Future Tense¶
Quick Reference
| Pattern | Form | Meaning | Example | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -(으)ㄹ 거예요 | Plan/Intention | will, going to | 갈 거예요 | Personal plans |
| -겠어요 | Will/Conjecture | will, seems | 가겠어요 | Formal intention, supposition |
| Present tense | Context-based | will (scheduled) | 내일 가요 | Fixed schedules |
Korean Future Tense Overview¶
Korean has multiple ways to express future actions and intentions. The two main patterns are:
- -(으)ㄹ 거예요 - More common, indicates plans or intentions
- -겠어요 - More formal, indicates will/determination or conjecture
Future with -(으)ㄹ 거예요¶
This is the most commonly used future tense form in everyday conversation. It expresses plans, intentions, or predictions.
Formation Rules¶
Vowel stems (ending in vowel): Stem + ㄹ 거예요 Consonant stems (ending in consonant): Stem + 을 거예요
Conjugation Table¶
| Dictionary Form | Stem Type | Future Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 가다 | Vowel (가) | 갈 거예요 | will go |
| 오다 | Vowel (오) | 올 거예요 | will come |
| 하다 | Vowel (하) | 할 거예요 | will do |
| 보다 | Vowel (보) | 볼 거예요 | will see |
| 먹다 | Consonant (먹) | 먹을 거예요 | will eat |
| 읽다 | Consonant (읽) | 읽을 거예요 | will read |
| 자다 | Vowel (자) | 잘 거예요 | will sleep |
| 앉다 | Consonant (앉) | 앉을 거예요 | will sit |
| 쉬다 | Vowel (쉬) | 쉴 거예요 | will rest |
| 공부하다 | Vowel (공부하) | 공부할 거예요 | will study |
Step-by-Step Process¶
Example 1: 가다 (to go) 1. Remove 다: 가~~다~~ → 가 2. Vowel stem → add ㄹ: 가 + ㄹ → 갈 3. Add 거예요: 갈 거예요
Example 2: 먹다 (to eat) 1. Remove 다: 먹~~다~~ → 먹 2. Consonant stem → add 을: 먹 + 을 → 먹을 3. Add 거예요: 먹을 거예요
Usage and Meaning¶
Personal Plans: 1. 내일 학교에 갈 거예요. (I will go to school tomorrow.) 2. 주말에 친구를 만날 거예요. (I will meet a friend on the weekend.) 3. 저녁에 영화를 볼 거예요. (I will watch a movie in the evening.)
Intentions: 1. 한국어를 열심히 공부할 거예요. (I will study Korean hard.) 2. 내년에 한국에 갈 거예요. (I will go to Korea next year.) 3. 다이어트를 할 거예요. (I will go on a diet.)
Predictions: 1. 내일 비가 올 거예요. (It will rain tomorrow.) 2. 그 사람이 올 거예요. (That person will come.) 3. 시험이 어려울 거예요. (The exam will be difficult.)
Future with -겠어요¶
This form is more formal and has two main uses: 1. Express strong will or determination 2. Make conjectures or suppositions
Formation Rules¶
All stems: Stem + 겠어요 (no distinction between vowel/consonant)
Conjugation Table¶
| Dictionary Form | Stem | Future Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 가다 | 가 | 가겠어요 | will go |
| 오다 | 오 | 오겠어요 | will come |
| 하다 | 하 | 하겠어요 | will do |
| 먹다 | 먹 | 먹겠어요 | will eat |
| 돕다 | 돕 | 돕겠어요 | will help |
| 만들다 | 만들 | 만들겠어요 | will make |
Usage and Meaning¶
Formal Intentions/Promises: 1. 제가 하겠어요. (I will do it.) 2. 도와드리겠어요. (I will help you [honorific].) 3. 최선을 다하겠어요. (I will do my best.)
Polite Statements (Common Phrases): 1. 잘 먹겠습니다. (I will eat well / Thank you for the food.) 2. 잘 지내겠습니다. (I will be well / Take care.) 3. 연락하겠습니다. (I will contact you.)
Conjecture/Supposition: 1. 피곤하겠어요. (You must be tired.) 2. 배고프겠어요. (You must be hungry.) 3. 날씨가 춥겠어요. (The weather will probably be cold.)
