Korean Lessons ᚛ Level 5 - Intermediate Korean #2 (Lessons 121 to 150) ᚛ Lesson 136 - Thinking about doing in Korean [-(으)ㄹ까 하다] [-(으)ㄹ까 싶다]
Thinking about doing in Korean [-(으)ㄹ까 하다] [-(으)ㄹ까 싶다]
Thinking about doing with -(으)ㄹ까 하다
In Korean, to express the intention of carrying out an action and say that we are thinking about doing that action, the -(으)ㄹ까 하다 structure is commonly used in the following manner:
[Action being considered: … Modifier -(으)ㄹ]까 하다
Reminder: the modifier -(으)ㄹ
We express the idea of thinking associated with an action, a probable intention to carry out an action, which we will translate in English with expressions such as "to think about doing", "to consider doing", "to intend to do".
Note that the -(으)ㄹ까 하다 structure can only be used to talk about oneself.
그 책을 읽을까 해.
→ I’m thinking about reading that book.
휴가 때 제주도를 갈까 해.
→ I’m thinking about going to Jeju Island during my vacation.
금요일에 회식을 할까 합니다.
→ I’m thinking about having a company dinner on Friday.
민지야, 우리 집에서 파티를 할까 하는데 시간 되니?
→ Minji, I’m thinking about having a party at my place, do you have time?
배가 고프지 않아서 간단하게 샌드위치를 먹을까 해요.
→ Since I’m not hungry, I’m thinking about just having a sandwich.
주말에 바다를 보러 갈까 했는데 비가 와서 안 갔어요.
→ I was thinking about going to see the sea on the weekend, but it rained so I didn’t go.
저는 케이팝을 좋아해서 한국에 갈까 해요.
→ Since I like K-pop, I’m thinking about going to Korea.
저녁으로 피자를 먹을까 했어요.
→ I was thinking about having pizza for dinner.
Thinking about doing with -(으)ㄹ까 싶다
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Summary table of structure
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Exercises
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You already know some vocabulary and sentence structures… But when you listen to Koreans speak, do you ever feel like something is missing, the meaning behind the words, the cultural nuance that makes the language truly come alive?
That’s completely normal. In Korean, proverbs and idiomatic expressions are essential to understanding how Koreans think and communicate. Without them, you can speak, but your language will feel flat and overly literal.
With 100 Korean Proverbs - Illustrated and Explained, you’ll understand not only what Koreans say, but why they say it, and what each expression reveals about their mindset and culture.
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