🌟 Making Soft Suggestions: Mastering "-(으)ㄹ까요?" in Korean

Want to ask "Shall we?" or "Should I?" with politeness? Teacher Hoon breaks down the most friendly way to suggest plans and ask for opinions in everyday Korean.

Korean Chamoe melon representing fresh and friendly suggestions

The Key to Friendly Conversation (EEAT Tip)

As an expert teacher with 20 years of experience, I always tell my students: Korean is a language of consideration. Instead of saying "Let's eat!", using "-(으)ㄹ까요?" shows you care about the other person's opinion. It’s the perfect way to build Rapport (정) with your Korean friends. Let's look at how to build this structure.

🧱 The Simple Conjugation Formula

✅ Vowel Ends: Stem + ㄹ까요?
(가다 → 갈까요? / Shall we go?)
✅ Consonant Ends: Stem + 을까요?
(먹다 → 먹을까요? / Shall we eat?)

💡 Teacher Hoon's expert "Guessing" Tip

Did you know -(으)ㄹ까요? has a second meaning? When used with subjects like "the weather" or "that person," it means "I wonder if...". For example: "내일 비가 올까요?" (I wonder if it will rain tomorrow?). Pay attention to the subject to know if it's a suggestion or a wonder!

📝 High-Frequency Examples

🎬 영화를 볼까요? (Shall we watch a movie?)
🤝 내일 만날까요? (Should we meet tomorrow?)
🥣 뭐 먹을까요? (What should we eat?)
⏱ 조금 더 기다릴까요? (Should we wait a bit longer?)

🗣 Practice Dialogue: Planning an Evening

A: 오늘 저녁에 뭐 할까요? (What shall we do tonight?)

B: 영화 보러 갈까요? (Shall we go see a movie?)

A: 좋아요! 끝나고 밥도 먹을까요? (Sounds good! Shall we eat afterward too?)

B: 네, 불고기 어때요? (Yes, how about Bulgogi?)

💡 Did You Know? Movie Culture

Going to the movies is a massive social activity in Korea! With over 3,000 screens nationwide, "Shall we watch a movie?" (영화 볼까요?) is one of the most common ways friends and couples start their weekend plans.

Want to Practice Roleplaying Suggestions?

Planning with friends requires more than just one grammar point! Book a 1:1 "Conversational Korean" session with Hoon on italki. We'll practice making plans, Negotiating times, and choosing restaurants until you sound like a natural Seoulite.

🚀 Master Suggestions with Hoon

Trust Resources from LearningKR:
About Us | Contact/Lessons