🎯 Expressing Intention or Plan in Korean: "I Plan to..." (-(으)려고 하다)

Setting goals or making weekend plans? Teacher Hoon explains how to use -(으)려고 하다 to clearly express your intentions and future actions in Korean.

Gyeongbokgung Palace representing traditional Korean culture and travel plans

Talk About Your Future Goals (EEAT Tip)

Being able to share your intentions is a major milestone for Beginner to Intermediate learners. As a teacher, I've seen that students who master this pattern can engage in much deeper conversations about their dreams and daily schedules. Let's look at how to form it correctly.

1. Meaning & Usage

This pattern expresses intention, will, or future plans. It is most commonly translated as "I intend to," "I'm going to," or "I'm planning to."

2. How to Conjugate

✅ Ending in a vowel: Add -려고 하다 (e.g., 가다 → 가려고 하다)
✅ Ending in a consonant: Add -으려고 하다 (e.g., 먹다 → 먹으려고 하다)
✅ 하다 verbs: Change to 하려고 하다 (e.g., 운동하다 → 운동하려고 하다)

3. Practical Example Sentences

한국어를 배우려고 해요.
(I’m planning to learn Korean.)

오늘 친구를 만나려고 해요.
(I intend to meet my friend today.)

다이어트를 하려고 합니다.
(I’m planning to go on a diet.)

💡 Teacher Hoon's Expert Tip: Plans That Changed

When you use this pattern in the past tense (-(으)려고 했어요), it often implies you intended to do something, but something else happened. For example: "밖에 나가려고 했는데 비가 왔어요" (I was about to go outside, but it rained). This is a very common way to explain your situation naturally!

💡 Digital Accessibility: Did You Know?

Korea is one of the most connected nations globally. With over 99% of households having internet access according to OECD data, online Korean language learning is more accessible than ever. This is why so many students are successfully mastering grammar like -(으)려고 하다 through digital platforms.

Ready to Set Your Korean Learning Intentions?

Don't just study grammar—practice using it! Book a 1:1 session with Hoon on italki, and we'll practice making weekend plans and sharing your future goals with personalized feedback.

🚀 Practice Planning with Hoon

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