Intention -(으)려고 in Korean

In Brief

Attach -(으)려고 to a verb stem to present an intended action or goal. With 하다, it means “intend/plan to”: 한국어를 배우려고 해요 (“I intend to learn Korean”); before another action, it means “in order to”: 책을 사려고 서점에 갔어요 (“I went to the bookstore to buy a book”). In a purpose sentence, the person carrying out both actions is normally the same.

Overview

Korean -(으)려고 connects an action with an intention behind it. It has two main uses. In -(으)려고 하다, it tells us what someone intends or is about to attempt. In A-(으)려고 B, it presents A as the purpose for doing B. A verb stem (the basic verb with -다 removed) comes directly before the ending: 먹다 → 먹으려고, 가다 → 가려고.

This B1 pattern is especially useful because Korean speakers often give a goal before describing the action taken toward it. English commonly uses the infinitive “to” for this: “I called to ask a question.” However, English “to” has many other jobs, so it is safer to think of -(으)려고 as “with the intention of” rather than as an automatic translation of every English “to.”

The idea of intention matters. The first action is normally something a person can aim to do, and in a purpose clause the same person normally performs both actions. Korean frequently leaves that person unstated when the context makes it clear.

How It Works

Choosing -려고 or -으려고

Remove -다 from the dictionary form and inspect the final sound of the stem.

Stem ending	Form	Dictionary form	Result
Vowel	-려고	가다 (to go)	가려고
ㄹ	-려고	살다 (to live)	살려고
Other consonant	-으려고	먹다 (to eat)	먹으려고

The ㄹ rule is important: do not add another 으 after an ㄹ-final stem. Thus 만들다 → 만들려고 and 열다 → 열려고. The common verb 하다 becomes 하려고.

Some useful forms are:

Dictionary form	Stem	Intention/purpose form
배우다 (to learn)	배우-	배우려고
만나다 (to meet)	만나-	만나려고
운동하다 (to exercise)	운동하-	운동하려고
읽다 (to read)	읽-	읽으려고
찾다 (to find/look for)	찾-	찾으려고
만들다 (to make)	만들-	만들려고
돕다 (to help)	돕-	도우- + 려고 → 도우려고

The last example follows the usual ㅂ-irregular change found in forms beginning with a vowel: 돕다 → 도우려고. Other irregular stems follow their normal stem-changing rules where applicable.

Pattern 1: -(으)려고 하다 — intending or planning

Use the pattern below when the intention itself is the main message:

verb stem + -(으)려고 하다

The tense and politeness are carried by 하다, not by the verb before -(으)려고.

Time or style	Form	Typical meaning
Present polite	먹으려고 해요	I intend/am planning to eat
Past polite	먹으려고 했어요	I intended/was going to eat
Future plan	먹으려고 할 거예요	I will intend/try to eat; context-dependent
Formal	먹으려고 합니다	I intend to eat

먹으려고 했어요 often suggests that the plan may not have happened, especially when followed by a contrast: 먹으려고 했는데 시간이 없었어요 (“I was going to eat, but I had no time”). By itself, however, it only reports a past intention; context tells you whether the action was completed.

The negative can be formed in two common ways:

• 안 가려고 해요 — “I intend not to go / I’m trying not to go”
• 가지 않으려고 해요 — the same basic meaning, with the longer -지 않다 negative

The negative belongs before -(으)려고 because “not going” is the intended action.

Pattern 2: A-(으)려고 B — doing B for the purpose of A

In this structure, the purpose comes first:

intended action + -(으)려고 + action taken toward that goal

In 한국어를 공부하려고 한국에 왔어요, studying Korean is the purpose and coming to Korea is the action taken to pursue it. English normally reverses the interpretive emphasis: “I came to Korea to study Korean.”

The subject (the person or thing that performs an action) is normally shared by both clauses:

• 민수가 친구를 만나려고 일찍 나갔어요. Min-su intended to meet the friend, and Min-su left early.
• 제가 민수를 만나려고 민수가 일찍 나갔어요 is not a normal way to mean “Min-su left early so that I could meet him,” because the two clauses have different subjects.

When two different people are involved, use another construction and state the relationship clearly, such as -(으)라고 for a requested action or -게 for causing/enabling a result, depending on the intended meaning.

