Wanting -고 싶다 in Korean

Overview

The pattern -고 싶다 expresses wanting to do something and is a fundamental CEFR A1 structure. It attaches directly to the verb stem with -고, followed by 싶다, which then conjugates for tense and speech level. This is how you say "I want to go," "I want to eat," and similar expressions.

An important grammatical detail is that -고 싶다 is primarily used for the first person (I want) and second person in questions (do you want?). For third person (he/she wants), Korean uses -고 싶어하다 instead, because 싶다 describes an internal feeling that the speaker can only know about themselves.

This pattern is one of the most useful structures for expressing desires and making requests, and it appears in conversation from the very beginning of Korean study.

How It Works

Person	Pattern	Example
1st person	stem + 고 싶어요	가고 싶어요 (I want to go)
2nd person (question)	stem + 고 싶어요?	먹고 싶어요? (Do you want to eat?)
3rd person	stem + 고 싶어해요	가고 싶어해요 (He wants to go)

Tense variations:

Tense	Form	Example
Present	-고 싶어요	가고 싶어요 (want to go)
Past	-고 싶었어요	가고 싶었어요 (wanted to go)
Negative	-고 싶지 않아요	가고 싶지 않아요 (don't want to go)

Examples in Context

Korean	Romanization	English	Note
가고 싶어요.	ga-go si-peo-yo	(I) want to go.	1st person
먹고 싶어요.	meok-go si-peo-yo	(I) want to eat.	1st person
뭐 하고 싶어요?	mwo ha-go si-peo-yo	What do you want to do?	2nd person question
그는 가고 싶어해요.	geu-neun ga-go si-peo-hae-yo	He wants to go.	3rd person
한국에 가고 싶어요.	han-gu-ge ga-go si-peo-yo	(I) want to go to Korea.	destination
쉬고 싶어요.	swi-go si-peo-yo	(I) want to rest.	expressing desire
보고 싶었어요.	bo-go si-peo-sseo-yo	(I) missed (you). / (I) wanted to see.	past
안 가고 싶어요.	an ga-go si-peo-yo	(I) don't want to go.	negation
커피 마시고 싶어요.	keo-pi ma-si-go si-peo-yo	(I) want to drink coffee.	with object

Common Mistakes

Using -고 싶다 for third person

• Wrong: 그는 가고 싶어요.
• Right: 그는 가고 싶어해요.
• Why: -고 싶다 expresses internal desire; only the speaker knows their own desires. For third person, use -고 싶어하다 (shows observable desire).

Adding 을/를 after -고 싶다 incorrectly

• Wrong: 가고 싶어요를
• Right: 가고 싶어요
• Why: -고 싶다 is the main predicate and does not take an object particle after it.

Confusing 보고 싶다 (miss someone) with 보다 (see)

• Wrong: Literally translating 보고 싶어요 as only "want to see"
• Right: 보고 싶어요 commonly means "I miss you" in Korean
• Why: This phrase has evolved to primarily express missing someone, not just wanting to see something.

Usage Notes

-고 싶다 is used in all speech levels: 가고 싶어 (casual), 가고 싶어요 (polite), 가고 싶습니다 (formal). The expression 보고 싶다 (miss someone) is one of the most emotionally loaded phrases in Korean and is ubiquitous in songs, dramas, and daily life. In polite requests, -고 싶은데요 (I want to... but...) is a softer way to express a desire that requires the listener's cooperation.

Practice Tips

• List five things you want to do today and express them with -고 싶어요: 커피 마시고 싶어요, 책 읽고 싶어요, etc.
• Practice the question form by asking a study partner: 뭐 먹고 싶어요? 어디 가고 싶어요?
• Notice 보고 싶다 in Korean songs and dramas. It is one of the most frequently encountered expressions.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Polite Ending -아/어요 — 싶다 conjugates using the polite ending system