고 싶다Grammar with example
Today, we’re going to learn ‘Verb-고 싶다 grammar.’ It is used to ask either the speaker’s desire or the listener’s desires. It is also used to express a speaker’s desires. When you politely ask other people’s desire you have to use 싶으세요. The equivalent word in English is ‘want to’. 싶은 is an adjective and 싶어하다 is a verb. Let’s look at some example phrases first to understand today’s grammar.
What do you want to do in Korea? 한국에서 무엇을 하고 싶어요?
I want to have kimchi (김치). 저는 한국에서 김치를 먹고 싶어요.
Here, ‘하고 싶어요 (want to do) and 먹고 싶어요 (want to have)’ are attached with verbs and verb conjugated to make a sentence.Now, let’s find out more about ‘Verb-고 싶다’ which expresses the hope of the speaker.
‘고 싶다’ attaches to a verb stem. It is used when you express the hope of something.
고 싶다 conjugation
Regarding the ‘고 싶다’ conjugation information, remove ‘다’ from basic form of the verb like ‘먹다 (to have, to eat), and 하다 (to do)’ and attach ‘고 싶다’ after the verb stem.
In simple words you have to add 고 싶다 after the verb stems.
오다: to come = 오고싶다
먹다: to eat = 먹고싶다
주다: to give = 주고싶다
가다: to go = 가고싶다
듣다: to hear = 듣고싶다
열다: to open = 열고싶다
닫다: to close = 닫고싶다
배우다: to learn = 배우고싶다
만들다: to make = 만들고싶다
마시다: to drink = 마시고싶다
일하다: to work = 일하고싶다
고 싶다 grammar rule
Whether there is a final consonant or not ‘고 싶다’ is used in both cases.
When you speak, you can add other endings. For example, you can add –
‘어요’ the present tense ending.
‘었어요’ the past tense ending
‘을 거예요’ the future tense ending.
Lets see some examples-
먹다 (to have, to eat)
becomes
‘먹고싶어요’
‘먹고 싶었어요’
‘먹고 싶을 거예요’
하다 (to do)
becomes
‘하고 싶어요’
‘하고 싶었어요’
‘하고 싶을 거예요’
There is one thing you need to check.
‘Verb-고 싶다’ is used when the subject of the sentence is in the first or second person, such as I or you. When the subject is the third person, ‘Verb-고 싶어 하다’ should be used. Let’s look at some examples.
‘저는 비빔밥을 먹고 싶어요.’ (I want to have 비빔밥 (=Bibimbap))
What is the subject?
The subject is ‘저는 (=I)’ which is the first person.
So you can say ‘먹고 싶어요’ using ‘-고 싶다.’
On the other hand, ‘제 친구는 비빔밥을 먹고 싶어 해요.’ (=A friend of mine wants to eat 비빔밥.)
What is the subject?
The subject is ‘제 친구는 (a friend of mine)’ which is the third person. So, you can say ‘먹고 싶어 해요’ using ‘-고 싶어 하다’
If you say ‘제 친구는 비빔밥을 먹고 싶어요.’, this is wrong.
‘먹고 싶어 해요’ is the correct.
고 싶다 grammar examples
Now, let’s look at some more examples.
‘I want to speak Korean well.’
How would you say it?
‘한국어를 잘하고 싶어요.’
‘I want to drink coffee.’
How would you say it?
‘커피를 마시고 싶어요.’
‘I want to see you.’
How would you say it?
‘당신이 보고 싶어요.’
주말에 어디에 가고 싶어요? Where do you want to go this weekend?
저는 부산에 가고 싶어요. I want to go 부산 (Busan).
저는 제주도에 가고 싶어요. I want to go 제주도 (Jeju Island).
Whether there is a final consonant or not ‘고 싶다’ is used in both cases.
When you speak, you can add other endings. For example, you can add –
‘어요’ the present tense ending.
‘었어요’ the past tense ending.
‘을 거예요’ the future tense ending.
싶어 하다 grammar meaning
Now let’s look at some examples to learn 싶어 하다. This example sentence is a question sentence. In this example there are 3 people talking to each other.
A- first person
B- second person
C- third person
Second person(subject) case
A asks to B: B 씨, 쇼핑을 가고 싶어요? (B, do you want to go shopping?’)
What is the subject? The subject is B (= you) which is the second person. So, you can say ‘가고 싶어요’ using ‘-고 싶다.’
Let’s look at another sentence.
Third person(subject) case
‘B 씨, C 씨는 쇼핑을 가고 싶어 해요?’ (“B, Does C (Third person) want to go shopping?”)
What is the subject?
The subject is C which is the third person. So, you can say ‘가고 싶어 해요’ using ‘-고 싶어 하다.’
If you ask like this B 씨, C 씨는 쇼핑을 가고 싶어요?’ That expression will be the wrong expression.
For the third person subjects, you have to use ‘-고 싶어 하다’, so ‘B 씨, C 씨는 쇼핑을 가고 싶어 해요’? is correct.
고 싶다 grammar summary
‘Verb-고 싶다’ is used when you express the desire of something or when you want to do something.
‘고 싶다’ combines with the verbs and it does not combine with the adjectives.
As examples, we’ve looked at ‘저는 불고기를 먹고 싶어요 (I want to eat 불고기.)
‘저는 한국에 가고 싶어요.’ (I want to go to Korea.)
When the subject is the third person, you have to use ‘verb-고 싶어 하다.’ As an example, we’ve looked at ‘제 동생은 불고기를 먹고 싶어 해요 (My brother wants to have 불고기.)
