Lesson 1
Welcome to Level 2 and congratulations on making it through Level 1!
In Level 2, you will build upon what was learned in Level 1 with new grammar points and expressions.
Let’s get started with the first lesson where you will learn how to use the sentence ending expressing the future in Korean.
Future Tense
The most common way of making future tense sentences in Korean is by adding -(으)ㄹ 거예요 [-(eu)l kkeo-ye-yo].
Conjugation
Verb + -(으)ㄹ 거예요 = future tense
Determining whether to use -ㄹ 거예요 or -을 거예요
- Verb stems ending with a vowel (보다, 가다, 자다) are followed by -ㄹ 거예요.
보다 [bo-da] + -ㄹ/을 거예요 = 볼 거예요. [bol kkeo-ye-yo.]
가다 [ga-da] + -ㄹ/을 거예요 = 갈 거예요. [gal kkeo-ye-yo.]
자다 [ja-da] + -ㄹ/을 거예요 = 잘 거예요. [jal kkeo-ye-yo.]
- Verb stems ending with a consonant (먹다, 찾다, 붙다) are followed by -을 거예요.
먹다 [meok-tta] + -ㄹ/을 거예요 = 먹을 거예요. [meo-geul kkeo-ye-yo.]
찾다 [chat-tta] + -ㄹ/을 거예요 = 찾을 거예요. [cha-jeul kkeo-ye-yo.]
붙다 [but-tta] + -ㄹ/을 거예요 = 붙을 거예요. [bu-teul kkeo-ye-yo.]
(* There is no complex reason for this. It is simply for the ease of pronunciation.) - Exception: Verb stems already ending with ㄹ (놀다, 멀다, 살다) are followed only by 거예요.
놀다 [nol-da] + -ㄹ/을 거예요 = 놀 거예요. [nol kkeo-ye-yo.]
멀다 [meol-da] + -ㄹ/을 거예요 = 멀 거예요. [meol kkeo-ye-yo.]
살다 [sal-da] + -ㄹ/을 거예요 = 살 거예요. [sal kkeo-ye-yo.]
When a verb is changed into this form, it takes on the meaning of “to be going to” do something or “will” do something, but as you will find out when you hear more conversations between native speakers, the present tense can also serve to express the future when the context is very clear.
For example, “I am going to go tomorrow” is “내일 갈 거예요” in the future tense, but “내일 가요” (which is in the present tense) may still make perfect sense depending on the situation.
- 가다 = to go 가 + ㄹ 거예요. → 갈 거예요. = I am going to go. / I will go.
Ex)
지금 [ji-geum] 갈 거예요. = I am going to go (there) now.
혼자 [hon-ja] 갈 거예요. = I am going to go alone.
내일 갈 거예요. = I am going to go tomorrow. - 하다 [ha-da] = to do 하 + ㄹ 거예요. → 할 거예요. [hal kkeo-ye-yo.] = I am going to do (it). / I will do (it).
Ex)
뭐 [mwo] 할 거예요? = What are you going to do?
언제 [eon-je] 할 거예요? = When are you going to do (it)?
이거[i-geo eon-je] 언제 할 거예요? = When are you going to do this?
이거 정말 [i-geo jeong-mal] 할 거예요? = Are you really going to do it? - 입다 [ip-tta] = to wear 입 + 을 거예요. → 입을 거예요. [i-beul kkeo-ye-yo] = I am going to wear (it). / I will wear (it).
Ex)
청바지[cheong-ba-ji]입을 거예요. = I am going to wear blue jeans.
뭐 [mwo] 입을 거예요? = What are you going to wear?
티셔츠 [ti-syeo-cheu] 입을 거예요. = I am going to wear a t-shirt.
치마[chi-ma] 입을 거예요. = I am going to wear a skirt. - 만나다 [man-na-da] = to meet 만나 + ㄹ 거예요. → 만날 거예요. [man-nal kkeo-ye-yo.] = I am going to meet (him/her/that person/them). / I will meet (him/her/that person/them).
Ex)
누구[nu-gu] 만날 거예요? = Who are you going to meet?
어디에서[eo-di-e-seo] 만날 거예요? = Where are you going to meet?
언제 만날 거예요? = When are you going to meet? - 팔다 [pal-da] = to sell 팔 + 거예요. → 팔 거예요. [pal kkeo-ye-yo.] = I am going to sell (it). / I will sell (it).
Ex)
뭐 팔 거예요? = What are you going to sell?
어디에서 팔 거예요? = Where are you going to sell it?
얼마에 [eol-ma-e] 팔 거예요? = At what price are you going to sell it?