Tense goes in the main clause

Do not put a past marker directly before -(으)려고 in an ordinary purpose clause. The time of the whole event is shown by the final verb:

• 책을 사려고 서점에 갔어요. — “I went to the bookstore to buy a book.”
• 책을 사려고 서점에 갈 거예요. — “I will go to the bookstore to buy a book.”

The intended buying remains 사려고 in both sentences. A form such as 샀으려고 is not the standard purpose construction.

Examples in Context

Korean	English	Note
한국어를 배우려고 해요.	I intend to learn Korean.	Intention with 하다
주말에는 푹 쉬려고 해요.	I plan to get plenty of rest this weekend.	A personal plan
뭐 하려고 해요?	What are you trying to do?	Neutral or challenging, depending on tone
오늘은 커피를 안 마시려고 해요.	I’m trying not to drink coffee today.	Negative intention
어제 전화하려고 했어요.	I was going to call yesterday.	A past intention; completion is unclear
일찍 자려고 했는데 일이 늦게 끝났어요.	I meant to go to bed early, but work finished late.	An unrealized plan is implied
책을 사려고 서점에 갔어요.	I went to the bookstore to buy a book.	Purpose followed by movement
친구를 만나려고 카페에서 기다리고 있어요.	I’m waiting at a café to meet a friend.	Purpose followed by a non-movement action
돈을 모으려고 도시락을 싸 와요.	I bring a packed lunch to save money.	A repeated strategy toward a goal
건강해지려고 매일 운동해요.	I exercise every day to become healthier.	A desired change of state
질문하려고 선생님께 이메일을 보냈어요.	I emailed the teacher to ask a question.	Purpose of sending the email
늦지 않으려고 택시를 탔어요.	I took a taxi so as not to be late.	Negative purpose
부모님께 드리려고 이 선물을 샀어요.	I bought this gift to give to my parents.	The gift is intended for a later action
조용히 공부하려고 도서관에 왔어요.	I came to the library to study quietly.	The same speaker came and will study

Common Mistakes

Adding 으 after an ㄹ-final stem

• Wrong: 살으려고 해요.
• Right: 살려고 해요.
• Why: After an ㄹ-final stem, use -려고, not -으려고. Compare 살다 → 살려고 (“intend to live”) with the separate vowel-final verb 사다 → 사려고 (“intend to buy”).

Giving the two clauses different subjects

• Wrong for the intended meaning: 제가 공부하려고 엄마가 조용히 했어요. (“Mom kept quiet so that I could study.”)
• Better: 제가 공부할 수 있게 엄마가 조용히 해 주셨어요. (“Mom kept quiet so that I could study.”)
• Why: A purpose clause with -(으)려고 normally shares its subject with the following clause. Here, “I” study but “Mom” keeps quiet, so -(으)ㄹ 수 있게 fits the enabling meaning better.

Using it for an event with no intention

• Wrong: 비가 오려고 우산을 썼어요.
• Right: 비가 올 것 같아서 우산을 썼어요. (“I used an umbrella because it looked like rain.”)
• Why: Rain does not have the speaker’s purpose. Use a reason or prediction pattern instead. There is a separate advanced “about to” use of -(으)려고 하다, discussed below, but it does not make rain your purpose.

Marking past tense inside the purpose clause

• Wrong: 밥을 먹었으려고 식당에 갔어요.
• Right: 밥을 먹으려고 식당에 갔어요.
• Why: The final verb 갔어요 locates the event in the past. The purpose verb stays in the -(으)려고 form.

Treating every English “to” as -(으)려고

• Wrong: 읽으려고 책이 있어요. (“I have a book to read.”)
• Natural: 읽을 책이 있어요.
• Why: In “a book to read,” “to read” describes the book rather than explaining the purpose of having it. Korean uses the modifier -(으)ㄹ here.

Usage Notes

Often translated more naturally than literally

Depending on context, -(으)려고 하다 can be “plan to,” “intend to,” “be going to,” or “try to.” None is a perfect one-to-one match. 다이어트를 하려고 해요 is naturally “I’m planning to go on a diet,” while 화를 내지 않으려고 해요 may be “I’m trying not to get angry.” The Korean form presents a deliberate intention; the situation determines the smoothest English translation.

Pronouns are usually omitted

English normally requires “I,” “you,” or “they,” but Korean often relies on context. 사려고 왔어요 can mean “I came to buy it,” “we came to buy it,” or even “they came to buy it” in the right conversation. Do not add 저는 to every sentence merely because the English translation needs “I.”