Comparing -(으)ㄹ 거예요 vs -겠어요¶
| Aspect | -(으)ㄹ 거예요 | -겠어요 |
|---|---|---|
| Formality | Neutral | More formal |
| Common Usage | Personal plans | Promises, conjecture |
| Certainty | General future | Strong intention/supposition |
| Frequency | Very common | Selective situations |
Direct Comparison¶
Situation: Promising to help - 도와줄 거예요. (I'm going to help.) - casual plan - 도와드리겠어요. (I will help you.) - formal promise
Situation: Weekend plans - 주말에 쉴 거예요. (I will rest on the weekend.) - natural, common - 주말에 쉬겠어요. (I shall rest on the weekend.) - sounds overly formal
Situation: Guessing about someone - 피곤할 거예요. (They will be tired.) - prediction - 피곤하겠어요. (They must be tired.) - supposition based on observation
Irregular Verbs in Future Tense¶
ㄹ Irregular¶
Important: ㄹ-final stems drop ㄹ before (으)ㄹ but not before 겠.
| Dictionary Form | -(으)ㄹ 거예요 | -겠어요 |
|---|---|---|
| 살다 | 살 거예요 (ㄹ drops) | 살겠어요 |
| 만들다 | 만들 거예요 (ㄹ drops) | 만들겠어요 |
| 알다 | 알 거예요 (ㄹ drops) | 알겠어요 |
| 팔다 | 팔 거예요 (ㄹ drops) | 팔겠어요 |
| 놀다 | 놀 거예요 (ㄹ drops) | 놀겠어요 |
Process for 살다: - 살~~다~~ → 살 (remove 다) - ㄹ drops before ㄹ: 살 → 사 - Add ㄹ 거예요: 살 거예요 (살 looks like ㄹ stayed, but original ㄹ dropped and new ㄹ added) - Actually: 사 + ㄹ = 살
Other Irregulars¶
Good news! Most irregulars (ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅡ, ㅅ) only occur before vowel endings. Since -(으)ㄹ and -겠 are not vowel endings, these verbs conjugate regularly in future tense.
| Dictionary Form | Present (Irregular) | Future (Regular) |
|---|---|---|
| 듣다 | 들어요 | 들을 거예요, 듣겠어요 |
| 걷다 | 걸어요 | 걸을 거예요, 걷겠어요 |
| 춥다 | 추워요 | 추울 거예요, 춥겠어요 |
| 돕다 | 도와요 | 도울 거예요, 돕겠어요 |
| 쓰다 | 써요 | 쓸 거예요, 쓰겠어요 |
| 크다 | 커요 | 클 거예요, 크겠어요 |
Using Present Tense for Future¶
In Korean, present tense is often used for scheduled or definite future events.
Examples: 1. 내일 친구를 만나요. (I'm meeting a friend tomorrow.) 2. 다음 주에 시험이 있어요. (There's an exam next week.) 3. 7시에 수업이 시작해요. (Class starts at 7 o'clock.)
This is especially common with time expressions that make the future meaning clear.
Formal Written/Speech Forms¶
For very formal situations (presentations, written documents):
- -(으)ㄹ 것입니다: 갈 것입니다 (will go)
- -겠습니다: 가겠습니다 (will go)
Examples in Context¶
Making Plans¶
- 저는 내일 도서관에서 공부할 거예요. (I will study in the library tomorrow.)
- 주말에 영화를 볼 거예요. (I will watch a movie on the weekend.)
- 다음 달에 여행을 갈 거예요. (I will travel next month.)
- 오늘 밤에 일찍 잘 거예요. (I will sleep early tonight.)
Making Promises¶
- 제가 도와드리겠어요. (I will help you.)
- 내일 전화하겠어요. (I will call tomorrow.)
- 열심히 공부하겠어요. (I will study hard.)
- 절대 잊지 않겠어요. (I absolutely won't forget.)
Making Predictions¶
- 내일 날씨가 좋을 거예요. (The weather will be nice tomorrow.)
- 그 식당이 맛있을 거예요. (That restaurant will be delicious.)
- 시험이 어려울 거예요. (The exam will be difficult.)
Showing Supposition¶
- 지금 쯤 도착했겠어요. (They must have arrived by now.)
- 많이 바쁘겠어요. (You must be very busy.)
- 힘들겠어요. (It must be hard.)
Practice¶
- Conjugate using -(으)ㄹ 거예요: 가다, 먹다, 자다, 읽다
- Conjugate using -겠어요: 오다, 돕다, 만들다, 하다
- Conjugate both forms: 살다 (ㄹ irregular)
- Translate: "I will go to Korea next year."
- Translate: "I will help you." (use -겠어요)
- Choose the more natural form: "I will watch TV tonight."
- Translate: "The weather will probably be cold tomorrow."
- Explain the difference: 갈 거예요 vs 가겠어요
- Conjugate: 듣다, 춥다 → future tense with -(으)ㄹ 거예요
- Create a sentence about your weekend plans using future tense