目錄
Korean 「-고 싶다」 is used to express wanting to do something, and the form heard most often in everyday conversation is 「-고 싶어요」. The pattern itself is not difficult, but things become more complicated when the subject changes, because the expression may change as well. You can express your own desire directly with 「쉬고 싶어요」, and you can also ask someone you are familiar with 「뭐 먹고 싶어요?」. When talking about a third person's desire, however, everyday descriptions usually use 「-고 싶어 하다」. If you are reporting what the person actually said, 「-고 싶다고 하다」 is more precise.
How Do You Use Korean 「-고 싶다」? First Distinguish Between Yourself, the Other Person, and a Third Person
Korean 「-고 싶다」 attaches to a verb stem and expresses the speaker's subjective desire to do something. For example, 「쉬고 싶어요」 means “I want to rest,” while 「먹고 싶어요」 means “I want to eat.” Because this kind of desire comes directly from the speaker's inner state, Korean can express it directly with 「싶다」.
What requires more attention is how third-person desire is expressed. In ordinary everyday narration, 「-고 싶어 하다」 is usually used when describing what a third person wants. This form does not always have to mean “looks like they want to.” Rather, it describes the desire or attitude shown by another person from the speaker's perspective. The information may come from the person's reactions or actions, or it may come from an earlier conversation. For example, 「민지는 여행을 가고 싶어 해요」 means that Minji wants to travel. If you want to make it clear that you are reporting something Minji herself actually said, use 「민지는 여행을 가고 싶다고 했어요」.
Korean 「-고 싶다」 Attachment Rules: Affirmative, Negative, and Third-Person Forms
| What It Attaches To | Pattern | Example | Nuance |
| Verb stem | Verb stem＋고 싶다 | 먹고 싶다 | Want to eat |
| Polite conversational form | Verb stem＋고 싶어요 | 보고 싶어요 | Want to see, want to meet |
| Negative desire | Verb stem＋고 싶지 않다 | 가고 싶지 않아요 | Do not want to go |
| Third person | Verb stem＋고 싶어 하다 | 쉬고 싶어 해요 | Shows a desire to rest |
「싶다」 conjugates in a way similar to adjectives, so its polite conversational form is 「싶어요」, while the negative form is 「-고 싶지 않아요」. 「-고 싶어 하다」 is often used to describe a third person's expressed desire or attitude from the speaker's perspective. You do not necessarily have to have seen a particular action directly; the information may also come from something the person said earlier. If you specifically want to indicate that the desire was expressed by the person themselves, use 「-고 싶다고 하다」.
「-고 싶다」 Usage ①｜Expressing the Speaker's Own Desire
The most basic use of 「-고 싶다」 is to directly express the speaker's own desire. The subject can be omitted because Korean often relies on the conversational context to determine that it is the speaker who wants to do something. In everyday speech, 「-고 싶어요」 is the most common form. 「원하다」, on the other hand, often takes a noun or appears in the form 「-기를 원하다」 to express a wish. It is more common in relatively formal writing or speech and is not simply a stronger version of 「-고 싶다」.
- Example: 오늘은 일찍 쉬고 싶어요.
Romanization: o-neu-reun il-jjik swi-go si-peo-yo
Translation: I want to rest early today.
When the subject is omitted, it is usually understood as the speaker's own desire, making the sentence natural and conversational. - Example: 주말에는 바다를 보러 가고 싶어요.
Romanization: ju-ma-re-neun ba-da-reul bo-reo ga-go si-peo-yo
Translation: I want to go see the sea this weekend.
「가고 싶어요」 expresses wanting to go somewhere to do something and is commonly used when talking about travel, rest, and everyday plans. - Example: 매운 음식은 오늘 별로 먹고 싶지 않아요.
Romanization: mae-un eum-si-geun o-neul byeol-lo meok-go sip-ji a-na-yo
Translation: I do not really want to eat spicy food today.
Negative desire is expressed with 「-고 싶지 않아요」, which sounds softer than directly refusing.
「-고 싶어요?」 Usage ②｜Asking What the Other Person Wants to Do
「-고 싶어요?」 can be used to ask about the wishes of someone you are familiar with and is common when friends discuss what to eat, where to travel, or what activities to do. Because this question directly asks what the other person wants to do, it is appropriate for peers or people with whom you have a relatively close relationship. When speaking to an older person or someone who requires a higher level of politeness, 「-고 싶으세요?」 is usually used instead, together with honorific verbs when appropriate.
- Example: 뭐 먹고 싶어요?
Romanization: mwo meok-go si-peo-yo
Translation: What do you want to eat?