Questions can sound confrontational

뭐 하려고 해요? can be a straightforward “What are you planning to do?” With a sharp tone, however, it can sound like “What do you think you’re doing?” or “What are you trying to do?” If you simply want to ask about plans, context-rich wording such as 주말에 뭐 하려고 해요? (“What are you planning to do this weekend?”) reduces ambiguity.

Commands and suggestions

A purpose clause can be followed by many kinds of actions, including a speaker’s request when the subject remains understood: 사진을 찍으려고 여기에서 잠깐 멈춰 주세요 (“Please stop here for a moment so [we/I] can take a photo”) can work in a suitable shared context. Nevertheless, if the intended actor changes, do not force -(으)려고; choose a construction that explicitly handles the other person’s action.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

-(으)려고 versus -(으)러

Both can express purpose, but -(으)러 is narrower. It normally comes before a movement verb such as 가다 (go), 오다 (come), or 다니다 (regularly go/attend). -(으)려고 can precede almost any suitable action.

Meaning	With -(으)러	With -(으)려고
I went to eat.	밥을 먹으러 갔어요.	밥을 먹으려고 갔어요.
I saved money to travel.	Not suitable: the main verb is not movement	여행하려고 돈을 모았어요.

With a movement verb, both forms may be possible. 먹으러 갔어요 is the compact, very common expression “went to eat.” 먹으려고 갔어요 emphasizes the intention and can be useful when discussing whether the plan succeeded.

-(으)려고 versus -기 위해(서)

-기 위해(서) also means “in order to.” It often sounds more explicit, planned, or formal, and appears readily in writing, presentations, and goal statements:

• 건강해지려고 운동해요. — everyday and intention-focused
• 건강을 유지하기 위해서 운동합니다. — “I exercise in order to maintain my health”; more formal or explanatory

The same-subject tendency remains important with -기 위해(서) when it describes someone acting toward a goal. Neither construction should be selected solely by matching the English words “in order to.”

-(으)려고 하다 versus -(으)ㄹ 거예요

-(으)ㄹ 거예요 is a broad future form. It can state a plan, expectation, or prediction. -(으)려고 해요 specifically highlights intention.

• 내일 공부할 거예요. — “I’ll study tomorrow.” A future plan or statement.
• 매일 두 시간씩 공부하려고 해요. — “I intend to study for two hours every day.” The chosen intention is prominent.

For weather predictions, 비가 올 거예요 is normal. 비가 오려고 해요 has a different advanced meaning: “It looks as if it is about to rain.”

“On the verge of” with non-volitional events

Although the core pattern involves intention, -(으)려고 하다 can also describe something showing signs of happening very soon, even when no conscious choice is possible:

• 비가 오려고 해요. — It looks like it is about to rain.
• 해가 지려고 해요. — The sun is about to set.
• 꽃이 피려고 해요. — The flowers are about to bloom.

This is an extension based on an event being poised to happen. Read it as “be about to,” not as though the rain, sun, or flower literally has a plan. Context usually makes the difference clear.

Plans interrupted or changed

The combination -(으)려고 했는데 is extremely common for introducing a plan and then explaining what prevented or changed it:

• 산책하려고 했는데 비가 왔어요. — “I was going to take a walk, but it rained.”
• 집에서 먹으려고 했는데 친구가 식당에 가자고 했어요. — “I intended to eat at home, but a friend suggested going to a restaurant.”

Because English “was going to” often implies a canceled plan, learners may assume the Korean form always does too. The implication comes from the contrast and context, especially -는데, not from -(으)려고 했어요 alone.

Practice Tips

1. Build two sentences from each verb. For 배우다, make an intention sentence (배우려고 해요) and a purpose sentence (배우려고 학원에 다녀요). This keeps the two functions connected without confusing them.
2. Check the subject aloud. For every purpose sentence, ask: “Who performs the first action, and who performs the second?” If the answers differ, reconsider the construction.
3. Sort real examples by contrast. While listening or reading, collect examples of -(으)려고, -(으)러, and -(으)ㄹ 거예요. Note whether each one emphasizes a goal, movement toward a goal, or simply the future.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Polite Ending -아/어요 — needed to turn 하다 and the final verb into natural polite speech.