[Korean grammar] V-고 싶다 Expressions of Hope

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한국말을 잘 못해요. 한국말을 잘하고 싶어요.
I can’t speak Korean well. I want to speak Korean well.


가족을 2년 동안 못 만났어요. 가족이 보고 싶어요.
I haven’t seen my family for two years. I want to see my family.


딸기를 먹고 싶어요.
I want to eat strawberries.


Grammar Focus:
-고 싶다 expresses the wish or hope of the speaker and corresponds to ‘want to’ in English. -고 싶다 is added to verb stems. If the subject is in the first or second person, then -고 싶다 is used, but when the subject is in the third person, then -고 싶어하다 is used.




A: 뭐 마시고 싶어요? What do you want to drink?
B: 졸려요. 커피를 마시고 싶어요. I’m sleepy. I want to drink some coffee.

A: 크리스마스에 무슨 선물을 받고 싶어요? What do you want for Christmas?
B: 예쁜 장갑을 받고 싶어요. I’d like some nice looking gloves.

Notes:
1. When the subject is in the third person, -고 싶어하다 is used.
• 에릭 씨는 자동차를 사고 싶어요. (X)
->에릭 씨는 자동차를 사고 싶어해요. (〇) Eric wants to buy a car.

2. Although -고 싶다 cannot be added directly to adjectives, if -아/어지다 is first added to an adjective, making it a verb, then -고 싶다 can be used.
(See also "A-아/어지다: Expressions of State" here)
• 날씬하고 싶어요. (X)
->날씬해지고 싶어요. (〇) I want to become slim.

3. -고 싶다 can be combined with the particles -을/를 and -이/가.
• 가족이 보고 싶어요. (〇) I want to see my family.
• 가족을 보고 싶어요. (〇) I want to see my family.

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