Want to (-고 싶다)

Frequently asked questions

When is -고 싶다 used?

To express wanting to do something, attach -고 싶다 to the verb stem.

How is -고 싶다 formed?

Questions: 뭐 하고 싶어요? (What do you want to do?), 어디에 가고 싶어요? (Where do you want to go?) Note: -고 싶다 is used for 1st and 2nd person . For 3rd person desires, use -고 싶어하다: 그 사람은 한국에 가고 싶어해요 (That person wants to go to Korea).

What are common mistakes with -고 싶다?

Learners use -고 싶다 for 3rd person (should be -고 싶어하다). Also forgetting to conjugate 싶다 for tense/politeness. EN speakers: Direct mapping to 'want to + verb' makes this relatively easy. Main mistake: using for 3rd person. DE speakers: German 'möchten' / 'wollen' + infinitive maps well structurally. May forget 3rd person rule. RU speakers: Russian 'хотеть' + infinitive parallels well. But Korean splits 1st/2nd person (-고 싶다) from 3rd person (-고 싶어하다) — Russian doesn't. CS speakers: Czech 'chtít' + infinitive is similar. Same 3rd person issue as Russian speakers.