This is one of the most common everyday questions and directly asks what the other person wants to eat. - Example: 어디에 가고 싶어요?
Romanization: eo-di-e ga-go si-peo-yo
Translation: Where do you want to go?
This is very common when making travel or date plans and focuses more on asking about the other person's preference than simply saying 「어디 갈까요?」. - Example: 커피랑 차 중에 뭐 마시고 싶어요?
Romanization: keo-pi-rang cha jung-e mwo ma-si-go si-peo-yo
Translation: Between coffee and tea, which one do you want to drink?
「-랑／이랑」 can connect two options, while 「뭐 마시고 싶어요?」 directly asks which one the other person wants to drink. In everyday conversation, this is more concise than repeating 「마시고 싶어요」 in full twice.
「-고 싶어 하다」 Usage ③｜Expressing a Third Person's Desire
When describing a third person's desire, Korean generally uses 「-고 싶어 하다」. This form describes the desire or attitude displayed by the other person from the speaker's point of view. The information may come from facial expressions, actions, reactions, or previous conversations. In English, it can usually be translated simply as “wants to do something”; it does not have to be rendered every time as “looks like they want to.” If you want to make it clear that the person themselves directly said this, use 「-고 싶다고 하다」.
- Example: 민지는 한국에 가고 싶어 해요.
Romanization: min-ji-neun han-gu-ge ga-go si-peo hae-yo
Translation: Minji wants to go to Korea.
「싶어 해요」 indicates that the speaker knows about this desire from Minji's behavior or what she has said. - Example: 아이들이 밖에서 놀고 싶어 해요.
Romanization: a-i-deu-ri bak-ke-seo nol-go si-peo hae-yo
Translation: The children want to play outside.
「-고 싶어 하다」 is also used with plural third-person subjects and indicates that the children are showing a desire to play. - Example: 친구가 그 영화를 보고 싶어 했어요.
Romanization: chin-gu-ga geu yeong-hwa-reul bo-go si-peo hae-sseo-yo
Translation: My friend wanted to see that movie before.
The past form 「싶어 했어요」 indicates that the friend had or showed this desire in the past. The important point is that the desire existed in the past; it does not necessarily mean the speaker judged it only from outward behavior.
What Is the Difference Between Korean 「-고 싶다」「-고 싶어 하다」「-고 싶다고 하다」?
| Point of Comparison | 「-고 싶다」 | 「-고 싶어 하다」 | 「-고 싶다고 하다」 |
| Main perspective | Directly expresses desire | Describes an outwardly shown attitude or tendency | Reports the person's own stated desire |
| Common subject | Speaker, person being asked | Third person | Third person |
| Source of information | Direct expression by the person concerned | Actions, attitude, or existing information | The person's own words |
| Example | 가고 싶어요 | 가고 싶어 해요 | 가고 싶다고 했어요 |
▌Third-Person Desire Usually Uses 「-고 싶어 하다」, but Not Every Use of 「-고 싶다」 Is Wrong
❌ Unnatural: 민지는 여행을 가고 싶어요.
(If Minji is not the one speaking, this can sound as if the speaker is directly stating what is inside a third person's mind.)
✅ Correct: 민지는 여행을 가고 싶어 해요.
Third-person desire is usually expressed with 「-고 싶어 하다」, which sounds more natural.
❌ Unnatural: 아이들은 집에 가고 싶어요.
✅ Correct: 아이들은 집에 가고 싶어 해요.
When describing the children's desire, the speaker is usually making the statement based on their expressions or behavior, so 「싶어 해요」 is used.
「-고 싶어 하다」｜Describing Outwardly Shown Attitudes or Ongoing Tendencies
「-고 싶어 하다」 is used to describe a desire shown by a third person. The speaker may know about this desire from the person's facial expressions, actions, reactions, or usual behavior. The focus is not on directly quoting something the person said, but on describing the tendency they display. In English, it is usually enough to translate it as “wants to do something”; it does not need to be translated as “looks like they want to” every time.
❌ Unnatural: 민지는 새 가방을 사고 싶어요.
(In ordinary narration, this directly states Minji's inner desire without preserving the speaker's observational perspective.)
✅ Correct: 민지는 새 가방을 사고 싶어 해요.
This means that Minji is showing a desire to buy a new bag. She may keep looking at products, or she may have mentioned it repeatedly before.
❌ Unnatural: 아이들은 밖에서 놀고 싶어요.
✅ Correct: 아이들은 밖에서 놀고 싶어 해요.
When the children cannot sit still, keep looking outside, or repeatedly show that they want to go out and play, 「놀고 싶어 해요」 fits third-person narration better.
