·ji an·a.o·nŭl·ŭn na·ga·go sipʰ·ji an·a.o·nul·un na·ka·ko sipʰ·ci an·a.
I don't want to go out today.

Particle Usage

When using (go sip·dago sip·dago sip·dako sip·ta), the object of the sentence is usually marked with the object particle (ŭl/rŭleul/rŭlŭl/rŭlul/rŭl). However, it is also common to use the subject particle (i/ga) to emphasize the specific thing you want. Both are grammatically correct in this context.

물을 마시고 싶어요.
mul·ŭl ma·si·go sipʰ·ŏ·yo.mul·eul ma·si·go sipʰ·eo·yo.mul·ŭl ma·si·go sipʰ·ŏ·yo.mul·ul ma·si·ko sipʰ·e·yo.
I want to drink water.
물이 마시고 싶어요.
mul·i ma·si·go sipʰ·ŏ·yo.mul·i ma·si·go sipʰ·eo·yo.mul·i ma·si·go sipʰ·ŏ·yo.mul·i ma·si·ko sipʰ·e·yo.
I want to drink water (specifically water).

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Korean course

8 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 45. A few of them, with the words “Expressing a Desire with '고 싶다'” is about in bold:

지금 집에 가고 싶어요.
chi·gŭm jib e ga go sip·ŏ·yo.ji·geum jib e ga go sip·eo·yo.chi·gŭm jib e ga go sip·ŏ·yo.ci·kum cib ey ka ko sip·e·yo.
I want to go home now.
Lesson 71
저는 이 식물을 사고 싶어요. 방에 두면 예쁠 것 같아요.
chŏ·nŭn i sing·mur·ŭl sa go sip·ŏ·yo. pang e du myŏn ye·ppŭl gŏt-gat·a·yo.jeo·neun i sing·mur·eul sa go sip·eo·yo. bang e du myeon ye·bbeul geot-gat·a·yo.chŏ·nŭn i sing·mur·ŭl sa go sip·ŏ·yo. pang e du myŏn ye·ppŭl gŏt-gat·a·yo.ce·nun i sing·mur·ul sa ko sip·e·yo. pang ey tu myen yey·ppul ket-kat·a·yo.
I want to buy this plant. It will look great in my room.
Lesson 384

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