Ever wanted to say “I want to eat” or “I need to study” in Korean? Today we’ll master three super useful patterns: -고 싶어요 (I want to…), -(으)ㄹ래요 (Shall we?/I’d like to…), and -아/어야 해요 (I need to/I must…). We’ll keep it friendly, practical, and full of examples you’ll use in everyday life.

Meet the two “want to” patterns

Korean has two common ways to express “want to”:

• -고 싶어요: neutral and polite; expresses desire.
• -(으)ㄹ래요: choosing or proposing; often used when suggesting plans.

Let’s learn when and how to use each.

-고 싶어요 — "I want to…"

Form: verb stem + 고 싶어요.

• 가다 (to go) → 가고 싶어요 = I want to go.
• 먹다 (to eat) → 먹고 싶어요 = I want to eat.
• 마시다 (to drink) → 마시고 싶어요 = I want to drink.

Negative: -고 싶지 않아요 = I don’t want to…

Third person: You’ll also hear -고 싶어해요 when describing someone else’s wants (그는 여행하고 싶어해요). At A2, you can usually say -고 싶어요 with names too, but -고 싶어해요 is a good form to know.

오늘 저녁에 비빔밥을 싶어요.

Tip: Object markers (을/를) mark what you want: 비빔밥을 먹고 싶어요, 영화를 보고 싶어요.

-(으)ㄹ래요 — choosing or proposing

Use -(으)ㄹ래요 when you:

• suggest or invite: 우리 같이 점심 먹을래요? (Shall we eat lunch together?)
• state your intention/choice: 저는 버스로 갈래요. (I’ll go by bus.)

Form: attach -(으)ㄹ래요 to the verb stem.

• 먹다 → 먹을래요
• 보다 → 볼래요
• 가다 → 갈래요
• 하다 → 할래요

Politeness: -(으)ㄹ래요 is friendly polite. With older people or formal settings, consider -(으)실래요? (e.g., 차 드실래요?).

주말에 같이 카페에 ?

Need to / Have to: -아/어야 해요 (or -아/어야 돼요)

Use -아/어야 해요 to say you must or need to do something.

• 공부하다 → 공부해야 해요 = I need to study.
• 가다 → 가야 해요 = I need to go.
• 먹다 → 먹어야 해요 = I need to eat.

-아/어야 해요 and -아/어야 돼요 are both common; 돼요 sounds a bit more colloquial. Both mean “must/need to.”

저는 김치를 먹고 원해요. → 저는 김치를 먹고 싶어요. 원하다 is for nouns (e.g., 선물을 원해요). For “want to do,” use -고 싶어요. 전화가 필요해요 (I need to call). → 전화해야 해요. 필요해요 is for nouns (A phone is necessary: 전화가 필요해요). For actions, use -아/어야 해요: 전화해야 해요.

Mini practice: mix and match

Try saying these out loud, then check your answers mentally.

1. “I want to sleep early.” → 일찍 자고 싶어요.
2. “Shall we walk?” → 같이 걸을래요?
3. “I need to buy a ticket.” → 표를 사야 해요.
4. “He wants to learn Korean.” → 그는 한국어를 배우고 싶어해요.

Notice how objects use 을/를 (한국어를 배우고…).

시간이 없어요. 지금 해요.

Cultural note: Softening requests

Korean often prefers softer, indirect suggestions:

• 같이 점심 드실래요? (polite suggestion with -(으)실래요?)
• 내일 영화 보실래요? (to someone older/higher status)

For strong obligations, Koreans might give a reason:

• 숙제가 많아서 오늘은 집에 가야 해요. (I need to go home because there’s lots of homework.) Reasons make obligations sound more natural and polite.

Wrap-up

• Use -고 싶어요 for your desires: 먹고 싶어요, 가고 싶어요.
• Use -(으)ㄹ래요 to choose or invite: 갈래요?, 볼래요?
• Use -아/어야 해요 (or 돼요) to show necessity: 해야 해요, 가야 돼요.

Keep practicing with real-life verbs: 먹다, 가다, 보다, 하다, 사다, 배우다. With these patterns, you can make plans, express what you want, and talk about what you must do—all in natural Korean. 화이팅!