Overview
Korean has two main ways to express the future:
| Form | Usage | Feeling |
|---|---|---|
| ~ㄹ/을 거예요 | Plans, intentions, predictions | Personal, conversational |
| ~겠 | Conjecture, determination, formal will | Formal, immediate impression |
Most everyday future statements use ~ㄹ/을 거예요. The ~겠 form is more specialized and often carries additional nuance beyond simple future.
Part 1: ~ㄹ/을 거예요 (Plans and Intentions)
Formation
| Stem ends in | Add | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Vowel (no 받침) | ~ㄹ 거예요 | 가 + ㄹ 거예요 = 갈 거예요 |
| Consonant (받침) | ~을 거예요 | 먹 + 을 거예요 = 먹을 거예요 |
| ㄹ (already ends in ㄹ) | ~ㄹ 거예요 (no change) | 살 + ㄹ 거예요 = 살 거예요 |
Note: 거예요 is a contraction of 것이에요 (it is the thing of...). Literally: "It is the thing that [I] will [do]."
Conjugation table:
| Dictionary | Stem | Ends in | Future |
|---|---|---|---|
| 가다 (go) | 가 | vowel | 갈 거예요 |
| 오다 (come) | 오 | vowel | 올 거예요 |
| 보다 (see) | 보 | vowel | 볼 거예요 |
| 하다 (do) | 하 | vowel | 할 거예요 |
| 마시다 (drink) | 마시 | vowel | 마실 거예요 |
| 배우다 (learn) | 배우 | vowel | 배울 거예요 |
| 먹다 (eat) | 먹 | consonant | 먹을 거예요 |
| 읽다 (read) | 읽 | consonant | 읽을 거예요 |
| 찾다 (find) | 찾 | consonant | 찾을 거예요 |
| 있다 (exist) | 있 | consonant | 있을 거예요 |
| 좋다 (good) | 좋 | consonant | 좋을 거예요 |
| 살다 (live) | 살 | ㄹ | 살 거예요 |
| 만들다 (make) | 만들 | ㄹ | 만들 거예요 |
| 알다 (know) | 알 | ㄹ | 알 거예요 |
Usage 1: Personal plans and intentions
내일 학교에 갈 거예요. (I'm going to go to school tomorrow.) 이번 주말에 쉴 거예요. (I'm going to rest this weekend.) 한국어를 배울 거예요. (I'm going to learn Korean.) 저녁에 치킨을 먹을 거예요. (I'm going to eat chicken for dinner.)
Usage 2: Predictions (based on evidence or knowledge)
내일 비가 올 거예요. (It's going to rain tomorrow.) 시험이 어려울 거예요. (The exam is going to be difficult.) 그 영화 재미있을 거예요. (That movie is going to be fun.)
Usage 3: Asking about someone's plans
주말에 뭐 할 거예요? (What are you going to do on the weekend?) 언제 한국에 갈 거예요? (When are you going to go to Korea?) 오늘 저녁 뭐 먹을 거예요? (What are you going to eat for dinner?)
Formal version: ~ㄹ/을 겁니다
In formal speech, replace 거예요 with 겁니다:
| Polite | Formal |
|---|---|
| 갈 거예요 | 갈 겁니다 |
| 먹을 거예요 | 먹을 겁니다 |
| 할 거예요 | 할 겁니다 |
Part 2: ~겠 (Conjecture and Determination)
Formation
Simply add 겠 to the verb stem, then the speech level ending:
| Speech level | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Polite | ~겠어요 | 가겠어요 |
| Formal | ~겠습니다 | 가겠습니다 |
| Casual | ~겠다 | 가겠다 |
Note: ~겠 does not change based on vowel or consonant -- it always attaches directly to the stem.
