Lesson 16
Expression of Desire in Korean. ‘Want; have to/must’
47. Sentences like ‘I want to eat this cake.’ 이 케이크를 먹고 싶습니다. /i kʰeikhɯrɯɭ mʌ̹kko ɕʰipsɯmnida/
The construction expressing the desire to do something is formed as follows: the ending of the main verb is changed to -고 (ko/go) and the verb 싶다 /ɕʰipta/ is added for first and second person, while the verb 싶어하다 /ɕʰiphʌ̹hada/ is used for the third person.
Exercises
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I want to eat this cake. |
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That child wants to become a famous actor. |
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I want to sleep now. |
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I want to go to Thailand. |
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What do you want to do? |
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I want to buy this comic. |
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Mr Kim wants to go to England. |
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Do you want to learn Korean? |
Additional vocabulary
케이크 | cake | |
유명하다 | to be famous | |
배우 | actor | |
되다 ![]() |
to become | |
태국 | Thailand | |
만화 | comics, manga | |
48. Sentences like ‘I don’t want to go to school today.’ 오늘 학교에 가기 싫습니다. /onɯɭ hakkjoe kagi ɕʰiɭsɯmnida/
To form a construction with the meaning ‘don’t to want to do something’, replace the ending of the main verb with -기 (ki/gi) and add the verb 싫다 /ɕʰiɭtʰa/ for first and second person and 싫어하다 /ɕʰirʌ̹hada/ for third person.
Exercises
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I don’t want to go to school today. |
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He doesn’t want to go with me. |
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I don’t want to eat fish. |
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I don’t want to buy a different cat. |
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I don’t want to become president. |
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Students don’t want to sleep. |
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Why do you not want to learn Korean? |
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I don’t want to see him. |
Additional vocabulary
다르다 | to be different | |
대통령 | president (of a country) | |
왜 | why | |
49. Sentences like ‘I must go to school.’ 학교에 가야 합니다. /hakkjoe kaja hamnida/
The construction with the meaning ‘must or have to (should, need) do something’ is formed in Korean in the following way – the particle -야 /ja/ is added to the second stem of the main verb, plus the verb 하다 /hada/.
Exercises
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I must go to school. |
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We must go slowly. |
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I have to sleep now. |
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What should I do? |
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He must learn Chinese characters. |
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I must be here. |
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I have to meet him at the airport. |
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I must graduate from the university. |
Additional vocabulary
천천히 | slowly | |
공항 | airport | |