📋 Future Focus: Mastering Plans & Intentions with "-(으)려고 하다"

Want to say "I'm planning to..." instead of just "I will"? Teacher Hoon explains the nuance of intention to help your Korean sound more natural and thoughtful.

Jeju Island seascape representing travel plans and hopes

The Power of Personal Intent (EEAT Tip)

As a teacher with 20 years of experience, I see many intermediate students overusing the simple future tense. In Korean, -(으)려고 하다 signals that you have been thinking about this plan. It shows Willpower (의지) rather than a scheduled event. Let's decode this essential pattern for TOPIK 3-4.

📑 Tap to view Planning Roadmap

1. Core Logic: Planning vs. About To
2. Sentence Patterns & Conjugation
3. 🗣 Natural Practice Dialogue
4. Expert Tip: -(으)려고 vs -(으)ㄹ 거예요

1. The Grammar of "The Planned Future"

This structure is incredibly versatile. Depending on the context, it means:

🎯 Intention: "I intend to..." / "I plan to..."
(e.g., 내일 공부하려고 해요.)
⚡ Near Future: "I'm about to..."
(e.g., 지금 나가려고 해요.)

Formation Rule: Verb Stem + 려고 (Vowel/ㄹ) or 으려고 (Consonant).

📝 Real-Life Sentence Patterns

🏙️ 이번 휴가 때 부산에 가려고 해요. (I plan to go to Busan during this vacation.)
📚 한국어를 더 열심히 공부하려고 합니다. (I intend to study Korean harder.)
🏡 내년에 이사하려고 해요. (We intend to move house next year.)

💡 Teacher Hoon's Pro Distinction

Many students ask: "What's the difference between -(으)ㄹ 거예요 and -(으)려고 해요?"

-(으)ㄹ 거예요 is a neutral future fact (I will).
-(으)하려고 해요 focuses on your Decision-making process (I am planning to). Use the latter when you want to sound more polite and less demanding about your schedule!

🗣 Practice Dialogue: Weekend Plans

A: 이번 주말에 뭐 할 거예요? (What are you going to do this weekend?)

B: 부모님을 보려고 고향에 가려고 해요. (I plan to go to my hometown to see my parents.)

A: 와, 좋네요! 저도 여행 가려고 해요. (Wow, nice! I'm planning to go on a trip too.)

💡 Did You Know? Slang Alert

When plans get too intense, Koreans say "빡세다" (Ppak-se-da). If your study plan is "내일 10시간 공부하려고 해요," a friend might say "와, 진짜 빡세다!" (Wow, that's really tough/intense!). Use this slang only with close friends!

Want to Practice Your Goals in Korean?

Intention is all about the "Why" and "How." Book a 1:1 "Plans & Ambitions" session with Hoon on italki. We'll practice mapping out your 2026 goals using -(으)려고 하다 until you can discuss your dreams fluently.

🚀 Share Your Plans with Hoon

More Intermediate Roadmap:
Basic Future Tense | Commuting in Korea