Conjugation table:
| Dictionary | Stem | Polite | Formal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 가다 (go) | 가 | 가겠어요 | 가겠습니다 |
| 먹다 (eat) | 먹 | 먹겠어요 | 먹겠습니다 |
| 하다 (do) | 하 | 하겠어요 | 하겠습니다 |
| 오다 (come) | 오 | 오겠어요 | 오겠습니다 |
| 좋다 (good) | 좋 | 좋겠어요 | 좋겠습니다 |
| 맛있다 (delicious) | 맛있 | 맛있겠어요 | 맛있겠습니다 |
Usage 1: Conjecture / Supposition (probably, must be)
Based on what you see, hear, or infer:
바쁘겠어요. (You must be busy.) 힘들겠어요. (That must be tough.) 맛있겠다! (That looks delicious!) 춥겠어요. (It must be cold. / It'll probably be cold.) 피곤하겠어요. (You must be tired.)
Usage 2: Determination / Strong will (formal)
Often used in formal pledges, promises, or military-style statements:
열심히 하겠습니다. (I will work hard.) 다시는 안 하겠습니다. (I will never do it again.) 최선을 다하겠습니다. (I will do my best.)
Usage 3: Polite offers and requests
제가 하겠습니다. (I will do it. -- volunteering) 주문하겠습니다. (I would like to order.) 이것으로 하겠습니다. (I'll go with this one.)
Usage 4: Immediate reaction / impression
맛있겠다! (That looks delicious! -- seeing food) 좋겠다! (That sounds great! -- hearing news) 재미있겠다! (That sounds fun!)
~ㄹ/을 거예요 vs ~겠: When to Use Which
| Feature | ~ㄹ/을 거예요 | ~겠 |
|---|---|---|
| Main use | Plans, intentions | Conjecture, determination |
| Based on | Decision, plan | Observation, impression |
| Formality | Everyday, conversational | More formal or emotional |
| "I will go" | 갈 거예요 (I plan to go) | 가겠습니다 (I shall go -- formal) |
| "It'll rain" | 비가 올 거예요 (It's going to rain) | 비가 오겠어요 (It seems like it'll rain) |
| Question? | 뭐 할 거예요? (What will you do?) | Rarely used in questions |
Side-by-side comparison:
| Situation | ~ㄹ/을 거예요 | ~겠 |
|---|---|---|
| Planned trip | 내일 부산에 갈 거예요. | Less natural for personal plans |
| Weather forecast | 내일 비가 올 거예요. | 내일 비가 오겠습니다. (TV news) |
| Seeing yummy food | -- | 맛있겠다! |
| Job interview | -- | 열심히 하겠습니다. |
| Asking plans | 주말에 뭐 할 거예요? | Not used for questions about others |
| Ordering food | -- | 비빔밥 하겠습니다. |
All Three Tenses Together
| Verb | Present | Past | Future (plan) | Future (conjecture) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 가다 | 가요 | 갔어요 | 갈 거예요 | 가겠어요 |
| 먹다 | 먹어요 | 먹었어요 | 먹을 거예요 | 먹겠어요 |
| 하다 | 해요 | 했어요 | 할 거예요 | 하겠어요 |
| 보다 | 봐요 | 봤어요 | 볼 거예요 | 보겠어요 |
| 마시다 | 마셔요 | 마셨어요 | 마실 거예요 | 마시겠어요 |
| 좋다 | 좋아요 | 좋았어요 | 좋을 거예요 | 좋겠어요 |
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Correction | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 먹ㄹ 거예요 | 먹을 거예요 | Consonant stem takes 을 |
| 가을 거예요 | 가ㄹ 거예요 | Vowel stem takes ㄹ (갈 거예요) |
| 뭐 하겠어요? | 뭐 할 거예요? | Don't use 겠 to ask about others' plans |
| 살을 거예요 | 살 거예요 | ㄹ stems don't add another ㄹ |
Summary
- ~ㄹ/을 거예요: Everyday future for plans, intentions, and predictions. Vowel stem + ㄹ 거예요, consonant stem + 을 거예요.
- ~겠: Conjecture ("must be," "probably"), formal determination ("I will/shall"), and immediate impressions ("looks delicious!").
- Use ~ㄹ/을 거예요 for "What are you going to do?" questions.
- Use ~겠습니다 for formal pledges, news forecasts, and polite offers.
- ~겠다 (casual) is the go-to for exclamatory reactions: 맛있겠다!, 좋겠다!