「-고 싶다고 하다」｜Reporting a Desire the Person Actually Expressed
「-고 싶다고 하다」 is used to report a desire that the person themselves expressed verbally. This pattern does not infer the desire from outward behavior; it reports the information that “the person said they wanted to do something.” The present form 「-고 싶다고 해요」 is commonly used, while 「-고 싶다고 했어요」 is used when the person said it in the past.
❌ Does not fit a reporting context: 민지는 제주도에 가고 싶어 해요.
(This sentence only describes Minji as wanting to go to Jeju Island; it does not indicate that she said so herself.)
✅ Correct: 민지는 제주도에 가고 싶다고 했어요.
This clearly means that Minji said she wanted to go to Jeju Island, with the focus on reporting what she said.
❌ Does not fit a reporting context: 친구가 그 영화를 보고 싶어 해요.
✅ Correct: 친구가 그 영화를 보고 싶다고 했어요.
If your friend directly said they wanted to see that movie, 「보고 싶다고 했어요」 is more precise. If you only inferred from their reaction that they really wanted to see it, use 「보고 싶어 해요」 instead.
When Can 「-고 싶다」 Still Be Used With a Third Person?｜Quotation, Thoughts, and Narrative Contexts
A third-person subject does not mean every instance of 「-고 싶다」 must be changed to 「-고 싶어 하다」. When directly quoting the person's own words, 「-고 싶다」 remains inside the quotation marks. In novels, diaries, or narrative writing, 「-고 싶었다」 may also be used with a third-person subject when the narration directly enters the character's thoughts. In these cases, the desire is not being observed from the outside; the text is directly presenting what the character said or thought.
❌ Unnatural: 민지는 “한국에 가고 싶어 해요”라고 말했어요.
(The words inside the quotation marks are Minji's own, so there is no need to change her first-person desire into a third-person observational form.)
✅ Correct: 민지는 “한국에 가고 싶어요”라고 말했어요.
Inside the quotation marks, Minji's original sentence is kept as she said it, so 「가고 싶어요」 is used. Outside the quotation, 「말했어요」 indicates that these were her words.
❌ Does not fit a narrative context that directly presents the character's inner thoughts: 민지는 집에 가고 싶어 했다.
✅ Possible in narrative context: 민지는 집에 가고 싶었다.
In a novel or narrative passage that directly presents Minji's inner state at that moment, 「가고 싶었다」 can be used. If the sentence remains from an observer's point of view and describes Minji as appearing eager to go home, 「가고 싶어 했다」 is more appropriate.
How Is 「고 싶어요」 Used in Everyday Korean? Examples for Ordering Food, Travel, and Conversation
「고 싶어요」 is very common in everyday Korean conversation and can be used when ordering food, traveling, shopping, or planning rest time. 「-고 싶다」 mainly attaches to verbs and directly expresses wanting to do something. 「원하다」, by contrast, often takes nouns or appears as 「-기를 원하다」 to express a more formal wish. When using 「고 싶어요」, you still need to pay attention to the subject: it can be used directly for your own desire or when asking someone you are familiar with, while descriptions of a third person often change to 「고 싶어 해요」.
▌Situation ①｜Friends Discussing Dinner
A：오늘 뭐 먹고 싶어요?
o-neul mwo meok-go si-peo-yo
What do you want to eat today?
B：따뜻한 국물이 먹고 싶어요.
tta-tteu-tan gung-mu-ri meok-go si-peo-yo
I want something with a warm broth.
📌 Grammar Point: 「먹고 싶어요」 directly expresses the speaker's current desire to eat or drink a particular kind of food. 「국물이 먹고 싶어요」 is commonly used to mean wanting food with hot broth, and depending on the context, it may naturally be translated as “I want some hot soup.”
▌Situation ②｜Planning the Weekend
A：주말에 어디 가고 싶어요?
ju-ma-re eo-di ga-go si-peo-yo
Where do you want to go this weekend?
B：사람이 적은 카페에 가고 싶어요.
sa-ram-i jeo-geun ka-pe-e ga-go si-peo-yo
I want to go to a café that is not crowded.
📌 Grammar Point: 「어디 가고 싶어요?」 sounds more like asking about the other person's preference than directly deciding on a destination.
▌Situation ③｜Describing a Friend's Desire
A：민지는 이번 여행에 같이 가요?
min-ji-neun i-beon yeo-haeng-e ga-chi ga-yo
Is Minji coming on this trip with us?
B：가고 싶어 하는데, 시간이 안 맞는 것 같아요.
ga-go si-peo ha-neun-de, si-ga-ni an mat-neun geot ga-ta-yo
She wants to go, but it looks like the timing does not work for her.
📌 Grammar Point: In this dialogue, the speaker is describing Minji's desire from an outside perspective, so 「가고 싶어 하는데」 is used. If Minji herself were explaining her situation, she could use 「가고 싶은데」.
Cultural Notes:
- In ordinary conversation, Korean often uses 「-아／어 하다」 when describing a third person's emotions or desires in order to preserve the speaker's narrative perspective. 「-고 싶어 하다」 does not necessarily express pure speculation; it can also be used to summarize a desire that the other person has already shown or expressed.
- 「보고 싶어요」 can mean “want to see,” “want to meet,” or “miss.” For example, 「영화를 보고 싶어요」 means “I want to see a movie,” while 「친구가 보고 싶어요」 may mean “I want to see my friend” or carry the nuance of “I miss my friend.” The actual meaning depends on how long the people have been apart and the surrounding context.
- 「원하다」 and 「-고 싶다」 attach differently. 「원하다」 often takes a noun; for example, 「변화를 원해요」 means “I want change.” When expressing a desire to perform an action, the more formal 「-기를 원하다」 can be used. In everyday conversation, however, 「-고 싶어요」 is more common when directly saying that you want to do something.
How Does Korean 「-고 싶다」 Compare With Japanese 「〜たい／〜たがる」?
◆ Similar Grammar: Japanese 「〜たい／〜たがる」
Japanese 「〜たい」 and Korean 「-고 싶다」 can both directly express the speaker's desire to do something. Between people who know each other well, 「〜たいですか」 or 「-고 싶어요?」 can also be used to ask about the other person's wishes. However, when speaking to someone unfamiliar, someone of higher status, or someone who requires greater respect, both direct questions may sound abrupt, so the wording should be adjusted according to the relationship and situation. When describing a desire shown by a third person, Japanese often uses 「〜たがる」, while Korean uses 「-고 싶어 하다」.
- Example: 今日は早く休みたいです。
Kana: きょうは はやく やすみたいです。
Translation: I want to rest early today.
This sentence directly expresses the speaker's own desire and is similar in usage to Korean 「오늘은 일찍 쉬고 싶어요」. - Example: 子どもたちは外で遊びたがっています。
Kana: こどもたちは そとで あそびたがっています。
Translation: The children want to play outside.
「遊びたがっています」 describes a desire shown through the children's expressions, actions, or reactions and is similar to Korean 「아이들이 밖에서 놀고 싶어 해요」.
◆ Core Difference From 「-고 싶다」:
Both Korean and Japanese distinguish between directly expressing desire and describing a third person's desire from the outside. The speaker's own desire is usually expressed with Korean 「-고 싶다」 or Japanese 「〜たい」. When describing a desire shown by a third person, Korean uses 「-고 싶어 하다」 and Japanese uses 「〜たがる」. When reporting what the person themselves said, Japanese often uses 「〜たいと言っている／言っていた」, while Korean uses 「-고 싶다고 하다」. The difference among these three sets of forms lies in narrative perspective, not just in a change of subject.
With Korean 「-고 싶다」, first look at the subject, then look at where the information comes from. Use 「-고 싶어요」 for your own desire, and you can also ask someone you know well directly with 「-고 싶어요?」. When describing a third person's attitude or behavior, 「-고 싶어 하다」 is common, while 「-고 싶다고 하다」 is used to report the person's own words. Once these three situations are separated, everyday expressions such as “want to go,” “want to eat,” and “want to rest” become much less likely to be forced into the same form.
FAQs
「-고 싶다」 expresses wanting to do something and attaches to a verb stem. Its polite conversational form is 「-고 싶어요」, which is commonly used to express your own desire or ask about someone else's desire.
In ordinary descriptions of a third person, 「-고 싶어 하다」 is recommended. For example, 「민지는 가고 싶어 해요」 is more natural than 「민지는 가고 싶어요」 because it describes Minji as showing a desire to go.
「-고 싶다」 is more conversational and everyday, and is commonly used for wishes such as wanting to eat, go somewhere, see something, or rest. 「원하다」 is more formal and often sounds more like clearly wanting a particular result or object.
Both are possible. If the object is a movie, book, or performance, it usually means “want to see.” If the object is a person, it often means “want to see” or “miss,” as in 「친구가 보고 싶어요」.
The most common mistake is using 「-고 싶다」 directly with a third-person subject. When describing someone else's desire, it is usually more natural to change it to 「-고 싶어 하다」.